Comparison

Notation Pad vs SimpNote Lite

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

Head to head
About

Notation Pad

Create, edit, and play sheet music with this comprehensive notation editor. Compose original pieces, transcribe existing music, and even collaborate in real-time. Ideal for musicians of all levels, from beginners learning notes to experienced composers.

Highlights
  • Real-time collaborative editing
  • MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF export
  • High-quality playback sound
  • Support for up to 8 staves
  • Over 100 instrument sounds
  • Lyric editing
  • Multi-voice support
Features
Read full description

A sheet music creator and music notation editor on iOS. For any music lover or composer, Notation Pad gives you the ability to read, compose, edit, playback music scores and write lyrics. With it you can be a talented composer and great sheet music maker anywhere. As long as you have a little knowledge of sheet music, you can write music composition simply by touching and moving. You could use it as your songbook or scoresheet. It is also designed for a beginner who wants to learn music score, music notes and tablature. It can handle ensemble, choir or symphony score, also it supports for a single track piano score. With the help of it you could easily record the flashes of inspiration wherever they strike. Are you ready to compose music in a simple way? ----------------------- Features: -Realtime multi-person collaborative editing via SharePlay. -Export/Import the industry-popular MusicXML file format, allowing for exchanging sheet music with other software (Finale, Sibelius, Encore, MuseScore, etc). -Export MIDI file. -Export PNG image and PDF document. -High quality sound for playback. -Support editing up to 8 staff at the same time. -Support over 100 kinds of musical instrument. Piano, organ, guitar, violin, sax, flute, brass, bass, etc. -Support multi-voice. -A great lyric app. ----------------------- Supported notation: *A variety of music note types, from whole note to 128th note and dotted note *Chord, staff, track *Treble, alto and bass clef *Edit lyrics *A variety of time signatures *All standard key signatures *Adjustable tempo *All accidentals (sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and naturals) *Tie, slur, and tuplet *Many types of ornament *A wide range of dynamics ----------------------- UNLIMITED ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION - Support up to 8 staff - Config parts(add, delete, reorder) - Change key for each part - Change beat type and tempo - Config clef for each staff - Config sound for each part - No watermark image export - No Ads - Support 2nd voice part - Transpose instruments - Pickup bar - Import data file - Edit downloaded music score - Unlock all 100+ instruments - The subscription is $6.99 weekly with trial - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable - Terms of use: https://service.notationpad.com/terms_service.html

About

SimpNote Lite

Easily compose music using a numbered notation system. Write songs, create sheet music, and play your compositions with various input options for rhythm, pitch, and lyrics. Share your musical creations as images or MIDI files.

Highlights
  • Numbered notation input
  • Rhythm and pitch customization
  • Lyric and accidental input
  • Transposition and beat transfer
  • Export to image and MIDI
  • Real-time playback
Features
Read full description

Easy Numbered Notation Compose Tool Write Song, Compose, Make Music Sheet Play Your Artwork! ==FEATURE=== - Numbered Notation Input - Various Rhythm and Pitch - Lyric Input - Accidental Input - Legato, Appoggiatura, Tritone Available - Transposition, Transfer Beat - Keysignature, Beat Setting - Artwork Information Setting ==PLAY== - Sound when input - Play your notation - Play slice for your selection - Tempo Setting - Support Repeat Signature - Setting Instrument ==DESIGN== - Setting sheet background - Setting paper color and alpha - Setting notation/lyric font color - Setting font size ==SHARE== - Export to Image - Export to Midi File - Network Print - Share With Airdrop - Share to Other App 《Terms Of Use》 http://179music.com/2019/09/20/Terms_of_Service/

Screenshots

Notation Pad4 screens
SimpNote Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: SimpNote Lite at free with in-app purchases against Notation Pad's subscription. SimpNote Lite also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 56%). Notation Pad's advantage is ratings volume (5.3K vs 73) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Notation Pad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and SimpNote Lite sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Notation Pad against 4.4 for SimpNote Lite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notation Pad has 5.3K ratings behind it against 73, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Notation Pad's written reviews are positive against 72% of SimpNote Lite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notation Pad ships an update monthly, SimpNote Lite every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Notation Pad versus SimpNote Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotation PadSimpNote Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (5.3K ratings)4.4 (73 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.9% of reviews72.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.3K — better73
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size162 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer嵩 张炯龙 吴

Customer experience

Notation Pad

All ratings5,264 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral5.7%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews465 reviews
Positive55.9%
Neutral8.6%
Negative35.5%

SimpNote Lite

All ratings73 ratings
Positive89.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive72.2%
Neutral11.3%
Negative16.5%

Bugs and requests

Notation Pad

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription popup that cannot be closed
  • Instruments turning into drums unexpectedly
  • Inability to delete or modify certain elements

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more instrument options
  • Improve editing capabilities
  • Allow changing key signatures and time signatures without premium
  • Provide better tutorials and documentation
  • Fix issues with note placement and playback

SimpNote Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Notation Pad

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Access7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access Monthly$14.991 Month
One-time8
  • Guitar Instrument Group$0.99
  • Ensemble Instrument Group$0.99
  • Brass Instrument Group$0.99
Show 5 more
  • Reed Instrument Group$0.99
  • Pipe Instrument Group$0.99
  • Strings Instrument Group$1.99
  • All Instruments Pack$4.99
  • Extras Package$19.99
3 purchases

SimpNote Lite

Subscriptions2
  • 月度会员$2.991 Month
  • 年度会员$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • 永久会员$59.99

Questions

Is Notation Pad free?
Notation Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SimpNote Lite free?
SimpNote Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notation Pad or SimpNote Lite?
SimpNote Lite is rated higher. Notation Pad averages 4.3 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings, while SimpNote Lite averages 4.4 from 73 ratings.
Do Notation Pad or SimpNote Lite have ads?
Neither Notation Pad nor SimpNote Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notation Pad or SimpNote Lite?
Notation Pad ships an update monthly, and SimpNote Lite every 6 weeks. Most recently, Notation Pad was updated on September 24, 2026 and SimpNote Lite on September 23, 2026.

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