# Sibelius vs Composer Pro

The clearest difference is monetization model: Sibelius at free with in-app purchases against Composer Pro's subscription. Composer Pro's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 36%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Composer Pro sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Composer Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 672 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Sibelius's written reviews are positive against 72% of Composer Pro's.

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, Composer Pro every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sibelius | Composer Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews) | **[4.5 (672 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/composer-pro-sheet-music-maker/id1551925812/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 672 |
| Positive reviews | 35.9% of reviews | **72.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 154 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Composer Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/composer-pro-sheet-music-maker/id1551925812)

Compose music scores with ease using a familiar keyboard layout. This app supports multiple parts, a wide range of instruments, and various musical symbols, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced musicians.

**Highlights:** Keyboard-style note input, Support for up to 8 parts, Over 100 instruments, Variety of music symbols, Configurable parts and settings, Instrument transposition, Export without watermark

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Access | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Access | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎼 Helpful for composing music
- 🎹 Good for beginners
- 💡 Allows creating sheet music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model too expensive
- 🔒 Limited features in free version
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Forced to pay for basic functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes placed incorrectly
- Measures and compositions randomly deleted
- Inability to restore deleted content

**Requested features**

- Add more instruments beyond piano
- Allow changing time signatures and key signatures without subscription
- Improve note editing and placement
- Add export options to save/share compositions
- Provide more music notation tools and dynamics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Is Composer Pro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sibelius or Composer Pro?

Composer Pro is rated higher. Sibelius averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Composer Pro averages 4.5 from 672 ratings.

### Do Sibelius or Composer Pro have ads?

Neither Sibelius nor Composer Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sibelius or Composer Pro?

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, and Composer Pro every 6 weeks. Most recently, Sibelius was updated on September 22, 2026 and Composer Pro on September 24, 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.*