Notation Pad vs The Phil
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
The Phil
This app offers a physical modeling synthesizer for creating string-like instrument sounds within your DAW. It features a built-in arpeggiator and real-time controls for shaping decay, brightness, and character, allowing for a range of acoustic to synthetic textures.
- Physical modeling synthesis
- Built-in arpeggiator
- Real-time decay, brightness, and character controls
- AUv3 plugin support
- Low CPU usage
- Compatible with major DAWs
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Fancy a synth that actually feels like a "traditional" instrument, but still able to push things a little weirder? The Phil is a fast, expressive AUv3 plucked string synth that brings proper physical modelling to your DAW, no faffing about required. Poke it, pluck it, let it ring out, and it responds like a real string, all wrapped up in a neat little AUv3 plugin for your DAW. Tucked inside is a built in arpeggiator, designed to create "human" feeling patterns without touching a step sequencer. Add in a solid handful of controls over decay, brightness and damping, themselves with "humanize" controls to mimic how a real hand would move on a string and you can go from delicate acoustic plucks to properly synthetic, metallic textures in no time at all whilst also having the option to turn down the robot vibe if you like. What you get: Physical modelling synthesis for genuinely plucky, stringy tones Built in arpeggiator for patterns that keep things moving Real time controls to shape decay, brightness and character Full AUv3 support, slots straight into your host Light on CPU, so it won't grind your session to a halt Plays nicely with AUM, Logic Pro, Loopy Pro, Cubasis and GarageBand Whether you're building layers in the studio or winging it live, The Phil is the sort of instrument that surprises you a little every time you touch it. In a good way. Search for decibelboy83 on YouTube for a walkthrough video. Works with: AUM, Logic Pro, Loopy Pro, Cubasis, GarageBand, and any AUv3-friendly host.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Notation Pad at Free against The Phil's $0.99. Notation Pad also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). The Phil'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
Notation Pad is free to download; The Phil costs $0.99 up front. Notation Pad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. The Phil asks for nothing beyond the download.
Notation Pad ships an update monthly, The Phil every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Notation Pad | The Phil |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.3 (5.3K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5.3K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Paid — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 162 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 嵩 张 | Philip Vincent |
Customer experience
Notation Pad
The Phil
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
The Phil
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Notation Pad
- Unlimited Access7 Days trial$6.997 Days
- Unlimited Access Monthly$14.991 Month
- Guitar Instrument Group$0.99
- Ensemble Instrument Group$0.99
- Brass Instrument Group$0.99
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- Reed Instrument Group$0.99
- Pipe Instrument Group$0.99
- Strings Instrument Group$1.99
- All Instruments Pack$4.99
- Extras Package$19.99
The Phil
No in-app purchases









