Roundup · checked October 2026
The best apps for bands, honestly compared
There is no single best band app: some are built for writing songs together, some for performing from charts on stage, some for recording, and some for the business of gigging. This list puts nine of them side by side with what their free plan really includes, what they cost, and where each one falls short. Ours included.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| BandHelper | Gigging bands that need a stage mode, MIDI and gig business tools | No: 30-day free trial, then a paid subscription | Basic, Plus and Pro subscriptions |
| BandLab | Recording and producing music in a free multitrack studio | Yes: free creation tools, up to 16 tracks per project | Pro and Max memberships |
| BandMGT | The business of a gigging band: schedule, availability, venues and payouts | Yes, for up to 4 members | Pro at $8/month per band, up to 8 members |
| BandSlate | The business side with AI tools: contracts, venues, payments and press kit | Yes: 1 band, 3 members, 10 songs, 5 gigs | From $7/month; $15/month for the full feature set |
| BandVolt | Feedback on recordings: mix versions, stems and timestamped comments | Yes, never expires: 1 GB, 10 members, one free band per person | Premium at £9.99/month or £89.99/year per band |
| OnSong | Reading and performing chord charts on stage, popular with worship and cover bands | Free viewer only; editing, transposing and sets are paid | Essentials $29.99/year · Premium $59.99/year |
| SetBook | Working musicians managing gigs, setlists, RSVPs and pay | No: 2-week free trial | From $9.99/month |
| Songtape | Bands that write their own songs: lyrics, chords, tabs and demos per song, edited together | Yes, never expires: 1 album, 3 songs, 50 MB of audio | Pro at €7/month for the whole band |
| Songware | Playing together from charts, with the leader's song and key synced to every screen | Yes, never expires: 50 songs, 10 songbooks, 5 sets; creating a band needs a paid plan | Band at €5.99/month or €59.90/year; Band+ at €9.99/month |
BandHelper
- Best for
- Gigging bands that need a stage mode, MIDI and gig business tools
- Free plan
- No: 30-day free trial, then a paid subscription
- Paid plans
- Basic, Plus and Pro subscriptions
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Mac and web
- Where it falls short
- No free plan after the trial. Gig scheduling needs Plus or Pro, and income, expenses and invoices need Pro. It is built around performing and running the band, not around writing new songs together.
BandLab
- Best for
- Recording and producing music in a free multitrack studio
- Free plan
- Yes: free creation tools, up to 16 tracks per project
- Paid plans
- Pro and Max memberships
- Platforms
- Web and mobile
- Where it falls short
- It is a studio, not a band organizer: no setlists, gigs, rehearsal calendar or expenses.
BandMGT
- Best for
- The business of a gigging band: schedule, availability, venues and payouts
- Free plan
- Yes, for up to 4 members
- Paid plans
- Pro at $8/month per band, up to 8 members
- Platforms
- Not listed in our comparison
- Where it falls short
- Lyrics, chords, audio and a technical rider are not listed among its features. Income, expenses and payouts need Pro.
BandSlate
- Best for
- The business side with AI tools: contracts, venues, payments and press kit
- Free plan
- Yes: 1 band, 3 members, 10 songs, 5 gigs
- Paid plans
- From $7/month; $15/month for the full feature set
- Platforms
- Web
- Where it falls short
- Lyrics and tabs are not listed and audio upload is not listed. Calendar sync, contracts and invoices are on paid plans. No stage plot builder.
BandVolt
- Best for
- Feedback on recordings: mix versions, stems and timestamped comments
- Free plan
- Yes, never expires: 1 GB, 10 members, one free band per person
- Paid plans
- Premium at £9.99/month or £89.99/year per band
- Platforms
- Web, in English
- Where it falls short
- Chords and tabs are not listed. A rider can be stored as a file, but there is no stage plot builder. English only.
OnSong
- Best for
- Reading and performing chord charts on stage, popular with worship and cover bands
- Free plan
- Free viewer only; editing, transposing and sets are paid
- Paid plans
- Essentials $29.99/year · Premium $59.99/year
- Platforms
- iPad, iPhone and Mac (Android announced as coming soon)
- Where it falls short
- No Android app yet, no band calendar and no expenses. Sending sets to the band works over local Wi-Fi on Premium.
SetBook
- Best for
- Working musicians managing gigs, setlists, RSVPs and pay
- Free plan
- No: 2-week free trial
- Paid plans
- From $9.99/month
- Platforms
- Web and iOS
- Where it falls short
- No free plan after the trial and no Android app. Lyrics and tabs are not listed, audio is links to Spotify or YouTube, and there is no technical rider.
Songtape
- Best for
- Bands that write their own songs: lyrics, chords, tabs and demos per song, edited together
- Free plan
- Yes, never expires: 1 album, 3 songs, 50 MB of audio
- Paid plans
- Pro at €7/month for the whole band
- Platforms
- Web, iOS and Android; English, Spanish, French and German
- Where it falls short
- The free plan is small: enough to try it with a few songs, not to run a band. Setlists, concerts, calendar, expenses, the tab editor and keeping the technical rider in the band's project need Pro; the stage plot maker on songtape.com is free, with a small watermark on the PDF. No stage or teleprompter mode, no footswitch or MIDI control, no backing tracks, no member availability polls, no venue contact book and no file attachments. It is not a recording studio.
Songware
- Best for
- Playing together from charts, with the leader's song and key synced to every screen
- Free plan
- Yes, never expires: 50 songs, 10 songbooks, 5 sets; creating a band needs a paid plan
- Paid plans
- Band at €5.99/month or €59.90/year; Band+ at €9.99/month
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and web
- Where it falls short
- Playing as a band is paid. Tabs, a technical rider and expenses are not listed, and there is no separate calendar.
And if your band just uses WhatsApp and Google Drive?
That is what most bands do, and it is free. It works until the good demo gets buried under hundreds of messages and the lyrics live in five different Docs. If that is you, see what changes with a dedicated app:
Questions
What is the best free app for a band?
It depends on what you need free. Free plans that never expire: BandVolt (1 GB, 10 members), BandSlate (10 songs, 5 gigs), BandMGT (up to 4 members), Songtape (1 album, 3 songs, 50 MB) and BandLab for recording. Songware is free for personal use but bands need a paid plan. BandHelper and SetBook only offer a trial, and OnSong's free version is a viewer.
Which band apps work on Android?
Songtape, BandHelper, Songware and BandLab have Android apps. OnSong has announced Android as coming soon. BandVolt and BandSlate are web apps that run in the phone's browser. SetBook is web and iOS.
Which app is best for writing songs as a band?
Songtape is built for that: each song keeps its structure, lyrics, chords, tabs and demos, and the whole band edits it at the same time. BandLab is better if you want to record and produce in the app. Most of the others focus on performing or on the business side of gigging.
Which app makes a stage plot and technical rider?
Songtape has a free online stage plot maker, no sign-up, that builds a numbered input list and exports to PDF with a small watermark; with Pro the rider is saved in the band's project and the PDF has no watermark. BandVolt can store a rider as a file and BandSlate keeps production specs per venue, but neither lists a stage plot builder. The others do not list a technical rider.
How much does Songtape Pro cost?
€7/month for the whole band: up to 3 band projects, unlimited songs and albums, 10 GB of shared audio, setlists, concerts, technical rider, calendar and expenses. Invited members don't need Pro, and the free plan never expires.
All trademarks belong to their owners. Songtape is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the apps listed. Details checked in October 2026 on each app's official website and may change.