# Notation Pad Pro vs Sibelius

The clearest difference is price: Sibelius at Free against Notation Pad Pro's $149.00. Sibelius also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 161). Notation Pad Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (61% vs 36%). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Sibelius is free to download; Notation Pad Pro costs $149.00 up front. Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Notation Pad Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Notation Pad Pro against 4.2 for Sibelius. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sibelius has 1.8K ratings behind it against 161, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Notation Pad Pro's written reviews are positive against 36% of Sibelius's.

Notation Pad Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, Sibelius every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notation Pad Pro | Sibelius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $149.00 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (161 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-pro-sheet-music/id1163705635/reviews)** | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 161 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **61.5% of reviews** | 35.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 165 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) |

## What reviewers say

### Notation Pad Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-pro-sheet-music/id1163705635)

Compose, edit, and playback musical scores with lyrics. This app allows users to create music compositions using touch gestures and supports a wide range of notation elements. It's suitable for both beginners learning music theory and experienced musicians for songbooks or complex scores.

**Highlights:** Compose and edit sheet music, Write and integrate lyrics, Playback scores with high-quality sound, Export to MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF, Support for up to 8 staves, Over 100 musical instruments, Multi-voice support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sibelius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259)

Professional music notation software is now available on mobile devices. Create, edit, and hear your compositions anywhere with a full suite of tools optimized for touch and stylus input. Seamlessly sync across platforms and access different feature tiers to suit your needs.

**Highlights:** Professional music notation, Cross-platform synchronization, High-quality sample library, Apple Pencil and touch optimization, Innovative note entry, Command Search functionality, Scalable subscription tiers

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sibelius Artist for iOS | $5.99 | per month |
| Sibelius Ultimate for iOS | $12.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🚀 Useful for composing on the go
- 💡 Good for making quick edits to existing scores
- 🎨 Stylish and professional-looking app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes frequently
- 🔒 Difficulty unlocking full version and accessing features
- 💰 Subscription service is very expensive
- 🔇 Limited sound library and poor playback quality
- 📁 Unreliable saving and file management

**Reported bugs**

- Scores disappearing or not saving properly
- Subscription issues and inability to log in
- Crashes when performing basic actions
- Compatibility problems with newer iPad OS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to enlarge chord symbols
- More time signature options
- Support for MIDI input
- Better Apple Pencil integration
- Autosave and improved file management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notation Pad Pro free?

Notation Pad Pro costs $149.00, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notation Pad Pro or Sibelius?

Notation Pad Pro is rated higher. Notation Pad Pro averages 4.2 out of 5 from 161 ratings, while Sibelius averages 4.2 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Notation Pad Pro or Sibelius have ads?

Neither Notation Pad Pro nor Sibelius shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notation Pad Pro or Sibelius?

Notation Pad Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sibelius every 2 months. Most recently, Notation Pad Pro was updated on October 24, 2026 and Sibelius on October 29, 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.*