LumaFretsFree Guitar Tab Players for Mac, Windows and Linux
Published 21 October 2026. Details of other products were checked on their own sites on 21 October 2026.
A tab player opens a tab file and plays it back while you follow along. The free ones differ in what you hear. Some play the tab with a synth. Others play it in time with the real recording. This page sets out what each one does, so you can pick one for the way you practise.
What to Look For in a Tab Player
- Which files it opens: Guitar Pro, MusicXML, TuxGuitar, Power Tab or MIDI.
- Whether you hear a synth or the real song.
- Speed control that keeps the pitch, and loops for the hard bars.
- Whether it also edits tabs, or only plays them.
- Which parts are free, and what the paid parts cost.
- Which computers it runs on.
The Tab Players
LumaFrets
LumaFrets is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux. It opens Guitar Pro (3 to 7), MusicXML and TuxGuitar files and shows the tab as a 3D note highway in time with the real song, from a YouTube video or your own audio file.
The free version lets you slow the song from 25% to 100% with the pitch kept. You can loop a section and use the speed trainer, which plays the loop a little faster each time round. It also has a built-in amp with cabinets and pedals, a tuner that follows the tab's tuning, a count-in and click, and scoring.
Pro is a one-time $39, with no subscription. It splits your audio file into vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano and the rest, so you can solo the guitar or mute it and play the part yourself. It also plays your own VST3 and Audio Unit plugins, amp captures and impulse responses. Songs are separated on your computer, and nothing is uploaded.
LumaFrets doesn't edit tabs, and it has no tab library. You need a tab file first.
TuxGuitar
TuxGuitar is a free, open-source editor and player for multi-track tabs. It opens Guitar Pro, Power Tab Editor, TablEdit and MIDI files, and has packages for Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD and Android. Its site says the packages aren't officially signed, and that files saved by version 2.0.0 and later can't be read by older versions (TuxGuitar). It plays the tab with a synth, not the recording.
Songsterr
Songsterr plays tabs from its own library in the browser. The free site pauses playback every 10 bars. The paid Plus plan removes the pauses and adds sync with the original audio, speed control that keeps the pitch, loops, solo and mute, and downloads in MIDI, Guitar Pro, MP3 and WAV formats. Plus is a monthly subscription (Songsterr Plus). It plays Songsterr's tabs, not files from your computer.
Guitar Pro
Guitar Pro is a paid tab editor and player, and its site says it is free for the first 7 days. It edits tabs and scores for guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo, percussion and more, with a metronome, a tuner, tempo changes and loops. Guitar Pro 8 can add an audio track to a score (Guitar Pro). Its files open in LumaFrets and TuxGuitar.
Which One Fits
- You want to write or fix tabs for free, on almost any system: TuxGuitar.
- You want a large tab library in the browser and don't have tab files: Songsterr.
- You want a full editor with realistic playback and can pay for it: Guitar Pro.
- You have tab files and want to play them over the real song, with an amp in the same app, on Mac, Windows or Linux: LumaFrets.
Questions
Can a Free Tab Player Play the Real Song?
LumaFrets can, in the free version, with a YouTube video or your own audio file. TuxGuitar plays a synth. Songsterr syncs the original audio only on Plus.
Is There a Free Guitar Pro File Player?
Yes. LumaFrets and TuxGuitar both open Guitar Pro files for free. See how to play Guitar Pro files over the real song.
Does LumaFrets Work on Linux?
Yes. LumaFrets runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Can I Edit Tabs in LumaFrets?
No. LumaFrets plays tabs. To write or change one, use TuxGuitar or Guitar Pro, then open the file in LumaFrets.
Related: Songsterr alternatives, how to slow down a song for guitar practice and how to remove the guitar from a song.