StaffPad vs Quartet 1
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StaffPad
Compose music effortlessly on your iPad with intuitive handwriting input and advanced notation tools. Convert your playing into sheet music, record and edit audio directly on the score, and utilize powerful playback with professional sample libraries. Seamlessly share your work with others using the companion reader app.
- Handwriting music notation with Apple Pencil
- Convert audio recordings to notation
- Record and edit audio on score
- Professional playback with sample libraries
- Seamless sharing via ScoreSync
- Import/export MusicXML and MIDI
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MADE FOR COMPOSERS ------------------------- StaffPad is designed for composers who want to write music effortlessly, using music notation and audio. Write your music using Apple Pencil, and the app will transform your writing into beautifully typeset notation that can be edited, played back, printed and shared. Record or import audio directly onto your score and edit it intuitively with Apple Pencil. Magically convert your real piano playing or existing recordings into notation using advanced on-device machine learning. Add video, smart symbols and use world leading sample libraries and mix your score with a suite of studio effects. From basic idea to a full film score; StaffPad is the easiest, most powerful and most intuitive way to compose music on iPad. WRITE NATURALLY ------------------- Write your score with the fluidity of natural handwriting. Use touch and Apple Pencil to quickly edit your notation. Transpose, repeat and structure your score with intuitive gestures and tools. Customise the tempo with a unique tempo staff (or import a tempo map from a MIDI file), add chords either manually or automatically with the chord staff. You can even copy music written in StaffPad into other apps, simply using the normal copy and paste functions. HEAR YOUR MASTERPIECE ---------------------------- With a groundbreaking playback engine and over 55 included instruments, StaffPad is ready to perform your written piece instantly. Add industry-standard sample libraries, adapted and customised for StaffPad, from some of the world's leading sample developers. This is a leap forward for composers working at the highest levels. SHARE WITH SCORESYNC --------------------------- Once you're ready to perform or record your work, tap the ScoreSync button in StaffPad and your score is instantly shared across a Wi-Fi network to any device running the free StaffPad Reader app (available in the App Store). The Readers present each individual musical part beautifully formatted, update in realtime with any changes you make to your score, handle automatic page turns, and play back in perfect time with a synchronised metronome, for capturing the perfect recording every time. IMPORT AND EXPORT --------------------------- StaffPad imports and exports MusicXML and MIDI files for easily working with other music apps. You can also export your playback as WAV, AAC or MP3. You can import audio files into your score, with support for most major audio formats. WORK WITH AUDIO AND VIDEO -------------------------------- For the first time, you can seamlessly mix audio with your notated score. Record directly onto the score canvas using your device's in-built microphones, or import loops, Tempo map freeform/rubato performances using the tempo staff. Add shine to your production with a suite of studio quality DSP effects, and polish with precise automation. PIANO AND MIDI CAPTURE --------------------------- Record your real piano and convert it into notation. Don't have a real piano? Don't worry - you can connect a USB or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard and record your performance in realtime, converting to notation as you play. PRINT / PDF ------------ As well as digital parts via ScoreSync, StaffPad will automatically format and print parts or export PDFs for you. Customise the paper size, bar number styles, number of bars per line, scaling, margins, multi-bar consolidation and more. StaffPad automatically formats the score for consistent presentation.
Quartet 1
Practice and perform jazz standards with high-quality backing tracks. Mute your instrument, change keys, adjust tempo, and loop sections. Features animated chord diagrams and playlist creation for an enhanced musical experience.
- Live jazz standards backing tracks
- Mute your instrument
- Change key and tempo
- Loop practice sections
- Animated chord diagrams
- Multi-app playlist creation
- Multitrack export
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Practice and perform jazz standards on another level with Quartet. And with a host of brand-new features plus an additional 50 new versions of the most played standards, the top-selling jazz play along apps just got even better. No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. Yours to keep! Volume 1 now includes 200 stunning jazz standards recorded exclusively by 8 of the world’s best jazz musicians. All ‘live’ studio recordings with intros, endings and top line solos. Whether you play jazz piano, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, bass, drums…simply mute your instrument from the Quartet for the ultimate jazz play along. And for jazz singers too, each edition of Quartet is an unrivalled collection of jazz backing tracks powerful enough to gig with. Change key on the fly. Speed up or slow down the audio seamlessly. Loop sections and slow them right down for practice. Select the number of repeats. Choose from preset mixes or create your own custom mix using the new onboard mixer. Arrange each song exactly the way you want it with the new automated ‘Arranger’ feature. Add a touch of reverb and you’re good to go. Improve your skills with full screen animated chord diagrams for Piano, Guitar and Ukulele. Search the entire Quartet song library (700 songs) by composer, style, BPM, associated artist and more. Build and share multi-app playlists and easily export PDF chord charts for every song. Export your stereo mix or export the multitrack if you want to develop the high quality separated parts in GarageBand or whatever DAW you use. Either way, all recordings are offered to you royalty-free giving you endless creative possibilities. The 200 jazz standards in Quartet Volume 1 include improvisations in the style of… ‘All Blues’, ‘All of Me’, ‘All The Things You Are’, ‘Autumn Leaves’, ‘Beautiful Love’, ‘Blue Bossa’, ‘Body and Soul’, ‘Caravan’, ‘Cherokee’, ‘Cry Me a River’, ‘Fever’, ‘Georgia on my Mind’, ‘Giant