Can I transpose chords for free in BANDANA?

Yes. Transposition is part of the free song library.

Does BANDANA work on iPad?

Yes. BANDANA has a native iOS app that runs full screen on iPad and iPhone, with read-only offline for content you have already opened. Everything also runs in any modern browser on Android and desktop.

Comparison

BANDANA vs OnSong

Reviewed August 2026

OnSong is a well-known iPad-centric chord chart and performance app, strong on live on-stage use. BANDANA is free and has a native iOS app built for the same stage — full screen on iPad and iPhone, with read-only offline for anything you have already opened — and a full web app for Android and desktop. It stores lyrics with chords, transposes across twelve semitones with correct slash-chord handling, auto-scrolls the chart hands-free at a speed you set, exports a printable PDF, and shares a public song link — while also handling rehearsal scheduling, recordings, and the gig advance with the venue.

BANDANA dashboard on a phone listing a band and a venue the same person runs — One dashboard for every band you play in and every room you run.

BANDANA song library on a phone listing a band's songs with keys and recordings — The band's song library, with keys and recordings attached to each song.

Lyrics with chords positioned above the words on a BANDANA song page — Chords sit above the lyric they belong to, not in a separate document.

BANDANA set list on a phone showing the running order and a maybe section — Drag songs into order and park undecided ones in the "maybe" section.

BANDANA set list showing the offline banner while the phone has no connection — Set lists you have opened stay readable when the venue has no signal.

Transposition controls on a BANDANA song shifting every chord into a new key — Shift the whole song up or down and the key badge follows.

Downloading a lyrics and chords PDF from a BANDANA song page — Export the chart as a PDF in whatever key you just transposed to.

Rehearsal recordings listed underneath a song in BANDANA — Rehearsal takes live on the song itself, not in a group chat.

A rehearsal recording playing in BANDANA with playback controls — Playback keeps going when the screen locks on iOS.

Proposed rehearsal time slots listed on a BANDANA band event — Propose rehearsal times instead of polling the group chat.

Band members voting on rehearsal time slots in BANDANA — Everyone votes, and the winning slot is obvious at a glance.

A band's stage setup and input needs attached to a BANDANA gig page — Your stage plot and input list, attached to the show before load-in.

A top-down BANDANA stage plot showing drums, keys, bass, guitar, two saxes and amp positions — Save a band setup once, then attach its stage plot to any gig.

Guest list entries submitted by a band on a BANDANA gig page — Each band fills its own guest list quota — no spreadsheet at the door.

A band filling out a venue's booking request form in BANDANA — Bands submit dates, links and their bio in one pass.

A BANDANA gig advance page showing set times, backline and band details — One advance page the venue and every band on the bill share.

What OnSong focuses on

A performance-oriented chord chart app with deep on-stage tooling, popular on iPad.

BANDANA and OnSong, side by side

Competitor details below are from their own public pages, checked August 2026. Pricing changes — confirm on their site before you decide. OnSong pricing

Price: BANDANAFree; OnSongFree, Essentials, and Premium tiers — see their pricing page for current rates
Platform: BANDANANative iOS app on iPhone and iPad, plus a full web app on Android and desktop; OnSongiPhone and iPad app, with OnSong Console in a browser on Premium
Offline reading: BANDANARead-only offline in the iOS app for content you have already opened; OnSongSongs stored on the device, so charts open without a connection
Transposition: BANDANAWhole song, twelve semitones each way, slash chords supported; OnSongYes — transposition is documented in their feature manual
Hands-free reading: BANDANAAuto-scroll with play/pause and a speed slider, pauses when you scroll; OnSongYes, and further: hands-free performance with foot pedals and full MIDI rig control
Key detection: BANDANAAutomatic from the chords, overridable; OnSongNot published
Import: BANDANAPaste text, upload a file, or AI extraction — auto-saved; OnSongImports files and text-based chord charts into the song viewer
Sharing: BANDANAPublic read-only song page with viewer-side transposition; OnSongNot published — no no-account share page described
Beyond the chart: BANDANASet lists, recordings, scheduling, stage plots, gig advances; OnSongSong and performance focused; no scheduling or venue tooling published

What you get	BANDANA	OnSong
Price	Free	Free, Essentials, and Premium tiers — see their pricing page for current rates
Platform	Native iOS app on iPhone and iPad, plus a full web app on Android and desktop	iPhone and iPad app, with OnSong Console in a browser on Premium
Offline reading	Read-only offline in the iOS app for content you have already opened	Songs stored on the device, so charts open without a connection
Transposition	Whole song, twelve semitones each way, slash chords supported	Yes — transposition is documented in their feature manual
Hands-free reading	Auto-scroll with play/pause and a speed slider, pauses when you scroll	Yes, and further: hands-free performance with foot pedals and full MIDI rig control
Key detection	Automatic from the chords, overridable	Not published
Import	Paste text, upload a file, or AI extraction — auto-saved	Imports files and text-based chord charts into the song viewer
Sharing	Public read-only song page with viewer-side transposition	Not published — no no-account share page described
Beyond the chart	Set lists, recordings, scheduling, stage plots, gig advances	Song and performance focused; no scheduling or venue tooling published

Choose OnSong if

You perform from an iPad and want dedicated on-stage performance features
You need capabilities specific to a live chart app

Choose BANDANA if

You want the whole band on the same charts without buying licenses
You read charts from an iPad or iPhone in a native app, and anyone on Android or a laptop opens the same page in a browser
You want charts, rehearsal audio, and the gig page in one place
You share charts with guests and subs who will not install anything

Common questions

Can I transpose chords for free in BANDANA?: Yes. Transposition is part of the free song library.
Does BANDANA work on iPad?: Yes. BANDANA has a native iOS app that runs full screen on iPad and iPhone, with read-only offline for content you have already opened. Everything also runs in any modern browser on Android and desktop.