Comparison

Flat vs ClefBoard

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

Head to head
About

Flat

Create, edit, and play sheet music and guitar tabs with this intuitive composer app. It offers a wide range of instruments, notation tools, and collaboration features. Import and export in various formats, and share your creations with a large community.

Highlights
  • Compose and edit sheet music
  • Create guitar tabs
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Import MusicXML, MIDI, PDF
  • Export to PDF, MIDI, MP3, WAV
  • Large community library
  • 90+ instruments
Features
Read full description

Write, play and share music, anywhere! Flat is the sheet music app trusted by 5M+ musicians worldwide. Compose, notate, and collaborate on scores for any instrument, from guitar tabs to full orchestras, across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and your web browser. Free features include: → Quick notation input via touch piano, guitar fretboard, or drum pads → 90+ instruments including piano, guitar, violin, saxophone, drums, voice, and more → 100K+ original scores in the community → Edit music scores on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and in your web browser → Hundreds of notation symbols: articulations, dynamics, measures, text, and more → Autocompletion when adding chords → Transposition by key, interval, or tone → Import MusicXML and MIDI files → Import PDF sheet music and convert it into fully editable scores → Keyboard shortcuts for iPad keyboard and fretboard → Share scores publicly or privately Collaborate in real-time: → Real-time collaboration for a dynamic experience → Inline comments for live feedback → Find collaborators in the Flat community Share your music: → Join the monthly Flat community challenge and win prizes → Explore hundreds of thousands of original scores from composers worldwide → Get featured and connect with fellow musicians Subscribe to Flat Power to unlock the full experience across all your devices. Flat Power, premium features: → Unlimited cloud storage → Automatic sync so your full library stays connected on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and web browser → 180+ instruments including high-quality audio → Advanced export: individual parts, multi-rest print, remove Flat branding → Layout and styles: page dimensions, spacing, chord style, Jazz and Handwritten fonts → Custom note heads: Boomwhackers colors, Note Names, Shape-Note (Aiken) → Version history: view and revert to any past version of your scores → Advanced audio: per-part volume and reverb controls → Input notes with MIDI devices (USB and Bluetooth) → Autosave with full version history → Customizable keyboard shortcuts → Priority support → PDF and photo import pages included with every plan: - Monthly plan: 10 PDF import pages/month + full premium features - Yearly plan: 20 PDF import pages/month + full premium features (best value) - Lifetime plan: full premium features + 20 PDF import pages (one-time purchase, no renewal) Terms for in-app payments: Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage and cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy: https://flat.io/help/en/policies Questions or feedback: ios@flat.io

About

ClefBoard

Read full description

ClefBoard is the all-in-one communication hub built for school and marching bands. Bring your directors, section leaders, and students into one private, organized space — and keep everyone on the same page. Invite-only and secure: members join only when a director invites them by email, and signing in is a simple one-time code — no public sign-ups, no passwords to forget. EVERYTHING YOUR BAND NEEDS, IN ONE PLACE • Announcements — post updates with attachments, links, and comments, and schedule them ahead of time • Calendar — rehearsals, performances, and events with full details • Assignments — give out work, collect submissions, and return grades and feedback • Polls — quick multi-question polls with results for directors • Messages — direct and group chats delivered in real time • Boards — collaborative task boards for your staff and crews • Attendance — roll call for every rehearsal and performance • Competitions — marching-band scores and recaps, week by week • Files — keep important documents in one place • Recordings — share audio and video with time-stamped comments • Gallery — photos and videos from rehearsals, trips, and game days A COMPLETE PRACTICE TOOLKIT Members get a full set of music tools to practice anywhere: • Chromatic tuner and tuning drone • Metronome and conductor • Circle of fifths and transposer • Interval and chord trainers • Rhythm and ear-training games • Composer for writing and saving your own scores BUILT FOR REAL PROGRAMS • Belong to multiple bands and switch between them with a tap • Director controls for your roster, roles, and section visibility • Privacy first — your band's content stays inside your band Whether you run a marching band, concert band, or a full music program, ClefBoard keeps everyone connected, organized, and making music together. Questions or feedback? Email support@clefboard.com.

Screenshots

Flat4 screens
ClefBoard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ClefBoard at none against Flat's 10. ClefBoard also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). Flat's advantage is chart position (#136 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Flat sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ClefBoard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flat ships an update fortnightly, ClefBoard every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Flat versus ClefBoard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlatClefBoard
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (7K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews67.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings7K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#136 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size219 MB43 MB
Age rating+412+
DeveloperTutteo LimitedStanley Liu

Bugs and requests

Flat

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Notes and rests disappear
  • Playback issues and audio glitches
  • Difficulty selecting and editing notes
  • Syncing and saving problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more percussion instruments
  • Improve note entry and editing
  • Allow custom soundfonts
  • Implement measure repeat signs
  • Add more advanced notation options

ClefBoard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Flat

Subscriptions4
  • Flat Power (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Flat Power (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • Flat Power (Yearly)$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Flat Power (Yearly)$49.991 Year
One-time6
  • PDF import 30 credits$9.99
  • PDF import 70 credits$17.99
  • Flat Power (Lifetime)$119.00
Show 3 more
  • Flat Power (Lifetime)$179.99
  • Flat Power (Lifetime)$199.00
  • Flat Power (Lifetime)$299.99
None

ClefBoard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flat free?
Flat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ClefBoard free?
ClefBoard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Flat or ClefBoard have ads?
Neither Flat nor ClefBoard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flat or ClefBoard?
Flat ships an update fortnightly, and ClefBoard every 3 days. Most recently, Flat was updated on November 7, 2026 and ClefBoard on November 5, 2026.

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