# Sibelius vs Timpani Pad

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Timpani Pad at none against Sibelius's 2. Timpani Pad also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 36%) and rating (4.4 vs 4.2). Sibelius's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 26) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Timpani Pad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Timpani Pad holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sibelius has 1.8K ratings behind it against 26, 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 67% of Timpani Pad's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sibelius | Timpani Pad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews) | **[4.4 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timpani-pad/id6749449643/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) | [Havard Tryman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662964293) |

## 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


### Timpani Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timpani-pad/id6749449643)

Experience the realistic sound of a playable kettledrum instrument on your phone. Adjust dynamics, tune individual drums, and create rolls with this intuitive music app.

**Highlights:** Realistic timpani sound samples, Adjustable dynamics (forte, mezzo-forte, piano), Customizable drum tuning, Toggleable roll feature, Standard four-timpani setup

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Is Timpani Pad free?

Timpani Pad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sibelius or Timpani Pad?

Timpani Pad is rated higher. Sibelius averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Timpani Pad averages 4.4 from 26 ratings.

### Do Sibelius or Timpani Pad have ads?

Neither Sibelius nor Timpani Pad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sibelius or Timpani Pad?

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, and Timpani Pad every 2 months. Most recently, Sibelius was updated on October 25, 2026 and Timpani Pad on October 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.*