StaffPad vs TuneFinder
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.
TuneFinder
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Import your music PDFs and make their tune titles searchable. TuneFinder uses on-device OCR to suggest an index, which you can review, correct and complete in the index editor. You can also create an index manually or import one as CSV. Find a tune by title and open its PDF page directly from a result. Organise tunes into playlists for rehearsals and gigs. Browse your books in a searchable library and use the bottom navigation to move between Search, Playlists and Books. Your library stays on your device and works offline. Search one selected book for free. Multi-Book Search, available as an in-app purchase, lets you search several indexed books at once. Optional iCloud sync keeps playlists, book indexes and linked PDFs up to date across your Apple devices using the same iCloud account. Playlist changes made on different devices merge when you sync. Sync progress and results help you see what has been updated. You can pause sync and keep your local library. Apple and Android libraries sync separately. Open Help from the screen you are using to find relevant guides in your app language, with instructions for your device. Access Multi-Book Search purchases and purchase restoration from Settings.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TuneFinder at Free against StaffPad's $49.99. TuneFinder also leads on device support (3 vs 1). StaffPad's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases 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
TuneFinder is free to download; StaffPad costs $49.99 up front. StaffPad sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and TuneFinder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
StaffPad ships an update every 2 weeks, TuneFinder every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.
| Parameter | StaffPad | TuneFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (563 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 39.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 563 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1020 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | StaffPad Ltd. | Emmanuel Keller |
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
TuneFinder
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
StaffPad
- Toy GlockenspielFree
- StaffPad Essential GuitarsFree
- Retro KeyboardsFree
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- Muse StringsFree
- Muse ChoirFree
- Muse WoodwindsFree
- Muse PercussionFree
- Muse BrassFree
- Muse HarpFree
- Muse KeysFree
- Muse Guitars Vol. 1Free
- StaffPad Essentials: AccordionFree
TuneFinder
- Multi-Book Search$2.99









