# IMSLP vs Sibelius

The clearest difference is review sentiment: IMSLP at 70% against Sibelius's 36%. IMSLP also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). Sibelius's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 507). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. IMSLP sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month and Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

IMSLP holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 507 and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of IMSLP's written reviews are positive against 36% of Sibelius's.

IMSLP ships an update every 10 days, Sibelius every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IMSLP | Sibelius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (507 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imslp/id1373671782/reviews)** | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 507 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 35.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 232 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Project Petrucci LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1373671781) | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) |

## What reviewers say

### IMSLP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imslp/id1373671782)

Access a vast digital library of classical music scores on your iOS device. Enjoy full access to commercial recordings, instant downloads, and new uploads with a membership subscription. Support the music community while exploring a comprehensive collection.

**Highlights:** Browse IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library, View musical scores, Access commercial recordings, Instant downloads, Access new uploads instantly, Membership subscription benefits

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Membership Subscription | $3.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Integrated IMSLP library
- 👍 Well-made app
- 👍 Game changer for musicians
- 👍 Indispensable for professionals and amateurs
- 👍 Fantastic offering

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when zooming in and annotating
- 💰 Money grabbing with constant subscription prompts
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Annotation issues and lost data
- 🐛 Battery drain on iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening scores
- Scores disappearing from library
- Login issues and lost data
- Incompatibility with older devices after updates
- Annotation issues causing loss of data

**Requested features**

- Predictive text for score annotations
- Ability to restore original zoom settings
- Metric to indicate device performance during page turns
- Folder-like organization system
- Color wheel and custom pen/highlighter options


### 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 IMSLP free?

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

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, IMSLP or Sibelius?

IMSLP is rated higher. IMSLP averages 4.6 out of 5 from 507 ratings, while Sibelius averages 4.2 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do IMSLP or Sibelius have ads?

Neither IMSLP nor Sibelius shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IMSLP or Sibelius?

IMSLP ships an update every 10 days, and Sibelius every 2 months. Most recently, IMSLP was updated on October 19, 2026 and Sibelius 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.*