Steps’, ‘Girl From Ipanema’, ‘Have You Met Miss Jones?’, ‘Love for Sale’, ‘Rhythm Changes’, ‘Satin Doll’, ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’, ‘Summertime’…and 180 more! Install Quartet on all of your iOS devices plus your Mac devices (M series only) at no extra cost. Ready to take your jazz standards to another level? Hear lots more and see the full song lists at www.quartetapp.com Featured artists Saxophones and Flutes Andy Panayi Credits - Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Seth MacFarlane, Elaine Paige, Salena Jones, Elvis Costello, Georgie Fame, Helen Shapiro, Madeline Bell, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove Dave O’Higgins Credits - Joey Calderazzo, Joe Locke, Eric Alexander, Max Ionata, Joe Lovano, Phil Woods, Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, Kurt Elling, Wayne Shorter, Eddie Gomez, Jamie Cullum, Stéphane Grappelli, Michel Legrand Graeme Blevins Recording and performing credits include Phil Collins, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Kyle Eastwood, Mark Knopfler, Quincy Jones, Mark Ronson, Tom Jones, Taylor Swift Guitar Nigel Price Credits - James Taylor Quartet, Van Morrison, Nigel Price Organ Trio. Voted ‘Best Guitarist’ in the 2016 British Jazz Awards Piano Graham Harvey Credits - Incognito (MD), Stacey Kent, George Benson, Hamish Stuart, Will Lee, Philip Bailey, Chaka Khan, The BBC Big Band, Madeline Bell, Jocelyn Brown, Mica Paris, Sir Cliff Richard Bass Geoff Gascoyne Credits - Jamie Cullum (MD), Sting, Van Morrison, Bill Bruford, Mari Wilson, Paloma Faith, Georgie Fame, Gloria Estefan, Guy Barker, Charlie Watts, Benny Golson, Jacqui Dankworth, Bob Dorough, John Martyn, Eartha Kitt Drums Sebastiaan de Krom Credits - Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Phil Woods, Dave Holland, Jamie Cullum, Guy Barker, Wynton Marsalis, Clark Terry, Tim Garland Rod Youngs Credits - Gil Scott-Heron, Lee Konitz, Sia, Courtney Pine, Jon Hendricks, Hugh Masekela, Natalie Cole, Mica Paris, Juliet Roberts, BBC Concert Orchestra, Ronnie Laws, Jocelyn Brown
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Quartet 1 at $19.99 against StaffPad's $49.99. Quartet 1 also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 40%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.0). StaffPad's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (563 vs 155). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
StaffPad costs $49.99 and Quartet 1 $19.99 up front. StaffPad sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Quartet 1 sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Quartet 1 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 563 and 155 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of StaffPad's written reviews are positive against 84% of Quartet 1's.
StaffPad ships an update every 2 weeks, Quartet 1 every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.
| Parameter | StaffPad | Quartet 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 | $19.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (563 ratings) | 4.7 (155 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 39.9% of reviews | 84.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 563 — better | 155 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1020 MB | 706 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | StaffPad Ltd. | UK Music Apps Ltd |
Customer experience
StaffPad
Quartet 1
User reviews
StaffPad
From 563 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful composing tool
- 🎨 Intuitive handwriting interface
- 🎹 High-quality playback sounds
- 💻 Seamless iPad integration
- 🎨 Smooth workflow for sketching ideas
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent handwriting recognition
- 🔧 Steep learning curve
- 🔒 Requires Apple Pencil
- 💰 Expensive with additional purchases
- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
Quartet 1
From 155 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎶 Excellent sound quality
- 🎸 Real musicians' performance
- 👍 Great value for money
- 🚀 Flexible tempo and key changes
- 🎵 Inspiring for practice
Room to improve
- 🐛 Clunky UI
- 😵 Fiddly tempo adjustment
- 🎚️ Limited mixer options
- 🎛️ No individual instrument volume control
- 🎚️ Sound quality degradation with tempo/key changes
Bugs and requests
StaffPad
Reported bugs
5 issues- Inability to recognize certain note values
- Eraser function unreliable
- Inconsistent behavior when writing accidentals
- Crashes when attempting to create new scores
- Syncing and file management issues
Requested features
5 requests- Improved handwriting recognition
- More flexible note input options
- Cross-staff notation support
- Customizable UI and layout
- Better collaboration and sharing features
Quartet 1
Reported bugs
12 issues- Playlists disappear
- Playlists replaced by old ones
- Looping parts not saved
- Edits wiped out
- Cannot put song into desired key
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- Abrupt endings with no turnarounds
- Out of tune bass
- Crash when making playlist changes
- Doesn't remember key/tempo from last session
- Clicks when using iPad OS
- Double charge for app
- No actual endings found
Requested features
29 requests- Dark mode option
- Tap tempo button
- Ability to create own charts
- Export to WAV and MP3
- Export chord chart in different ways
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- Drum-only option
- Two versions of songs at different tempos
- Metronome/click track
- Pan tracks to left/right channel
- Type in tempo directly
- Slider for tempo change
- Search within playlists
- Cloud-based sync
- iReal-type portrait display
- Real Jazz Guitar chords
- Global default for chord transpose
- More variations in chorus repeats
- Actual song endings with variations
- MIDI out function
- Split screen on tablet
- Add tags to ends of tunes
- Fix pitch shifting on drums
- Lower price for stem export
- Adjustable font size for chords
- Vertical mode
- AUV3 version
- Edit tunes at bar level
- Create new tunes within the app
- More standards/tunes
In-app purchases
StaffPad
- Toy GlockenspielFree
- StaffPad Essential GuitarsFree
- Retro KeyboardsFree
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Muse StringsFree
- Muse ChoirFree
- Muse WoodwindsFree
- Muse PercussionFree
- Muse BrassFree
- Muse HarpFree
- Muse KeysFree
- Muse Guitars Vol. 1Free
- StaffPad Essentials: AccordionFree
Quartet 1
- Upgrade song$0.99
- Buy 10 tokens$8.99
- Buy 20 tokens$14.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Buy 50 tokens$22.99
- Upgrade all songs$49.99









