GigPenguin vs BandHelper

The short answer: BandHelper is a songbook and stage app: lyrics, chords, charts and set lists on every member's device, with gig scheduling, finances and stage plots on its higher plans. GigPenguin does one job, getting each gig to the players you've hired and their answer back to you, and the players don't need an account to do it. If your band plays from a shared book, BandHelper is hard to beat. If your lineup changes from gig to gig, GigPenguin is lighter for the players and tells you more about who's ready.

At a glance

Where BandHelper is the better choice

BandHelper has been the go-to for bands that play from a book for over a decade. Every song lives in one account with its lyrics, chords, charts and recordings, transposes for a different singer or a horn key, and syncs to every member's phone, tablet or laptop. Set lists go out to the band automatically. On stage it scrolls the chart, plays backing and click tracks, and sends MIDI and lighting changes per song. Its Plus plan adds a schedule where each member accepts, says maybe or declines, with reminders and date options for finding a rehearsal night, and Pro adds the band's finances and stage plots. For a steady band it's very cheap, because one subscription covers the whole band.

Where GigPenguin is the better choice

• Nothing for a sub to join. In BandHelper, everyone you send a gig to is a user on your account: you set them up, and their emailed link signs them in to it. In GigPenguin a dep you'll hire once is a name and a number on your roster, and their link opens one page about their gig, with one tap to answer.
• A bigger sub list doesn't cost more. BandHelper prices by the number of users, so a five-piece with a few regular subs moves up from the 2–5 tier to the 6–20 one. GigPenguin doesn't count players.
• You see who's read what. Whether the sheet arrived, when they opened it, and whether they've seen the latest version.
• Changes say what changed. Move the load-in and every player gets the old time and the new one, and a Got it button. You see who tapped it and who's still on the old plan.
• Finding a sub is one step. When someone can't make it, the seat shows up on your home page with a button to find someone. Pick a sub and the offer goes out.
• Paying the band is tracked. One tap opens Venmo, Cash App or PayPal with the player and amount filled in, and players tap "It arrived" when it lands.

Can you use both?

Yes, and plenty of bandleaders would. Keep BandHelper for the songbook, the set lists and the show, and use GigPenguin for who's on the gig, what time they need to be there and what they're paid. Your roster in GigPenguin is just names with a phone number or email, so there's nothing to move across.

Which should you pick?

If the same people play every gig and the hard part is the music, choose BandHelper. If you hire a different lineup for each gig and the hard part is getting everyone confirmed and on the same plan, GigPenguin does that with less for you and your players to set up.

Pricing

BandHelper is priced by plan and band size. For 2 to 5 users it's $4 a month for Basic (songs and set lists), $6 for Plus (adds the schedule) and $8 for Pro (adds finances, files and stage plots), or $40, $60 and $80 a year. For 6 to 20 users it's $6, $9 and $12 a month. One subscription covers the apps for every member. It's free while GigPenguin is in its pilot, no card needed, and band members never pay.

What we say about BandHelper comes from its own website (www.bandhelper.com/, www.bandhelper.com/main/pricing.html, www.bandhelper.com/tutorials/scheduling_events.html), checked on October 29, 2026. Prices and features change; check theirs before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Email support@gigpenguin.com and we'll fix it.