# Henle Library vs Sibelius

The clearest difference is rating: Sibelius at 4.2 against Henle Library's 3.0. Sibelius also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 94) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Henle Library sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sibelius holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sibelius has 1.8K ratings behind it against 94, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 35% and 36% positive.

Henle Library ships an update every 3 months, Sibelius every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Henle Library | Sibelius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/henle-library/id1021283948/reviews) | **[4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 94 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 34.7% of reviews | **35.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guenter Henle Verlag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1416460395) | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) |

## 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)


### Sibelius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259)

Professional music notation software is now available on mobile devices. Create, edit, and hear your compositions anywhere with a full suite of tools optimized for touch and stylus input. Seamlessly sync across platforms and access different feature tiers to suit your needs.

**Highlights:** Professional music notation, Cross-platform synchronization, High-quality sample library, Apple Pencil and touch optimization, Innovative note entry, Command Search functionality, Scalable subscription tiers

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sibelius Artist for iOS | $5.99 | per month |
| Sibelius Ultimate for iOS | $12.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🚀 Useful for composing on the go
- 💡 Good for making quick edits to existing scores
- 🎨 Stylish and professional-looking app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes frequently
- 🔒 Difficulty unlocking full version and accessing features
- 💰 Subscription service is very expensive
- 🔇 Limited sound library and poor playback quality
- 📁 Unreliable saving and file management

**Reported bugs**

- Scores disappearing or not saving properly
- Subscription issues and inability to log in
- Crashes when performing basic actions
- Compatibility problems with newer iPad OS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to enlarge chord symbols
- More time signature options
- Support for MIDI input
- Better Apple Pencil integration
- Autosave and improved file management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Henle Library free?

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

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Henle Library or Sibelius?

Sibelius is rated higher. Henle Library averages 3.0 out of 5 from 94 ratings, while Sibelius averages 4.2 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Henle Library or Sibelius have ads?

Neither Henle Library nor Sibelius shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Henle Library or Sibelius?

Henle Library ships an update every 3 months, and Sibelius every 2 months. Most recently, Henle Library was updated on October 22, 2026 and Sibelius on October 22, 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.*