Notation Scanner vs SeeScore 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Notation Scanner
This app allows users to scan and recognize sheet music using their device's camera or existing images. It functions as a sheet music reader and player, supporting over 100 instruments and offering playback controls. Users can also export their recognized scores in various formats.
- Scan sheet music via camera or image library
- Recognize and playback music scores
- Support for over 100 instruments
- Adjust tempo and voice parts
- Export as MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, PDF
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A powerful scanner for sheet music lovers to recognize sheet music. A handy music OCR tool for you to scan and playback sheet music. Just try to take a photo on the printed sheet music and enjoy it. It dose the recognition process on server side, so it can recognize many more music stuffs than other apps. You could use it as a simple sheet music reader or player as you want. It supports more than 100 different types of instrument along with a very nice sound effect. ----------------------- Features: -Scan the whole sheet at once using the built-in camera or a picture from your image library. -Tap a bar to play the song from. -Support multi-page and reorder them as you wish. -Support up to 8 systems. -Support for changing tempo speed. -Turn up/down the voice of each part. -Export MusicXML, MIDI, PNG and PDF files.
SeeScore 2
This music score viewer allows musicians to display and interact with MusicXML files on their devices. It offers flexible layout, playback with customizable instruments, and transposition features, making practice and performance more convenient.
- Display MusicXML scores
- Flexible pinch-to-zoom layout
- Playback with customizable instruments
- Mute parts for practice
- Instantaneous score transposition
- Built-in metronome
- Page turning with playback
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** SeeScore 2 lets you view and play MusicXML files ** SeeScore 2 is a music score display app intended for musicians to practice or perform instrumental or vocal music from the iPad instead of using conventional paper scores. Unlike PDF score display apps which show a tiny score in the middle of the screen with large empty margins, SeeScore 2 uses flexible MusicXML layout so that when you pinch zoom the score reflows to the screen size, right up to the edge, making best use of your valuable screen pixels. Also you can choose any parts to view from multi-part music and change the size of the music to suit your distance from the iPad. Play SeeScore 2 will play with you. You can setup an instrument for each part in the score, and adjust the volumes. You can mute the part you play so it will accompany you, and it will turn the pages while it plays. You can hide all the parts except your own so you don't need to see the other parts while you play. Any tempi and time signatures defined in the score are read while playing and the metronome and auto-scroll automatically follow. Tranpose You can instantaneously transpose the score. Notes and key signatures are all correctly updated and it will play at the new pitch. Metronome SeeScore 2 can play a metronome tick with a pattern which automatically adjusts to the current time signature. Fast. You will notice that SeeScore 2 is extremely fast and responsive. You will never have to wait for a progress bar. The screen will instantly fill with music when you scroll, pinch zoom or transpose. PlayScore 2 You can convert your PDF files to MusicXML using PlayScore 2 (available in the App Store), then open them in SeeScore 2, or most score writing programs can output MusicXML directly. Free SeeScore 2 can: • Display any MusicXML score • Pinch zoom to change the staff height • Play any MusicXML score (auto selected instruments only) • Search your library by title, composer, instruments By upgrading you can: • Display selected parts • Set instruments • Set individual part volumes • Transpose • Use the metronome tick • Use count-in to start playing • Export MIDI and PDF • Add a metronome marking at the start of the score • Count-in • Play loop, for practising those few difficult bars • Use your Airturn pedal • Set title, composer etc. If you have any problem with SeeScore 2 or encounter any files which cause problems please contact us at www.seescore.co.uk/contact/ . If something doesn't work for you please contact us before writing a review. It may be a misunderstanding or we can fix your problem.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SeeScore 2 at Free against Notation Scanner's $2.99. SeeScore 2 also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 50%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). Notation Scanner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (736 vs 4). 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
SeeScore 2 is free to download; Notation Scanner costs $2.99 up front. SeeScore 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Notation Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.
SeeScore 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notation Scanner has 736 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Notation Scanner's written reviews are positive against 86% of SeeScore 2's.
Notation Scanner ships an update every 2 weeks, SeeScore 2 every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Notation Scanner | SeeScore 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.1 (736 ratings) | 4.5 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 49.6% of reviews | 85.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 736 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 168 MB | 68 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 嵩 张 | Dolphin Computing |
Customer experience
Notation Scanner
SeeScore 2
Bugs and requests
Notation Scanner
Reported bugs
3 issues- Cannot recognize any photos or scans of sheet music
- Playback skips notes and has timing issues
- App crashes frequently when trying to scan music
Requested features
3 requests- Allow users to manually correct scanned music
- Improve recognition accuracy for different sheet music styles
- Add more instrument options beyond just piano
SeeScore 2
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Notation Scanner
No in-app purchases
SeeScore 2
- Upgrade SeeScore 2$9.99
Questions
Is Notation Scanner free?
Is SeeScore 2 free?
Which has better reviews, Notation Scanner or SeeScore 2?
Do Notation Scanner or SeeScore 2 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Notation Scanner or SeeScore 2?
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