# Maestro vs Tempo

The clearest difference is ads: Tempo at none against Maestro's shown. Tempo also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Maestro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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.

Maestro ships an update every 2 months, Tempo every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Maestro | Tempo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (283 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro-music-composer/id1579863714/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **283** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 139 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Future Sculptor Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579863716) | [Dean Hetherington](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509933480) |

## What reviewers say

### Maestro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro-music-composer/id1579863714)

Compose music quickly and easily with a comprehensive set of tools for writing musical notations, including notes, chords, articulations, and accidentals. Supports over 100 instruments for playback and allows export to image and audio files.

**Highlights:** Write musical notations, Supports over 100 instruments, Unlimited staves and music length, Export to image and audio files, Write lyrics and chord texts, Change clef, tempo, and key signature

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Free Licence & Tickets | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for quick music writing
- 💡 Ability to post sheet music for others to listen
- 🎨 Versatile and entertaining

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (app crashes, playback issues, export problems)
- 🎚️ Limited rhythmic flexibility (no swing, limited tuplets)
- 🎹 Subpar sound quality for some instruments
- 💤 Lack of advanced features (dynamics, articulations, tempo changes)

**Reported bugs**

- Beam note function not working
- Playback cursor glitches when using short note setting
- Unable to save or export compositions in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add more percussion instruments (e.g., cymbals, snare, tambourine)
- Implement swing rhythm and advanced tuplets
- Allow multiple articulations on a single note
- Add support for grace notes and pedal effects
- Improve MIDI export and import functionality


### 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 Maestro free?

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

### Is Tempo free?

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

### Do Maestro or Tempo have ads?

Maestro shows ads; Tempo does not.

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

Maestro ships an update every 2 months, and Tempo every 5 days. Most recently, Maestro was updated on November 3, 2026 and Tempo on October 25, 2026.

---

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