# forScore vs Dorico

The clearest difference is price: Dorico at Free against forScore's $24.99. forScore's advantage is ratings volume (44K vs 2.3K) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Dorico is free to download; forScore costs $24.99 up front. forScore sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and Dorico sells 3 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 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: forScore has 44K ratings behind it against 2.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of forScore's written reviews are positive against 55% of Dorico's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

forScore ships an update every 9 days, Dorico every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | forScore | Dorico |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (44K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forscore/id363738376/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44K** | 2.3K |
| Positive reviews | 49.9% of reviews | **55.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 42 MB | 975 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [forScore LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/797590287) | [Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/316698251) |

## What reviewers say

### forScore

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Paid · Music, #111 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, iPhone Duo support

**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


### Dorico

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090)

Create professional music notation and compositions with this powerful app. Easily input notes, edit performances, and share your work in various formats. It's suitable for beginners and professionals alike.

**Highlights:** Compose music notation, On-screen keyboard, drum pads, fretboard, MIDI editing tools, PDF, audio, MusicXML export, Print to AirPrint, Read mode with annotation, Automatic engraving

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dorico Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Dorico Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Dorico Lifetime Unlock | $119.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and full-featured notation app on iPad
- 👍 Seamless integration with desktop version
- 🚀 Efficient workflow with keyboard shortcuts
- 👍 Impressive engraving and layout capabilities
- 🚀 Comprehensive feature set for composing and arranging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription-only model, no option to purchase outright
- 🐛 Glitchy touch/scroll functionality
- 🐛 Inability to delete clefs or access certain settings
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on older iPad models

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening or editing projects
- Corrupted/lost files after app crashes
- Unresponsive keyboard and note input issues
- Scrolling and UI glitches, especially in Engrave mode
- Incompatibility with certain iPad models and iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Support for Apple Pencil and handwriting input
- Improved file management and organization
- Expanded audio unit/plugin integration
- More customization options for layout and engraving
- Ability to export/import flows and projects between iPad and desktop


## Frequently asked questions

### Is forScore free?

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

### Is Dorico free?

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

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

forScore is rated higher. forScore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 44K ratings, while Dorico averages 4.6 from 2.3K ratings.

### Do forScore or Dorico have ads?

Neither forScore nor Dorico shows ads.

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

forScore ships an update every 9 days, and Dorico every 3 weeks. Most recently, forScore was updated on November 1, 2026 and Dorico on October 31, 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.*