Comparison

Dorico vs TuneFinder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dorico

Create professional music scores for up to eight instruments with this intuitive composition app. Input notes via on-screen or MIDI keyboards, then play back and edit with powerful tools. Share your creations as PDFs, audio, or MusicXML.

Highlights
  • Compose music for up to eight instruments
  • On-screen keyboard, drum pads, and fretboard input
  • MIDI editing tools
  • Export as PDF, audio, or MusicXML
  • Print to AirPrint-enabled printers
  • Read mode with Apple Pencil annotation
Features
Read full description

Compose your own music for free with Dorico. Create beautiful music notation for up to eight instruments quickly and easily with the on-screen keyboard, drum pads and fretboard. Play back instantly with the included sounds and shape the performance with powerful MIDI editing tools. When your piece is finished, share it as PDF, audio or MusicXML, or print directly to your AirPrint-enabled printer. Perform using the built-in read mode, and annotate with your Apple Pencil. Dorico is the award-winning music notation and composition software from Steinberg for macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. It’s easy enough to learn and use that it is used by students in schools, and deep enough that it satisfies the needs of the most demanding professionals in the worlds of concert music, music for film and TV, and music publishing. Dorico for iPad is fully compatible with Dorico for macOS and Windows, so you can work on your projects on the move on your iPad and in your studio on your desktop or laptop computer, or share projects with musicians using Dorico on any platform. Dorico’s interface is split into four modes. In Setup mode, you can add and change instruments, create and reorder sections of music (called “flows”), and choose how your music will be formatted for your musicians into layouts. In Write mode, you can input and edit music and other notations using simple, well-organized toolboxes and panels. In Engrave mode (included if you buy a paid subscription to Dorico’s advanced features), you can make graphical tweaks to every item in your project. Finally, in Play mode, you have access to powerful sequencer-style MIDI editing tools, including piano roll and velocity editors. Dorico includes built-in virtual instruments and effects to allow you to play back your compositions, and you can also easily use any compatible Audio Unit plug-in or external MIDI device (with optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase), and tweak playback using the on-screen Mixer. Input music using an on-screen piano keyboard, or by connecting a MIDI keyboard to your iPad directly via USB or using a compatible USB-to-Lightning adaptor. If you have a Magic Keyboard or other external keyboard, you can make use of extensive keyboard shortcuts to work quickly and efficiently. Dorico is free to use, allowing you to write for ensembles of up to four players. Register with your free Steinberg ID to increase the player limit to eight, allowing you to write for ensembles like string or wind quartet, or SATB choir. If you want to take your composition and arranging to the next level, you can buy an optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase to access more features and power: write for ensembles of any number of players, and gain access to Engrave mode, allowing you to make graphical tweaks to individual items anywhere in your project. HIGHLIGHTS • Best automatic engraving of any software • Easy note input using on-screen keyboard, MIDI keyboard, or external keyboard • Intelligently adjusts notation as you write • Any number of movements or pieces in a single project • Automatic layout of instrumental parts • Expressive playback using included sounds and effects • Supports Audio Unit virtual instruments and effects processors • Sequencer-style piano roll MIDI editor • Sophisticated chord symbols, unpitched percussion and drum set notation • Unbarred music, tuplets across barlines, etc. all handled correctly — no workarounds • Transfer to and from other apps via MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, etc. For support, please visit www.dorico.com/forum If you like Dorico, please support us by rating this app in the App Store. Thank you!

About

TuneFinder

Features
Read full description

Import your music PDFs and make their tune titles searchable. TuneFinder uses on-device OCR to suggest an index, which you can review, correct and complete in the index editor. You can also create an index manually or import one as CSV. Find a tune by title and open its PDF page directly from a result. Organise tunes into playlists for rehearsals and gigs. Browse your books in a searchable library and use the bottom navigation to move between Search, Playlists and Books. Your library stays on your device and works offline. Search one selected book for free. Multi-Book Search, available as an in-app purchase, lets you search several indexed books at once. Optional iCloud sync keeps playlists, book indexes and linked PDFs up to date across your Apple devices using the same iCloud account. Playlist changes made on different devices merge when you sync. Sync progress and results help you see what has been updated. You can pause sync and keep your local library. Apple and Android libraries sync separately. Open Help from the screen you are using to find relevant guides in your app language, with instructions for your device. Access Multi-Book Search purchases and purchase restoration from Settings.

Screenshots

TuneFinder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: TuneFinder at 3 against Dorico's 1. TuneFinder also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dorico sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and TuneFinder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dorico ships an update monthly, TuneFinder every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Dorico versus TuneFinder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDoricoTuneFinder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews55.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.3K — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS1715.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size979 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteinberg Media Technologies GmbHEmmanuel Keller

Bugs and requests

Dorico

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

TuneFinder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Dorico

Subscriptions2
  • Dorico Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Dorico Annual Subscription14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Dorico Lifetime Unlock$119.99
1 purchases

TuneFinder

One-time1
  • Multi-Book Search$2.99

Questions

Is Dorico free?
Dorico is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TuneFinder free?
TuneFinder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dorico or TuneFinder have ads?
Neither Dorico nor TuneFinder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dorico or TuneFinder?
Dorico ships an update monthly, and TuneFinder every 2 months. Most recently, Dorico was updated on November 11, 2026 and TuneFinder on October 27, 2026.

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