# the Clave vs StaffPad

The clearest difference is review sentiment: the Clave at 88% against StaffPad's 40%. the Clave also leads on price (Free vs $49.99) and rating (4.8 vs 4.0). StaffPad's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). On ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

the Clave is free to download; StaffPad costs $49.99 up front. StaffPad sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. the Clave asks for nothing beyond the download.

the Clave holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 220 and 642 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of the Clave's written reviews are positive against 40% of StaffPad's.

the Clave ships an update every 6 months, StaffPad every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | the Clave | StaffPad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $49.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (220 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-clave/id328220389/reviews)** | [4.0 (642 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staffpad/id1442074103/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 220 | **642** |
| Positive reviews | **87.9% of reviews** | 39.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 22 MB | 1.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drew Milloy](https://appshunter.io/developer/328220392) | [StaffPad Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1258751005) |

## What reviewers say

### the Clave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-clave/id328220389)

This app provides a metronome with five selectable clave patterns for practicing Latin American music and other styles. It displays patterns in traditional notation, allows tempo adjustment, and offers background playback. Users can customize sound options for a personalized practice experience.

**Highlights:** Five selectable clave patterns, Traditional notation display, 3:2 and 2:3 clave switching, Variable tempo (40-200 BPM), Background playback, Customizable sound options

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Great for practice
- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 👍 Helps internalize clave
- 👍 Good for beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 App crashes
- 🐛 App disappears
- 🐛 Sound quality issues
- 🐛 Tempo slider difficult

**Reported bugs**

- App disappears after a few months
- App crashes when opened
- App bombs out after clearing tempo adjustment screen
- Battery draining quickly
- App using high percentage of battery

**Requested features**

- Customize claves with manual rhythms
- Option to change metronome by one bpm
- Type in tempo instead of slider
- Add 2:3 Son Clave
- Add 6/8 bell pattern


### StaffPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staffpad/id1442074103)

Compose music effortlessly on your iPad with intuitive handwriting input and advanced notation tools. Convert your playing into sheet music, record and edit audio directly on the score, and utilize powerful playback with professional sample libraries. Seamlessly share your work with others using the companion reader app.

**Highlights:** Handwriting music notation with Apple Pencil, Convert audio recordings to notation, Record and edit audio on score, Professional playback with sample libraries, Seamless sharing via ScoreSync, Import/export MusicXML and MIDI

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Toy Glockenspiel | Free | one-time |
| StaffPad Essential Guitars | Free | one-time |
| Retro Keyboards | Free | one-time |
| Muse Strings | Free | one-time |
| Muse Choir | Free | one-time |
| Muse Woodwinds | Free | one-time |
| Muse Percussion | Free | one-time |
| Muse Brass | Free | one-time |
| Muse Harp | Free | one-time |
| Muse Keys | Free | one-time |
| Muse Guitars Vol. 1 | Free | one-time |
| StaffPad Essentials: Accordion | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful composing tool
- 🎨 Intuitive handwriting interface
- 🎹 High-quality playback sounds
- 💻 Seamless iPad integration
- 🎨 Smooth workflow for sketching ideas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent handwriting recognition
- 🔧 Steep learning curve
- 🔒 Requires Apple Pencil
- 💰 Expensive with additional purchases
- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to recognize certain note values
- Eraser function unreliable
- Inconsistent behavior when writing accidentals
- Crashes when attempting to create new scores
- Syncing and file management issues

**Requested features**

- Improved handwriting recognition
- More flexible note input options
- Cross-staff notation support
- Customizable UI and layout
- Better collaboration and sharing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Clave free?

the Clave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is StaffPad free?

StaffPad costs $49.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, the Clave or StaffPad?

the Clave is rated higher. the Clave averages 4.8 out of 5 from 220 ratings, while StaffPad averages 4.0 from 642 ratings.

### Do the Clave or StaffPad have ads?

Neither the Clave nor StaffPad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, the Clave or StaffPad?

the Clave ships an update every 6 months, and StaffPad every 2 weeks. Most recently, the Clave was updated on October 21, 2026 and StaffPad on October 22, 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.*