# Henle Library vs Music Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Music Reader at 4.5 against Henle Library's 3.0. Music Reader also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 35%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Henle Library's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Henle Library sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Music Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Music Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 94 and 192 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of Henle Library's written reviews are positive against 51% of Music Reader's.

Henle Library ships an update every 3 months, Music Reader every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Henle Library | Music Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/henle-library/id1021283948/reviews) | **[4.5 (192 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-reader-sheet-music-note/id1491308446/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 94 | **192** |
| Positive reviews | 34.7% of reviews | **51.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 54 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guenter Henle Verlag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1416460395) | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) |

## What reviewers say

### Henle Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/henle-library/id1021283948)

Access high-quality digital Urtext editions of classical music scores on your tablet. Practice, rehearse, and perform with a range of interactive features designed for musicians of all levels. Enjoy annotations, metronome, playback, and more.

**Highlights:** Digital Urtext editions, Customizable score purchases, Print and export PDFs, Score modification and annotations, Metronome and recording, Part and score switching, Explanatory notes access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 22 Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| 55 Credits | $5.99 | one-time |
| 100 Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| 200 Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 300 Credits | $29.99 | one-time |
| 500 Credits | $49.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Credits | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 High-quality Henle urtext editions
- ✏️ Annotation and marking capabilities
- 🎵 Beautiful score formatting and rendering
- 🎚️ Customizable spacing and sizing options
- 🎹 Multiple fingering/bowing variants available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Annotations frequently disappear or get lost
- ✏️ Eraser function unreliable and non-intuitive
- 🖊️ Apple Pencil annotation tools difficult to use
- 📖 Multi-movement scores split into individual pieces
- 🖨️ Poor print quality with severe aliasing

**Reported bugs**

- Annotations deleted after app updates or restarts
- Eraser function fails to remove marks consistently
- Marks don't record when crossing between staff lines
- App crashes when opening purchased scores
- Purchased scores disappear from library

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality for annotations
- Ability to print entire multi-movement pieces together
- Half-page turning option for performers
- Playlist or collection grouping system
- Individual score parts (not just full scores)


### Music Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-reader-sheet-music-note/id1491308446)

This app is a comprehensive tool for sheet music. It allows users to view, learn, listen, mark, and play musical scores. It supports various music genres and instruments, acting as a portable songbook and powerful player.

**Highlights:** View and play sheet music, Mark and annotate scores, Import MusicXML and NotationPad files, Supports dark mode, Transposition (PRO), Change instrument parts (PRO)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Access | $14.99 | per year |
| Pro Access | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Henle Library free?

Henle Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Music Reader free?

Music Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Henle Library or Music Reader?

Music Reader is rated higher. Henle Library averages 3.0 out of 5 from 94 ratings, while Music Reader averages 4.5 from 192 ratings.

### Do Henle Library or Music Reader have ads?

Music Reader shows ads; Henle Library does not.

### Which is updated more often, Henle Library or Music Reader?

Henle Library ships an update every 3 months, and Music Reader every 4 months. Most recently, Henle Library was updated on October 29, 2026 and Music Reader on October 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*