Comparison

Henle Library vs Dorico

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Henle Library

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
Read full description

“With the Henle Library app a new era begins for classical musicians.” Daniel Hope An indispensable app for professional musicians, amateurs, students and teachers. The Henle Library app delivers G. Henle Publishers’ reliable Urtext editions straight to your tablet. You can practise, rehearse and make music – whenever and wherever you like. And you can enjoy the many unique features of Henle’s digital scores.  Features: - Filter Henle Urtext according to your individual needs and purchase as required (individual part, single movement, bundles etc.) - Free version available for music students (licences for music colleges) - Print, export PDFs, share - Modify the score to suit your needs - Superimpose alternative professional fingerings (or choose “No fingerings”) - Unlimited possibilities for your own annotations - Easily switch between the part and the score at exactly the same measure - Open explanatory notes (footnotes, Critical Report etc.) at the appropriate place in the score - Record and play back your own recordings - Use the integrated metronome - Navigate extremely rapidly - Create and use playlists Do you like our app? Please consider writing a review. Thank you!

About

Dorico

Create professional music notation and compositions with this powerful app. Easily input notes, edit performances, and share your work in various formats. It's suitable for beginners and professionals alike.

Highlights
  • Compose music notation
  • On-screen keyboard, drum pads, fretboard
  • MIDI editing tools
  • PDF, audio, MusicXML export
  • Print to AirPrint
  • Read mode with annotation
  • Automatic engraving
Features
Read full description

Compose your own music for free with Dorico. Create beautiful music notation for up to eight instruments quickly and easily with the on-screen keyboard, drum pads and fretboard. Play back instantly with the included sounds and shape the performance with powerful MIDI editing tools. When your piece is finished, share it as PDF, audio or MusicXML, or print directly to your AirPrint-enabled printer. Perform using the built-in read mode, and annotate with your Apple Pencil. Dorico is the award-winning music notation and composition software from Steinberg for macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. It’s easy enough to learn and use that it is used by students in schools, and deep enough that it satisfies the needs of the most demanding professionals in the worlds of concert music, music for film and TV, and music publishing. Dorico for iPad is fully compatible with Dorico for macOS and Windows, so you can work on your projects on the move on your iPad and in your studio on your desktop or laptop computer, or share projects with musicians using Dorico on any platform. Dorico’s interface is split into four modes. In Setup mode, you can add and change instruments, create and reorder sections of music (called “flows”), and choose how your music will be formatted for your musicians into layouts. In Write mode, you can input and edit music and other notations using simple, well-organized toolboxes and panels. In Engrave mode (included if you buy a paid subscription to Dorico’s advanced features), you can make graphical tweaks to every item in your project. Finally, in Play mode, you have access to powerful sequencer-style MIDI editing tools, including piano roll and velocity editors. Dorico includes built-in virtual instruments and effects to allow you to play back your compositions, and you can also easily use any compatible Audio Unit plug-in or external MIDI device (with optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase), and tweak playback using the on-screen Mixer. Input music using an on-screen piano keyboard, or by connecting a MIDI keyboard to your iPad directly via USB or using a compatible USB-to-Lightning adaptor. If you have a Magic Keyboard or other external keyboard, you can make use of extensive keyboard shortcuts to work quickly and efficiently. Dorico is free to use, allowing you to write for ensembles of up to four players. Register with your free Steinberg ID to increase the player limit to eight, allowing you to write for ensembles like string or wind quartet, or SATB choir. If you want to take your composition and arranging to the next level, you can buy an optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase to access more features and power: write for ensembles of any number of players, and gain access to Engrave mode, allowing you to make graphical tweaks to individual items anywhere in your project. HIGHLIGHTS • Best automatic engraving of any software • Easy note input using on-screen keyboard, MIDI keyboard, or external keyboard • Intelligently adjusts notation as you write • Any number of movements or pieces in a single project • Automatic layout of instrumental parts • Expressive playback using included sounds and effects • Supports Audio Unit virtual instruments and effects processors • Sequencer-style piano roll MIDI editor • Sophisticated chord symbols, unpitched percussion and drum set notation • Unbarred music, tuplets across barlines, etc. all handled correctly — no workarounds • Transfer to and from other apps via MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, etc. For support, please visit www.dorico.com/forum If you like Dorico, please support us by rating this app in the App Store. Thank you!

