# Sibelius vs Music Calculator

The clearest difference is monetization model: Sibelius at free with in-app purchases against Music Calculator's subscription. Sibelius also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 18.0). Music Calculator's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 36%) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Music Calculator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sibelius holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sibelius has 1.8K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Sibelius's written reviews are positive against 67% of Music Calculator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, Music Calculator every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sibelius | Music Calculator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews)** | [4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-calculator-notation/id1615462763/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) | [JET Powered Apps Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/507429865) |

## 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


### Music Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-calculator-notation/id1615462763)

This app allows musicians to input musical notation and instantly hear it played back with accurate pitch and timing. It's designed for practicing difficult passages, improving sight-reading, and building musical confidence through features like slowing down playback and looping sections.

**Highlights:** Input and play back musical notation, Accurate pitch, timing, and tempo playback, Slow down and loop passages for practice, Calculator-style interface for intuitive input, Supports complex rhythms and tuplets, 25 realistic instrument sounds, Save and load musical passages

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Music Calculator Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Is Music Calculator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sibelius or Music Calculator?

Sibelius is rated higher. Sibelius averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Music Calculator averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Sibelius or Music Calculator have ads?

Neither Sibelius nor Music Calculator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sibelius or Music Calculator?

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, and Music Calculator every 10 days. Most recently, Sibelius was updated on November 3, 2026 and Music Calculator on October 30, 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.*