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A powerful chord-chart and lyric app for worship musicians: store songs, transpose on the fly, annotate, and run setlists on stage.
Our verdict
OnSong solves one problem better than almost anything else: putting your charts on an iPad and letting you actually perform from them. Load in your lyrics and chords, and you get instant transposition, automatic scrolling, a capo calculator, and hands-free page turns from a Bluetooth foot pedal so you never take your hands off your instrument. For worship leaders who ditched the binder years ago, it is the tool that made that switch feel effortless.
It is important to understand what OnSong is and isn't. It is not a music store; it does not sell you arrangements. Instead it is where the charts you already own live and perform. You import ChordPro files, PDFs, and songs from sources like PraiseCharts and SongSelect, then organize them into sets, share them with your team, and mark them up. That flexibility is a strength, but it means OnSong is only as good as the charts you feed it.
Pricing is refreshingly gentle in a category full of steep subscriptions. There is a one-time-purchase version, plus inexpensive Essentials and Premium memberships that run just a few dollars a month, and group plans that drop the per-user cost even lower. The real limitation is platform: OnSong is iOS-only, so an Android-based team or a leader on a Windows tablet is simply out of luck. If your musicians are on iPads, though, it is close to essential.
How we scored it
Standout features
Foot pedal control
Turn pages and scroll hands-free with a Bluetooth pedal.
Instant transpose
Change any song's key and capo in a single tap.
Auto-scroll charts
Set charts to scroll at your tempo so you can play through.
Import anything
Bring in ChordPro, PDFs, and charts from PraiseCharts or SongSelect.
Sets & sharing
Build setlists and share them instantly with your team.
MIDI & audio
Trigger backing tracks, pads, and MIDI cues from your charts.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Best-in-class live chart display with autoscroll and large, readable layouts
- Hands-free page turns and control via Bluetooth foot pedals
- Instant transposition and capo calculator for any song on the fly
- Imports ChordPro, PDF, and charts from PraiseCharts and SongSelect
- Very affordable, including a one-time purchase and cheap group plans
– Cons
- iOS-only, with no Android or Windows version for mixed-device teams
- Not a catalog; you must supply your own charts from other sources
- Advanced setup, pedals, and MIDI can be a learning curve for new users
Best for
Worship leaders and band members on iPads who want a dependable, hands-free way to display, transpose, and perform from charts they already own.
Look elsewhere if
Your team uses Android or Windows devices, or you want a tool that also sells you the actual charts and multitracks rather than just displaying them.
Pricing
How it compares
| OnSong | PraiseCharts | SongSelect | Loop Community | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 7.9 |
| Ease of use on stage | 9.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 8.0 |
| Catalog / library | 6.0 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 7.5 |
| Pricing model | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Multitracks / playback | 3.0 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 8.5 |
FAQ
Is OnSong a one-time purchase or a subscription?
Both. There's a classic one-time-purchase version, plus optional Essentials and Premium memberships that unlock additional features for a few dollars a month.
Does OnSong come with songs?
No. OnSong displays and organizes charts you import or purchase elsewhere, such as ChordPro files, PDFs, or charts from PraiseCharts and SongSelect. It is a performance tool, not a store.
Can I turn pages without touching the screen?
Yes. OnSong pairs with Bluetooth foot pedals so you can turn pages, scroll, and navigate your set completely hands-free while you play.
Is there an Android version?
No. OnSong is iOS-only and runs on iPad and iPhone, so it is not an option for Android or Windows devices.
Can my whole team use the same setlists?
Yes. You can build sets and share them with band members, and group plans make it affordable to license the app across a full team.
