Comparison

IMSLP vs Dorico

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

Head to head
About

IMSLP

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
Read full description

Browse IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library and view scores from the comfort of your iOS device. IMSLP Membership Subscription Length of subscription: 1 month. Benefits include: • Full access to commercial recordings • Access all features in this app • No waiting for downloads • Access new uploads instantly • Knowing that you helped keep IMSLP running and serving the music community 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 publication, where applicable. Terms of Service and Privacy policy - https://imslp.org/wiki/IMSLP:Terms_of_Service_and_Privacy_policy_(app)

About

Dorico

Create professional music notation and compositions with this powerful app. Easily input notes, edit performances, and share your work in various formats. It's suitable for beginners and professionals alike.

Highlights
  • Compose music notation
  • On-screen keyboard, drum pads, fretboard
  • MIDI editing tools
  • PDF, audio, MusicXML export
  • Print to AirPrint
  • Read mode with annotation
  • Automatic engraving
Features
Read full description

Compose your own music for free with Dorico. Create beautiful music notation for up to eight instruments quickly and easily with the on-screen keyboard, drum pads and fretboard. Play back instantly with the included sounds and shape the performance with powerful MIDI editing tools. When your piece is finished, share it as PDF, audio or MusicXML, or print directly to your AirPrint-enabled printer. Perform using the built-in read mode, and annotate with your Apple Pencil. Dorico is the award-winning music notation and composition software from Steinberg for macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. It’s easy enough to learn and use that it is used by students in schools, and deep enough that it satisfies the needs of the most demanding professionals in the worlds of concert music, music for film and TV, and music publishing. Dorico for iPad is fully compatible with Dorico for macOS and Windows, so you can work on your projects on the move on your iPad and in your studio on your desktop or laptop computer, or share projects with musicians using Dorico on any platform. Dorico’s interface is split into four modes. In Setup mode, you can add and change instruments, create and reorder sections of music (called “flows”), and choose how your music will be formatted for your musicians into layouts. In Write mode, you can input and edit music and other notations using simple, well-organized toolboxes and panels. In Engrave mode (included if you buy a paid subscription to Dorico’s advanced features), you can make graphical tweaks to every item in your project. Finally, in Play mode, you have access to powerful sequencer-style MIDI editing tools, including piano roll and velocity editors. Dorico includes built-in virtual instruments and effects to allow you to play back your compositions, and you can also easily use any compatible Audio Unit plug-in or external MIDI device (with optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase), and tweak playback using the on-screen Mixer. Input music using an on-screen piano keyboard, or by connecting a MIDI keyboard to your iPad directly via USB or using a compatible USB-to-Lightning adaptor. If you have a Magic Keyboard or other external keyboard, you can make use of extensive keyboard shortcuts to work quickly and efficiently. Dorico is free to use, allowing you to write for ensembles of up to four players. Register with your free Steinberg ID to increase the player limit to eight, allowing you to write for ensembles like string or wind quartet, or SATB choir. If you want to take your composition and arranging to the next level, you can buy an optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase to access more features and power: write for ensembles of any number of players, and gain access to Engrave mode, allowing you to make graphical tweaks to individual items anywhere in your project. HIGHLIGHTS • Best automatic engraving of any software • Easy note input using on-screen keyboard, MIDI keyboard, or external keyboard • Intelligently adjusts notation as you write • Any number of movements or pieces in a single project • Automatic layout of instrumental parts • Expressive playback using included sounds and effects • Supports Audio Unit virtual instruments and effects processors • Sequencer-style piano roll MIDI editor • Sophisticated chord symbols, unpitched percussion and drum set notation • Unbarred music, tuplets across barlines, etc. all handled correctly — no workarounds • Transfer to and from other apps via MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, etc. For support, please visit www.dorico.com/forum If you like Dorico, please support us by rating this app in the App Store. Thank you!

Screenshots

IMSLP4 screens

Verdict

The call

IMSLP and Dorico both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of IMSLP's written reviews are positive against 55% of Dorico's. IMSLP also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). Dorico's advantage is ratings volume (2.3K vs 515). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. IMSLP sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month and Dorico sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for IMSLP against 4.6 for Dorico. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 515 and 2.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of IMSLP's written reviews are positive against 55% of Dorico's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IMSLP ships an update every 10 days, Dorico every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
IMSLP versus Dorico: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIMSLPDorico
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (515 ratings)4.6 (2.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.1% of reviews — better55.4% of reviews
Number of ratings5152.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size232 MB975 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProject Petrucci LLCSteinberg Media Technologies GmbH

Customer experience

IMSLP

All ratings507 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews298 reviews
Positive70.1%
Neutral11.4%
Negative18.5%

Dorico

All ratings1,908 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews294 reviews
Positive55.4%
Neutral12.9%
Negative31.6%

User reviews

IMSLP

From 515 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Dorico

From 2.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful and full-featured notation app on iPad
  • 👍 Seamless integration with desktop version
  • 🚀 Efficient workflow with keyboard shortcuts
  • 👍 Impressive engraving and layout capabilities
  • 🚀 Comprehensive feature set for composing and arranging

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🔒 Subscription-only model, no option to purchase outright
  • 🐛 Glitchy touch/scroll functionality
  • 🐛 Inability to delete clefs or access certain settings
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance on older iPad models

Bugs and requests

IMSLP

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Inability to edit file information after import

Requested features

11 requests
  • 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
Show 6 more
  • Ability to rename music files
  • Different color folder options
  • Split view support
  • Easier way to import scores from other sources
  • Instrumentation information for scores
  • Sorting by instrumentation

Dorico

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening or editing projects
  • Corrupted/lost files after app crashes
  • Unresponsive keyboard and note input issues
  • Scrolling and UI glitches, especially in Engrave mode
  • Incompatibility with certain iPad models and iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Support for Apple Pencil and handwriting input
  • Improved file management and organization
  • Expanded audio unit/plugin integration
  • More customization options for layout and engraving
  • Ability to export/import flows and projects between iPad and desktop

In-app purchases

1 purchases

IMSLP

Subscriptions1
  • Membership Subscription$3.991 Month
3 purchases

Dorico

Subscriptions2
  • Dorico Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Dorico Annual Subscription14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Dorico Lifetime Unlock$119.99

Questions

Is IMSLP free?
IMSLP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dorico free?
Dorico is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IMSLP or Dorico?
Dorico is rated higher. IMSLP averages 4.6 out of 5 from 515 ratings, while Dorico averages 4.6 from 2.3K ratings.
Do IMSLP or Dorico have ads?
Neither IMSLP nor Dorico shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IMSLP or Dorico?
IMSLP ships an update every 10 days, and Dorico every 3 weeks. Most recently, IMSLP was updated on November 6, 2026 and Dorico on November 8, 2026.

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