Buyer's guide

Best setlist apps for bands in 2026

The right one depends on what is on your screen during the show. For one shared set order with keys and tempos, Setlist. For chord charts, OnSong. For charts, MIDI and band admin in one place, BandHelper. We make Setlist, so we say below where the others are the better pick.

Updated October 2026

Side by side

What you need	Setlist	BandHelper	OnSong	Set List Maker	Spreadsheet
Shared current set order for the band	Core workflow	Yes, configurable	Set and book workflow	Device based	Only if everyone uses the same live file
Lyrics and chord charts	No	Yes	Core workflow	Check their site	No
MIDI, pedals, backing tracks	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Band admin (finance, contacts)	No	On broader plans	Not its focus	Not its focus	Build it yourself
Still in active development	Yes	Yes	Yes	Feature-frozen	n/a
Setup effort	Low	Higher	Medium	Medium	Low, then ongoing upkeep

Checked against each product's own feature pages in October 2026. Features change; verify anything your show depends on.

Which one for which band

Setlist

Best for: A band that needs one shared, current set order with keys and tempos

Songs live in one band library, each with its key, tempo and length. Gigs pull from it, the running time adds up as you build, and every member opens the same current version on web, iPhone or Apple Watch. Free on the web. Disclosure: we make it.

Skip it if: You read lyrics or chord charts on stage, or your show runs on MIDI and backing tracks.

Source: Setlist home

BandHelper

Best for: Bands that want charts, media, MIDI, scheduling and finances in one system

A deep, configurable platform: lyrics and chord charts, MIDI and backing tracks, scheduling with availability, plus finance, contacts and stage plots on broader plans.

Skip it if: You only need the set order and song details, and do not want to configure a large system.

Source: BandHelper feature list · Setlist vs BandHelper

OnSong

Best for: Players who read lyrics and chord charts throughout the show

Built around the chart on your screen: chord formatting, transpose and capo, annotation, auto-scroll, plus pedals, MIDI and media control.

Skip it if: Your instrumentalists mostly need the order, keys and solo order rather than full charts.

Source: OnSong feature list · Setlist vs OnSong

Set List Maker

Best for: Existing users with a tuned MIDI or performance setup

A mature personal song database with established MIDI and performance features. Its developer has announced a feature freeze and points users who need ongoing cloud collaboration to BandHelper.

Skip it if: You are setting up a shared band system from scratch now.

Source: developer announcement · Setlist vs Set List Maker

A spreadsheet (Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers)

Best for: One organized person keeping a small, stable song list

Free, flexible and already familiar. Easy to share. It breaks down when the same songs feed many gigs and bandmates keep working from an old copy.

Skip it if: Bandmates need the latest version without asking you, or you want a readable view on stage.

Source: our comparison · Setlist app vs spreadsheet

How to choose in two questions

What do you look at between songs? If it is the full chart or lyrics, pick a chart app. If it is the next song, its key and its tempo, a setlist tool is enough and faster to read.
Who else needs the list? If it is only you, a spreadsheet or a personal app works. If four bandmates and a sub need the same version on the night, pick something they all open, not something you export and send.

Working out how many songs to put in? Try the set length calculator.

Common questions

What is the best setlist app for a band?

It depends on what is on your screen during the show. If the band needs one shared set order with keys and tempos, a focused tool like Setlist is the simplest. If you read chord charts, OnSong. If you want charts, MIDI and band admin in one system, BandHelper.

Is there a free setlist app?

Setlist is free on the web, and a spreadsheet costs nothing. Most chart and MIDI tools are paid or have paid tiers; check their current pricing pages.

Can the whole band see the same setlist?

In Setlist and BandHelper, yes: members open the shared gig. With a spreadsheet it works only if everyone opens the same live file and nobody keeps a downloaded copy.

Side by side

What you need	Setlist	BandHelper	OnSong	Set List Maker	Spreadsheet
Shared current set order for the band	Core workflow	Yes, configurable	Set and book workflow	Device based	Only if everyone uses the same live file
Lyrics and chord charts	No	Yes	Core workflow	Check their site	No
MIDI, pedals, backing tracks	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Band admin (finance, contacts)	No	On broader plans	Not its focus	Not its focus	Build it yourself
Still in active development	Yes	Yes	Yes	Feature-frozen	n/a
Setup effort	Low	Higher	Medium	Medium	Low, then ongoing upkeep

Checked against each product's own feature pages in October 2026. Features change; verify anything your show depends on.

Which one for which band

Setlist

Best for: A band that needs one shared, current set order with keys and tempos

Skip it if: You read lyrics or chord charts on stage, or your show runs on MIDI and backing tracks.

Source: Setlist home

BandHelper

Best for: Bands that want charts, media, MIDI, scheduling and finances in one system

A deep, configurable platform: lyrics and chord charts, MIDI and backing tracks, scheduling with availability, plus finance, contacts and stage plots on broader plans.

Skip it if: You only need the set order and song details, and do not want to configure a large system.

Source: BandHelper feature list · Setlist vs BandHelper

OnSong

Best for: Players who read lyrics and chord charts throughout the show

Built around the chart on your screen: chord formatting, transpose and capo, annotation, auto-scroll, plus pedals, MIDI and media control.

Skip it if: Your instrumentalists mostly need the order, keys and solo order rather than full charts.

Source: OnSong feature list · Setlist vs OnSong

Set List Maker

Best for: Existing users with a tuned MIDI or performance setup

A mature personal song database with established MIDI and performance features. Its developer has announced a feature freeze and points users who need ongoing cloud collaboration to BandHelper.

Skip it if: You are setting up a shared band system from scratch now.

Source: developer announcement · Setlist vs Set List Maker

A spreadsheet (Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers)

Best for: One organized person keeping a small, stable song list

Free, flexible and already familiar. Easy to share. It breaks down when the same songs feed many gigs and bandmates keep working from an old copy.

Skip it if: Bandmates need the latest version without asking you, or you want a readable view on stage.

Source: our comparison · Setlist app vs spreadsheet

How to choose in two questions

What do you look at between songs? If it is the full chart or lyrics, pick a chart app. If it is the next song, its key and its tempo, a setlist tool is enough and faster to read.

Who else needs the list? If it is only you, a spreadsheet or a personal app works. If four bandmates and a sub need the same version on the night, pick something they all open, not something you export and send.

Working out how many songs to put in? Try the set length calculator.

Common questions

What is the best setlist app for a band?

Is there a free setlist app?

Setlist is free on the web, and a spreadsheet costs nothing. Most chart and MIDI tools are paid or have paid tiers; check their current pricing pages.

Can the whole band see the same setlist?

In Setlist and BandHelper, yes: members open the shared gig. With a spreadsheet it works only if everyone opens the same live file and nobody keeps a downloaded copy.