# forScore vs Beam Music

The clearest difference is price: Beam Music at Free against forScore's $24.99. Beam Music also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). forScore's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (43K vs 296). On ads there is nothing between them.

Beam Music is free to download; forScore costs $24.99 up front. forScore sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Beam Music asks for nothing beyond the download.

forScore holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: forScore has 43K ratings behind it against 296, 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 Beam Music's.

forScore ships an update every 9 days, Beam Music every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | forScore | Beam Music |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forscore/id363738376/reviews)** | [4.4 (296 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 296 |
| Positive reviews | **49.8% of reviews** | 36.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 42 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [forScore LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/797590287) | [Ultimate Drill Book](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455826723) |

## What reviewers say

### forScore

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

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Music, #56 Top Paid, #151 Top Grossing · Music (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


### 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 forScore free?

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

### Is Beam Music free?

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

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

forScore is rated higher. forScore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while Beam Music averages 4.4 from 296 ratings.

### Do forScore or Beam Music have ads?

Neither forScore nor Beam Music shows ads.

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

forScore ships an update every 9 days, and Beam Music every 3 weeks. Most recently, forScore was updated on October 26, 2026 and Beam Music on October 24, 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.*