# Sibelius vs Tempo

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tempo at every 5 days against Sibelius's every 2 months. Sibelius's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and Tempo sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, Tempo every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sibelius | Tempo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) | [Dean Hetherington](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509933480) |

## 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


### Tempo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tempo-simple-drum-notation/id6761008432)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Is Tempo free?

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

### Do Sibelius or Tempo have ads?

Neither Sibelius nor Tempo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sibelius or Tempo?

Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, and Tempo every 5 days. Most recently, Sibelius was updated on September 22, 2026 and Tempo on September 12, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*