Screenshots

Henle Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Dorico at 4.6 against Henle Library's 3.0. Dorico also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (55% vs 35%). Henle Library's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Henle Library sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Dorico sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dorico holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dorico has 2.3K ratings behind it against 94, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of Henle Library's written reviews are positive against 55% of Dorico's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Henle Library ships an update every 3 months, Dorico every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Henle Library versus Dorico: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHenle LibraryDorico
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (94 ratings)4.6 (2.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews34.7% of reviews55.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings942.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB975 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGuenter Henle VerlagSteinberg Media Technologies GmbH

Customer experience

Henle Library

All ratings94 ratings
Positive39.4%
Neutral18.1%
Negative42.6%
Written reviews193 reviews
Positive34.7%
Neutral21.8%
Negative43.5%

Dorico

All ratings1,908 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews294 reviews
Positive55.4%
Neutral12.9%
Negative31.6%

User reviews

Henle Library

From 94 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Dorico

From 2.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful and full-featured notation app on iPad
  • 👍 Seamless integration with desktop version
  • 🚀 Efficient workflow with keyboard shortcuts
  • 👍 Impressive engraving and layout capabilities
  • 🚀 Comprehensive feature set for composing and arranging

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🔒 Subscription-only model, no option to purchase outright
  • 🐛 Glitchy touch/scroll functionality
  • 🐛 Inability to delete clefs or access certain settings
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance on older iPad models

Bugs and requests

Henle Library

Reported bugs

20 issues
  • 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
Show 15 more
  • Blank pages appear when turning pages
  • App freezes during export to PDF
  • Infinite loading screen in online store
  • Confirmation emails for credit purchases don't arrive
  • App takes 40+ seconds to start
  • Scores don't load immediately after purchase
  • Annotation dots appear randomly when lifting pen
  • Fingering annotations shrink in upper ledger lines
  • Score skips to random pages during performance
  • Export PDF quality is low resolution and fuzzy
  • Annotation layer prevents writing in certain areas
  • Zoom function jumps back to start of page
  • Eraser requires tapping far from annotation to delete
  • Palm rejection fails with Apple Pencil
  • Print layout produces single-line pages for multi-movement pieces

Requested features

20 requests
  • 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)
Show 15 more
  • Better annotation layer management
  • Improved Apple Pencil support and sensitivity
  • Customizable eraser behavior
  • Page turn animation or visual cues
  • Ability to hide specific staves or parts
  • Microphone-activated page turning commands
  • Difficulty ratings visible before purchase
  • Digital-physical score bundling/discounts
  • Better search and filtering in store
  • Support for foot pedal page turners
  • Ability to import scores from other sources
  • Multiple annotation layers with visibility toggle
  • Customizable metronome settings
  • Landscape orientation improvements
  • Persistent user settings and preferences

Dorico

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening or editing projects
  • Corrupted/lost files after app crashes
  • Unresponsive keyboard and note input issues
  • Scrolling and UI glitches, especially in Engrave mode
  • Incompatibility with certain iPad models and iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Support for Apple Pencil and handwriting input
  • Improved file management and organization
  • Expanded audio unit/plugin integration
  • More customization options for layout and engraving
  • Ability to export/import flows and projects between iPad and desktop

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Henle Library

One-time8
  • 10 Credits$0.99
  • 22 Credits$1.99
  • 55 Credits2 variants$5.99
Show 5 more
  • 100 Credits$9.99
  • 200 Credits2 variants$19.99
  • 300 Credits$29.99
  • 500 Credits$49.99
  • 1000 Credits$79.99
3 purchases

Dorico

Subscriptions2
  • Dorico Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Dorico Annual Subscription14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Dorico Lifetime Unlock$119.99

Questions

Is Henle Library free?
Henle Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dorico free?
Dorico is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Henle Library or Dorico?
Dorico is rated higher. Henle Library averages 3.0 out of 5 from 94 ratings, while Dorico averages 4.6 from 2.3K ratings.
Do Henle Library or Dorico have ads?
Neither Henle Library nor Dorico shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Henle Library or Dorico?
Henle Library ships an update every 3 months, and Dorico every 3 weeks. Most recently, Henle Library was updated on November 11, 2026 and Dorico on November 8, 2026.

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