Sibelius vs SheetMuse
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sibelius
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.
- Professional music notation
- Cross-platform synchronization
- High-quality sample library
- Apple Pencil and touch optimization
- Innovative note entry
- Command Search functionality
- Scalable subscription tiers
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Sibelius brings professional music notation to iPad and iPhone, putting the workflows used by countless composers, orchestrators, and arrangers at your fingertips. Seamlessly move between iPad, iPhone and desktop, and from studio to coffeeshop to scoring stage, and write anywhere inspiration strikes. # Work on scores anywhere Sibelius for mobile puts the #1 selling music notation program at your fingertips—literally. Work with the same tools and features used by countless composers and production houses every day on your iPad and iPhone. Whether writing down ideas, creating full-blown compositions, or reviewing scores, you have the freedom to create wherever you’re comfortable. #Take your portfolio to go Forget having to bring and break out your laptop when meeting with clients and collaborators. Instead, you can conveniently take the world’s most powerful notation toolset and your entire music portfolio with you wherever you go—ideal for those unexpected opportunities. And for tandemly working through last-minute revisions. # Hear your music in stunning detail Sibelius includes a high-quality sample library filled with a variety of musical instrumentation, so you can hear what your music will sound like when performed by real musicians. The Espressivo advanced notation interpretation even lets you adjust rhythm and swing to create a more humanistic feel. # Speed your workflow Sibelius for mobile is designed to take full advantage of Apple Pencil and iPad touch capabilities. Its elegant, streamlined interface provides the most intuitive and efficient workflows possible while supporting the same keyboard shortcuts you know and love from working on the desktop version, so you’ll feel right at home. # Get innovative note entry Experience the pen and paper workflow reimagined. Enter notes with the onscreen Keypad or a keyboard, and Sibelius takes care of all note layout. Touch a note and drag up or down to change its value, or drag left or right to add a flat or sharp. With an Apple Pencil, tap a note and tilt up or down to add a flat or sharp, or tilt left or right to choose the note value. # Have everything you need In addition to the Keypad, Sibelius for mobile features a Create menu that’s optimized for iOS, making it easy to add clefs, key signatures, time signatures, barlines, symbols, text styles, and more to your score from searchable galleries. You can also quickly search through all Sibelius commands using the Command Search, putting the entire app at your fingertips. # Move tiers to meet needs Sibelius is designed to grow with you to support your creative aspirations and project needs. From the introductory (and free) Sibelius First to the industry-standard Sibelius Ultimate, you can add more notation capabilities and instrument parts to take on more creative opportunities by simply upgrading your subscription tier. # Have everything on one creative platform Seamlessly move from desktop to tablet and back without ever having to import or export files. That’s because whether on mobile or desktop, you’re always in Sibelius. With files saved to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or other iOS-supported cloud service, you have easy anywhere access to all your ideas and scores. # Enable a hybrid workflow While Sibelius for mobile is fully featured, providing many of the same tools as its desktop counterpart, there are some notation and layout features only available in the desktop version, making it an integral part of a complete workflow (compare versions). Plus, the mobile version comes free with the desktop version, enabling you to work where and how you want.
SheetMuse
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Turn your iPad and iPhone into your digital music stand. With SheetMuse you carry every score with you: annotated, arranged into setlists, ready for the stage. Built by Pro Music Software for people who play live, study at the conservatory, or practise at home. ANNOTATE LIKE ON PAPER Fingerings, dynamics, breath marks, reminders: write straight onto the score with pen, highlighter, text and eraser. With Apple Pencil on iPad it feels like a pencil on paper. Every mark is saved with the file, page by page, and you find it exactly where you left it. MORE THAN PDF Import scores and tabs as PDF, lyrics and chord sheets as images (PNG/JPG) or plain text, and the backing tracks that go with them. One library for all your material, with instant search by name and tag. SETLISTS FOR THE STAGE Group your pieces into setlists for concerts, rehearsals or lessons. In fullscreen you move from one piece to the next without leaving, without searching, without missing the downbeat. On iPad in landscape you can read two pages side by side. TURN PAGES WITH YOUR FOOT SheetMuse recognises Bluetooth page-turner pedals on its own: no drivers, no setup, no mode to declare. Pair the pedal from the iOS Bluetooth settings and turn the page, or jump to the next piece, without taking your hands off the instrument. AUTOMATIC SCROLLING For lyrics you can start automatic scrolling, at an adjustable speed or synced to the audio, karaoke style. Your hands stay on the instrument. BUILT-IN METRONOME Set the BPM with the score open, without leaving the app. EXPORT WHEN YOU NEED TO Save or share the score with your annotations, as a PDF or as one image per page: handy for passing parts to the band or handouts to a class. YOUR FILES, KEPT SAFE Scores, annotations and setlists sync automatically to the cloud: switch device and everything is where you left it. A built-in trash brings back what you deleted by mistake, and you can export a full backup whenever you want. MADE FOR PLAYERS Pianists, guitarists, singers, bass players, drummers, strings and winds, choir directors, teachers preparing material for a class. On stage every night, in the rehearsal room with the band, or at home for the love of it: a clean interface, no distractions, readable even in low light. NO SUBSCRIPTION The app is free and supported by non-intrusive ads. A single purchase removes the ads for good: no subscription, no renewal, no expiry date. NOTES SheetMuse does not provide sheet music: you import your own files, within the rights you hold over them. A free account is required to use the app. Your account can stay signed in on a maximum of 2 devices at a time. Requires iOS or iPadOS 15.0 or later. Leave the binders at home. Download SheetMuse and travel light.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Sibelius at none against SheetMuse's shown. Sibelius also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.6). SheetMuse's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and SheetMuse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sibelius ships an update every 2 months, SheetMuse every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sibelius | SheetMuse |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (1.8K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.4 GB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Avid® | Francesco Acquafredda |
Bugs and requests
Sibelius
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
7 requests- Ability to enlarge chord symbols
- More time signature options
- Support for MIDI input
- Better Apple Pencil integration
- Autosave and improved file management
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- Export options like MusicXML and PDF
- Customizable shortcuts and toolbars
SheetMuse
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sibelius
- Sibelius Artist for iOS1 Month trial$5.991 Month
- Sibelius Ultimate for iOS1 Month trial$12.991 Month
SheetMuse
- SheetMuse - NO ADS Pack$1.99








