Setlists and Gigs for Bands — an Honest 2026 Comparison
Updated 18 September 2026. Disclosure: written by the BandSharp team, one of the five tools compared. Every fact about another tool comes from its own website on the date shown; we did not install or pay. No ranking — and a "what it lacks" column for each, including ours.
The four problems that actually happen
- No signal in the rehearsal room, chords in the cloud. Check whether the tool stores your material on the device or only displays it.
- The printed setlist doesn't survive the night. Everyone has a copy, not the list. Check whether one player changing song moves everyone — without a network.
- The guitarist who uploaded everything leaves. Whose material is it? Check what happens to the songs.
- A sub for one gig. They need tonight's list, not an account for life.
What to look for, in order
Works offline · one library per band · transposition that respects a personal version · a real performance mode · a defined answer to "what happens when someone leaves". Deliberately not on the list: "is it in the app store" — a trade-off, so it's in the table.
Comparison — public facts, no ranking
| BandHelper | Setlist Helper | Bandop | SetSmith | BandSharp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checked | bandhelper.com · 2026-09-18 | setlisthelper.com · 2026-09-18 | bandop.com · 2026-09-18 | setsmith.app · 2026-09-18 | bandsharp.com · 2026-09-18 |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Mac, Web | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web / PWA — not in app stores |
| Offline | not stated | yes, on-device | not stated | yes (mobile cache) | yes — on-device, syncs later |
| Shared band library | yes | personal; bands via separate Band Central | yes | yes, editor/viewer roles | yes |
| Transposition | yes | yes | not stated | not stated | yes, band-wide or personal |
| Synced performance | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | yes |
| Booking / gigs | invitations, finances, stage plots | not stated | bookings, availability, riders | gig tagging only | venues, outreach, press kit. No finances |
| Audio / hardware | reference recordings; MIDI, DMX, pedal | Bluetooth pedal | not stated | MP3, speed, stems, pedal | normalised recordings. No MIDI, pedal or backing tracks |
| When a member leaves | not stated | n/a | not stated | not stated | they keep uploads; band keeps full copy |
| Sub / sound-engineer access | "charts and recordings for subs"; account not stated | not stated | not stated | viewer role (invite) | view link, no account, device-locked, expiring |
| Languages | not stated | not stated | EN, NL | EN, ES | Hebrew and English, per player |
| Free trial | 30 days, no payment info | free tier | free for now | full free tier | free trial, no card |
| Price as published | USD by size: solo $16–32/yr · 2–5 $40–80 · 6–20 $60–120 | one-time upgrade, amount not shown | free | amount not shown | ILS per band per year — on the pricing page |
What BandSharp lacks: no store app · no MIDI / pedal / backing tracks · no band finances · no notation · no Spotify import.
FAQ
Is there a band app in Hebrew? As of 2026-09-18, of the five tools here only BandSharp publishes a Hebrew UI.
Which setlist apps work offline? Setlist Helper, SetSmith and BandSharp state it. Ask whether material is stored or only viewable.
Do I need a store app for the stage? No. A PWA stored on the device works offline; store apps mostly add hardware (pedal, MIDI).