# Fingering vs Beam Music

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fingering at 85% against Beam Music's 36%. Fingering also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and chart position (#194 vs unranked). Beam Music's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Beam Music is free to download; Fingering costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Fingering holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 157 and 306 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Fingering's written reviews are positive against 36% of Beam Music's.

Fingering ships an update every 7 months, Beam Music every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fingering | Beam Music |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (157 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fingering/id353809211/reviews)** | [4.4 (306 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 157 | **306** |
| Positive reviews | **84.8% of reviews** | 36.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#194** | — |
| Size | 183 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrick Q. Kelly](https://appshunter.io/developer/310068987) | [Ultimate Drill Book](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455826723) |

## What reviewers say

### Fingering

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fingering/id353809211)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Access interactive fingering charts for a wide range of woodwind and brass instruments, including alternate fingerings and trills. Features a piano interface to visualize notes and their notations across various clefs, with transposition options.

**Highlights:** Interactive fingering charts, Alternate fingerings and trills, Piano visualization, Multiple clef support, Transposition options, Instrument-specific guides

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great resource for musicians
- 👍 Helpful for music educators
- 👍 Comprehensive fingering information
- 👍 Useful for alternate fingerings and trills
- 👍 Well-designed and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some fingerings are incorrect or missing
- 🐛 No sound for selected instruments
- 🐛 High battery drain
- 🐛 Dark mode difficult to read
- 🐛 Missing fingerings for specific instruments/ranges

**Reported bugs**

- Contra fingerings are wrong after E natural
- Huge battery drain
- Cannot hear saxophone sounds, only piano
- No sound at all
- Sound not working

**Requested features**

- Option to switch to light mode
- Create own fingering option with notes
- Fix piccolo fingering chart
- Incorporate extended range fingerings
- Add recorder charts (Baroque and German)


### Beam Music

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909)

Easily import, organize, and annotate music files for ensembles. Share access and collaborate with section leaders. Live Mode synchronizes music across all devices instantly without internet.

**Highlights:** Import PDFs from cloud storage and local files, Edit and crop music pages, Annotate with pencil, highlighter, and text tools, Collaborative notes for section leaders, Real-time music synchronization via Live Mode, Organize music into collections and set lists, Backup music library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Centralized music library in one app
- 🎵 Convenient for marching band use
- ✍️ Annotation and note-taking features
- 📋 Setlist functionality for quick song switching
- 🔄 Live mode for synchronized performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- ⏱️ Severe lag and unresponsiveness
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain (40-90% per hour)
- 🌡️ Phone overheating during use
- 📝 Annotations randomly disappear or delete

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes constantly, especially when needed
- Lag makes page turning and note-taking difficult
- Annotations disappear after using live mode
- Zoom level resets when orientation changes
- Portrait mode activates unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Horizontal page lock (like FlipFolder)
- Ability to save zoom level with vertical scrolling
- Live session annotation capability
- Auto-select correct part for user
- Mass select parts instead of individual selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fingering free?

Fingering costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Beam Music free?

Beam Music is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Fingering or Beam Music?

Fingering is rated higher. Fingering averages 4.8 out of 5 from 157 ratings, while Beam Music averages 4.4 from 306 ratings.

### Do Fingering or Beam Music have ads?

Neither Fingering nor Beam Music shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fingering or Beam Music?

Fingering ships an update every 7 months, and Beam Music every 3 weeks. Most recently, Fingering was updated on October 29, 2026 and Beam Music on October 29, 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.*