Comparison

Notation Pad vs StkCtrl

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

StkCtrl

This app offers daily rhythm challenges to improve drumming skills. It features adjustable tempo, interactive play-along audio, and flexible sticking exercises to enhance versatility and control.

Highlights
  • Daily rhythm challenges
  • Adjustable tempo
  • Interactive play-along audio
  • Flexible sticking exercises
  • Skill improvement tools
Features
Read full description

Elevate Your Drumming with a modern take on a timeless classic! Introducing the next evolution in drumming mastery: a contemporary twist on the classic Stone instructional book. Our app brings you a fresh daily rhythm designed to challenge and improve your drumming skills. Here’s what you can expect: Daily Challenges: Embrace new challenges every day to keep your practice exciting and rewarding. Adjustable Speed: Speed up or slow down the tempo to match your skill level and progress. Interactive Play-Along: Listen and play along with high-quality audio tracks to enhance your learning experience. Flexible Sticking: Experiment with different stickings to develop versatility and control. Feel the power growing in your hands and watch your skills soar. Every day is a new opportunity to become a better drummer. #DrummingMastery #ModernStone #DailyRhythm #ChallengeYourself #GetBetter

Screenshots

Notation Pad4 screens
StkCtrl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Notation Pad at Free against StkCtrl's $0.99. Notation Pad also leads on ratings volume (5.3K vs 9) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). StkCtrl's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 56%) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On ads and device support 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

Notation Pad is free to download; StkCtrl costs $0.99 up front. Notation Pad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. StkCtrl asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StkCtrl holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notation Pad has 5.3K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Notation Pad's written reviews are positive against 100% of StkCtrl's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notation Pad ships an update monthly, StkCtrl every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Notation Pad versus StkCtrl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotation PadStkCtrl
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.3 (5.3K ratings)4.6 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.3K — better9
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size162 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer嵩 张N. Wheeler

Customer experience

Notation Pad

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

StkCtrl

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

StkCtrl

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
None

StkCtrl

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notation Pad free?
Notation Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StkCtrl free?
StkCtrl costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Notation Pad or StkCtrl?
StkCtrl is rated higher. Notation Pad averages 4.3 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings, while StkCtrl averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.
Do Notation Pad or StkCtrl have ads?
Neither Notation Pad nor StkCtrl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notation Pad or StkCtrl?
Notation Pad ships an update monthly, and StkCtrl every 2 months. Most recently, Notation Pad was updated on October 14, 2026 and StkCtrl on October 15, 2026.

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