# Sibelius vs Melody Scanner

The clearest difference is rating: Sibelius at 4.2 against Melody Scanner's 1.7. Sibelius also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 35) and review sentiment (36% vs 28%). Melody Scanner's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Sibelius holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sibelius has 1.8K ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Sibelius's written reviews are positive against 28% of Melody Scanner's.

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, Melody Scanner fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sibelius | Melody Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews)** | [1.7 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melody-scanner/id6472921068/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 35 |
| Positive reviews | **35.9% of reviews** | 27.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) | [Klangio GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588721120) |

## 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


### Melody Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melody-scanner/id6472921068)

Convert audio recordings and YouTube videos into musical scores. View transcriptions as classical scores, piano rolls, or guitar tabs, and play them back. Download your creations in various formats or share them with friends.

**Highlights:** Transcribe audio to sheet music, Support for piano, flute, violin, and guitar, Multiple transcription views (score, piano roll, tab), Playback functionality, Download sheet music (PDF, MIDI, MusicXML), Share compositions, Desktop version synchronization

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Melody Scanner Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Melody Scanner Premium Yearly | $44.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Quick transcription
- 💡 Helps learn music
- ✅ Good for basic songs
- ✨ Clean sheet music layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate transcriptions
- 💸 Premium features not working
- ❌ YouTube import issues
- 🤷‍♂️ Poor sound quality
- 🚫 No free trial for basic function

**Reported bugs**

- Upload function not working
- App doesn't recognize stave lines/notation
- App gives too many notes at once or notes octaves apart
- Errors when generating sheet music
- Premium features not unlocked after payment

**Requested features**

- Single instrument mode on app
- Full song transcription (not just 1 min)
- Ability to export full transcriptions
- More accurate transcription for complex music
- Improved MIDI playback accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Is Melody Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sibelius or Melody Scanner?

Sibelius is rated higher. Sibelius averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Melody Scanner averages 1.7 from 35 ratings.

### Do Sibelius or Melody Scanner have ads?

Neither Sibelius nor Melody Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sibelius or Melody Scanner?

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, and Melody Scanner fortnightly. Most recently, Sibelius was updated on September 25, 2026 and Melody Scanner on September 21, 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.*