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A free alternative to Power Tab Editor
Power Tab Editor was the free Windows tab editor of the 2000s, and its .ptb files are still everywhere. SimpleNotation is a free tab and notation editor for today: it runs in the browser on any system, plays back with built-in instruments, opens Guitar Pro files, and exports PDF, Guitar Pro, MusicXML, MIDI and audio. Here is how they compare.
Power Tab Editor 1.7 is a free tab editor for Windows that is no longer developed; its successor, Power Tab Editor 2.0, is an open-source rewrite for Windows, macOS and Linux. Both use the .ptb file format.
SimpleNotation and Power Tab Editor compared
| SimpleNotation | Power Tab Editor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free: writing, playback, import and export, no watermark, no limits on scores | Free |
| Where it runs | Any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad and Android; nothing to install | 1.7: installed on Windows. 2.0: installed on Windows, macOS and Linux |
| Account | Not needed to write, play and export; a free guest or account to save online and share links | None |
| Notation and tab together | Yes, two linked staves per fretted instrument; either can be hidden | Yes |
| Keyboard note entry | Yes: A–G pitches, intervals, fret numbers, one key per technique; presets modelled on Finale, Guitar Pro and Sibelius | Yes |
| Playback | Synthesized instruments (guitars, bass, piano, organ, strings, winds, brass, mallets, voices, drums), metronome, count-in, loop, tempo without pitch change | MIDI playback |
| Guitar Pro files | Opens .gp3, .gp4, .gp5, .gpx and .gp; writes .gp | See its documentation; .ptb is its own format |
| Exports | PDF, PNG, Guitar Pro, text tab, MusicXML, MIDI, WAV and MP3 | MIDI and text; see its documentation for others |
| Sharing | Link to a private, unlisted or public score; viewers listen, print and copy it without an account | Files you send |
Rows about Power Tab Editor are based on the vendor’s public product pages, October 2026. Power Tab Editor is a trademark of its owner. If something here is out of date, tell us.
When Power Tab Editor is the better choice
- You have a collection of .ptb files and want to keep editing them as they are.
- You want an installed program that works with no web connection at all.
When SimpleNotation is the better choice
- You are not on Windows, or you do not want to install anything.
- You want playback with real instrument sounds rather than a MIDI synth, plus a fretboard and piano that show the notes.
- You want to print a clean PDF, share a link, or export to Guitar Pro, MusicXML, MIDI or MP3.
- You write notation as much as tab: notes are entered with A to G, spelled correctly, and transposed correctly.
Moving your files
SimpleNotation does not open .ptb files. To bring a Power Tab score over, export it from Power Tab Editor as MIDI (or as a Guitar Pro file, where your version offers that) and open the export here. A MIDI file arrives as notation with tab fretted automatically; a Guitar Pro file keeps the tab as written. Going the other way, Power Tab Editor can import MIDI, and some versions import Guitar Pro files, which SimpleNotation exports.
Questions
Can SimpleNotation open .ptb files?
No. Export the score from Power Tab Editor as MIDI or Guitar Pro first, then open that file here.
Is Power Tab Editor still available?
The original 1.7 is still downloadable from various sites but is no longer developed; the open-source 2.0 rewrite is developed on GitHub. Check their pages for the current state.
Does SimpleNotation work on Windows?
Yes, in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad and Android.
Is it really free?
Yes. Writing, playback, import and export are free, with no watermark on PDFs, and you can start without an account.