# forScore vs Sibelius

The clearest difference is price: Sibelius at Free against forScore's $24.99. Sibelius also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 18.0). forScore's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Sibelius is free to download; forScore costs $24.99 up front. forScore sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year 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.

forScore holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: forScore has 43K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of forScore's written reviews are positive against 36% of Sibelius's.

forScore ships an update fortnightly, Sibelius every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | forScore | Sibelius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forscore/id363738376/reviews)** | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | **49.5% of reviews** | 35.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 42 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [forScore, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/797590287) | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) |

## What reviewers say

### forScore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forscore/id363738376)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Music, #178 Top Grossing · Music, #184 Top Paid (US App Store)

This app digitizes sheet music, offering organization, annotation, and playback tools for musicians. It allows for easy import, library management, and hands-free navigation, enhancing the performance experience.

**Highlights:** PDF sheet music reading, Cloud sync and import, Library organization and search, Annotation tools, Hands-free page turning, Integrated metronome and tuner

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| forScore Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Brahms: The Mutopia Collection | Free | one-time |
| Haydn: The Mutopia Collection | Free | one-time |
| Händel: The Mutopia Collection | Free | one-time |
| Liszt: The Mutopia Collection | Free | one-time |
| Satie: The Mutopia Collection | Free | one-time |
| Schumann: The Mutopia Collection | Free | one-time |
| Tchaikovsky: The Mutopia Collection | Free | one-time |
| Beethoven: The Mutopia Collection | $0.99 | one-time |
| forScore Pro 30-Day Pass | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient navigation
- 🔒 Reliable performance
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Excellent organization
- 👍 Seamless annotation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔋 Battery drain concerns
- 👎 Unintuitive settings/features
- 👎 Lack of customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing annotations
- Unreliable page turning
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Unresponsive touch controls

**Requested features**

- Ability to cut and paste sections of scores
- More flexible page turning controls
- Customizable metronome
- Improved backup and restore functionality
- Easier sharing of annotated scores


### 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 forScore free?

forScore costs $24.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, forScore or Sibelius?

forScore is rated higher. forScore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while Sibelius averages 4.2 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do forScore or Sibelius have ads?

Neither forScore nor Sibelius shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, forScore or Sibelius?

forScore ships an update fortnightly, and Sibelius every 2 months. Most recently, forScore was updated on September 25, 2026 and Sibelius on September 25, 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.*