# forScore vs The Strad

The clearest difference is price: The Strad at Free against forScore's $24.99. The Strad also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). forScore's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

The Strad is free to download; forScore costs $24.99 up front. forScore sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and The Strad sells 24 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

forScore holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: forScore has 43K ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of forScore's written reviews are positive against 52% of The Strad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

forScore ships an update fortnightly, The Strad every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | forScore | The Strad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forscore/id363738376/reviews)** | [4.3 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-strad/id511856633/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 37 |
| Positive reviews | 49.6% of reviews | **52.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 42 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [forScore LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/797590287) | [Newsquest Specialist Media Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/511856637) |

## What reviewers say

### forScore

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

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Music, #176 Top Paid, #180 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


### The Strad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-strad/id511856633)

Access the world's leading string music magazine, featuring interviews, in-depth articles on instruments, and masterclass sheet music. Explore the latest news, commentary, and analysis for makers, musicians, and teachers.

**Highlights:** Interviews with star string players, In-depth articles on instruments, Masterclass sheet music section, News, comment, and analysis, Exclusive videos and audio clips, Interactive links

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

**In-app purchases (24)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Strad | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| The Strad | $59.99 | per year |
| June 2012 (id:736861) | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 2012 (id:736003) | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 2013 and De... (id:738002) | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2014 (id:738506) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2013 (id:736381) | $4.99 | one-time |
| November 2013 (id:735750) | $4.99 | one-time |
| March 2016 (id:738737) | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 2020 And De... (id:771419) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2017 (id:757689) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2024 (pp:1024896) | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 2019 an... (id:762634) | $4.99 | one-time |
| April 2016 (id:745918) | $4.99 | one-time |
| July 2017 (id:757679) | $4.99 | one-time |
| November 2017 (id:757687) | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2019 (id:766008) | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 2020 (id:771411) | $4.99 | one-time |
| October 2018 (id:762640) | $4.99 | one-time |
| July 2024 (pp:1024926) | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 2025 a... (pp:1110854) | $5.99 | one-time |
| The Strad Magazine 2 back issue bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Great Instruments (id:810171) | $14.99 | one-time |
| The Strad | $179.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is forScore free?

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

### Is The Strad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, forScore or The Strad?

forScore is rated higher. forScore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while The Strad averages 4.3 from 37 ratings.

### Do forScore or The Strad have ads?

Neither forScore nor The Strad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, forScore or The Strad?

forScore ships an update fortnightly, and The Strad every 7 months. Most recently, forScore was updated on September 30, 2026 and The Strad on September 26, 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.*