LumaFretsGuitar Pro Alternatives, Free and Paid
Published 28 October 2026. Details of other products were checked on their own sites on 28 October 2026.
Guitar Pro is a tab editor and player. People look for an alternative for different reasons. Some want something free. Some are on Linux. Some don't want to write tabs at all, they want to play them over the real song. This page sets out what each option does, so you can pick the one that fits.
What Guitar Pro Does
Guitar Pro 8 edits tabs and scores for guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo, percussion and other instruments. It has a metronome, chord and scale libraries, a tuner, tempo changes and loops, and it can add an audio track to a score. It is sold as a lifetime license with a one-time payment, for Windows 8/10/11 and macOS 10.13 or later, on up to 5 computers. It is free for the first 7 days. Its mySongBook library sells tabs one at a time or with a subscription (Guitar Pro, Guitar Pro products).
There is no Linux version listed.
What to Look For in an Alternative
- Whether you need to write and edit tabs, or only play them.
- Whether it opens the Guitar Pro files you already have.
- Whether you hear the real recording or a synth playback.
- Speed control and loops for the hard bars.
- Which computers it runs on, and how you pay.
The Alternatives
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. It 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 tabs with a synth, not the recording. It is the closest free match if you write tabs.
MuseScore Studio
MuseScore Studio is free, open-source notation software for Mac, Windows and Linux. It writes tablature as well as standard notation, can link a tab staff to a standard staff, and opens Guitar Pro files. It also imports MusicXML and MIDI (MuseScore for guitar). It suits you if you write scores for other instruments too.
Songsterr
Songsterr is a tab site with a player in the browser. The free site plays tabs with pauses every 10 bars. The paid Plus plan plays the tab in sync with the original audio and adds speed control, loops and downloads in Guitar Pro and other formats (Songsterr). Its tabs come from its own library, not your files. See Songsterr alternatives for more.
LumaFrets
LumaFrets is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux. It is not a tab editor. It plays a tab as a 3D note highway in time with the real song, from a YouTube video or your own audio file. It opens Guitar Pro (3 to 7), MusicXML and TuxGuitar files, so the tabs you already have work in it.
You can slow the song from 25% to 100% with the pitch kept, loop a section, and use the speed trainer. There's a built-in amp with cabinets and pedals, a tuner that follows the tab's tuning, a count-in and click, and scoring.
LumaFrets is free. Pro is a one-time $39, with no subscription. Pro splits a song into vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano and the rest, so you can solo or mute the guitar, and plays your own VST3 and Audio Unit plugins, amp captures and impulse responses. Songs are separated on your computer, and nothing is uploaded.
It has no tab library and you can't write or edit tabs in it.
Which One Fits
- You write and edit tabs, on Windows or Mac, and want realistic sound and a paid tab library: Guitar Pro.
- You write tabs and want it free, or you're on Linux: TuxGuitar.
- You write full scores with tab for several instruments: MuseScore Studio.
- You want a tab library in the browser: Songsterr.
- You already have Guitar Pro files and want to play them over the real song, with the amp in the same app, on Mac, Windows or Linux: LumaFrets.
Questions
Is There a Free Guitar Pro Alternative?
Yes. TuxGuitar and MuseScore Studio are free and both open Guitar Pro files and edit tabs. LumaFrets is free too, but it plays tabs rather than editing them.
Is There a Guitar Pro Alternative for Linux?
TuxGuitar, MuseScore Studio and LumaFrets all run on Linux. Guitar Pro lists only Windows and macOS.
Can I Open My Guitar Pro Files Without Guitar Pro?
Yes. TuxGuitar and MuseScore Studio open them, and LumaFrets opens Guitar Pro 3 to 7 files. See playing Guitar Pro files over the real song.
Does LumaFrets Replace Guitar Pro?
Only if you play tabs and don't write them. For editing, use Guitar Pro, TuxGuitar or MuseScore Studio, then open the file in LumaFrets to practise with the recording.
Related: free guitar tab players, Songsterr alternatives, Rocksmith alternatives.