# iReal Pro vs Sibelius

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iReal Pro at 83% against Sibelius's 36%. iReal Pro also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Sibelius's advantage is price (Free vs $21.99) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.6). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Sibelius is free to download; iReal Pro costs $21.99 up front. iReal Pro sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iReal Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iReal Pro has 11K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of iReal Pro's written reviews are positive against 36% of Sibelius's.

iReal Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, Sibelius every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iReal Pro | Sibelius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $21.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireal-pro/id298206806/reviews)** | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 35.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 179 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Technimo LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/298206809) | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) |

## What reviewers say

### iReal Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireal-pro/id298206806)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Paid · Music, #24 Top Paid, #109 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

This app provides a virtual band accompaniment for musicians to practice with, offering realistic sounding instruments and a variety of styles. It also functions as a digital chord chart book, allowing users to create, edit, and share their own song charts.

**Highlights:** Virtual band accompaniment, Create, edit, and share chord charts, Thousands of downloadable songs, Chord diagrams and scale recommendations, Practice exercises and transposition, Export charts and audio, Cloud synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blues style backing tracks | $6.99 | one-time |
| Salsa style backing tracks | $6.99 | one-time |
| Brazilian backing tracks | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for practicing and reading charts
- 👍 Versatile with ability to change keys, tempos, and styles
- 👍 Excellent community and support
- 🚀 Efficient for gigs and rehearsals
- 👍 Indispensable tool for jazz musicians

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with chord voicings and playback
- 🔧 Limited editing capabilities
- 🔧 Clunky interface for some users
- 💰 Expensive for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional skipping or timing issues with playback
- Trouble with registration and login process
- Compatibility issues with newer devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to write rhythm notation
- Integrate with Real Books
- Improve sound quality and add more instrument options
- Add melodies and lyrics support
- Improve chord editing and customization


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iReal Pro free?

iReal Pro costs $21.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iReal Pro or Sibelius?

iReal Pro is rated higher. iReal Pro averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Sibelius averages 4.2 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do iReal Pro or Sibelius have ads?

Neither iReal Pro nor Sibelius shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iReal Pro or Sibelius?

iReal Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sibelius every 2 months. Most recently, iReal Pro was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sibelius on November 3, 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.*