# Composer Pro vs Dorico

The clearest difference is monetization model: Dorico at free with in-app purchases against Composer Pro's subscription. Dorico also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 697). Composer Pro's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 55%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Composer Pro sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Dorico sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Composer Pro against 4.6 for Dorico. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 697 and 2.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Composer Pro's written reviews are positive against 55% of Dorico's.

Composer Pro ships an update every 2 months, Dorico every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Composer Pro | Dorico |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (697 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/composer-pro-sheet-music-maker/id1551925812/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 697 | **2.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.5% of reviews** | 55.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 161 MB | 975 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) | [Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/316698251) |

## What reviewers say

### Composer Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/composer-pro-sheet-music-maker/id1551925812)

Compose music scores with ease using a familiar keyboard layout. This app supports multiple parts, a wide range of instruments, and various musical symbols, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced musicians.

**Highlights:** Keyboard-style note input, Support for up to 8 parts, Over 100 instruments, Variety of music symbols, Configurable parts and settings, Instrument transposition, Export without watermark

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Access | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Access | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎼 Helpful for composing music
- 🎹 Good for beginners
- 💡 Allows creating sheet music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model too expensive
- 🔒 Limited features in free version
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Forced to pay for basic functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes placed incorrectly
- Measures and compositions randomly deleted
- Inability to restore deleted content

**Requested features**

- Add more instruments beyond piano
- Allow changing time signatures and key signatures without subscription
- Improve note editing and placement
- Add export options to save/share compositions
- Provide more music notation tools and dynamics


### Dorico

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090)

Create professional music notation and compositions with this powerful app. Easily input notes, edit performances, and share your work in various formats. It's suitable for beginners and professionals alike.

**Highlights:** Compose music notation, On-screen keyboard, drum pads, fretboard, MIDI editing tools, PDF, audio, MusicXML export, Print to AirPrint, Read mode with annotation, Automatic engraving

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dorico Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Dorico Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Dorico Lifetime Unlock | $119.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and full-featured notation app on iPad
- 👍 Seamless integration with desktop version
- 🚀 Efficient workflow with keyboard shortcuts
- 👍 Impressive engraving and layout capabilities
- 🚀 Comprehensive feature set for composing and arranging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription-only model, no option to purchase outright
- 🐛 Glitchy touch/scroll functionality
- 🐛 Inability to delete clefs or access certain settings
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on older iPad models

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening or editing projects
- Corrupted/lost files after app crashes
- Unresponsive keyboard and note input issues
- Scrolling and UI glitches, especially in Engrave mode
- Incompatibility with certain iPad models and iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Support for Apple Pencil and handwriting input
- Improved file management and organization
- Expanded audio unit/plugin integration
- More customization options for layout and engraving
- Ability to export/import flows and projects between iPad and desktop


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Composer Pro free?

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

### Is Dorico free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Composer Pro or Dorico?

Dorico is rated higher. Composer Pro averages 4.5 out of 5 from 697 ratings, while Dorico averages 4.6 from 2.3K ratings.

### Do Composer Pro or Dorico have ads?

Neither Composer Pro nor Dorico shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Composer Pro or Dorico?

Composer Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Dorico every 3 weeks. Most recently, Composer Pro was updated on November 7, 2026 and Dorico on November 8, 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.*