# Notation Pad vs Piano2Notes

The clearest difference is monetization model: Piano2Notes at free with in-app purchases against Notation Pad's subscription. Notation Pad's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 37%) and ratings volume (5.3K vs 294). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notation Pad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Piano2Notes sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Notation Pad against 4.3 for Piano2Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notation Pad has 5.3K ratings behind it against 294, 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 37% of Piano2Notes's.

Notation Pad ships an update monthly, Piano2Notes every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notation Pad | Piano2Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (5.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-sheet-music-score/id1091921942/reviews) | [4.3 (294 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano2notes/id1589420929/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.3K** | 294 |
| Positive reviews | **55.9% of reviews** | 36.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 162 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) | [Klangio GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588721120) |

## What reviewers say

### Notation Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-sheet-music-score/id1091921942)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Access Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Guitar Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ensemble Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Brass Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Reed Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pipe Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Strings Instrument Group | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Instruments Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Extras Package | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎼 Good for basic music notation
- 🎹 Helpful for piano/keyboard players

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Many features locked behind paywall
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to desktop apps
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find features

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Piano2Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano2notes/id1589420929)

This app uses AI to convert piano recordings into sheet music. It provides playback of the transcribed score and allows export in various formats like PDF, MIDI, and MusicXML. Share your musical creations easily with others.

**Highlights:** Transcribe piano recordings to sheet music, View transcribed music as classical score, Playback sheet music, Download sheet as PDF, MIDI, or MusicXML, Share compositions

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Piano2Notes Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Klangio Universe Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| Piano2Notes Pro Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Klangio Universe Subscription | $149.99 | per year |
| Single Token | $2.99 | one-time |
| 3 token package | $5.99 | one-time |
| 10 tokens package | $9.99 | one-time |
| 50 Tokens Package | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Dream come true app
- 🎶 Accurate music transcription
- 🎹 Converts music to piano sheet
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Great for composing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- ❌ PDF export issues
- 📉 Inaccurate transcriptions
- 💸 Subscription costs are high
- 🚫 Cannot download anything

**Reported bugs**

- App stops working
- Desktop website doesn't work
- App crashes when creating PDF
- Subscription not recognized
- App crashes when tapping download button

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit notes
- Improve general accuracy
- Add enharmonic transposition option
- Allow editing of transcribed music
- Fix PDF export issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notation Pad free?

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

### Is Piano2Notes free?

Piano2Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Notation Pad or Piano2Notes?

Notation Pad and Piano2Notes are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5.3K and 294 ratings respectively.

### Do Notation Pad or Piano2Notes have ads?

Neither Notation Pad nor Piano2Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notation Pad or Piano2Notes?

Notation Pad ships an update monthly, and Piano2Notes every 6 weeks. Most recently, Notation Pad was updated on October 17, 2026 and Piano2Notes on October 18, 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.*