Comparison

forScore vs The Score Stack

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

forScore

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
Read full description

Go paperless. Get organized. Download and play something new in seconds. With forScore for iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS, your scores have never been better—it’s everything you can do with paper and so much more. As seen in Apple keynote addresses and retail stores worldwide! On your music stand or on the go, it's the complete PDF sheet music reading experience that has wowed musicians all over the world for years: CONNECT • Copy PDFs from other apps like Safari and Mail and sync them to all of your devices with iCloud • Import scores from popular cloud storage services and content providers like Musicnotes.com • Share scores and setlists with colleagues, whether or not they use forScore ORGANIZE • Add metadata to your scores for a perfectly browsable, instantly searchable library • Create smart bookmarks to manage longer files containing multiple parts or pieces • Group scores manually with Setlists to play through them from start to finish PLAY • View full pages in portrait orientation and crop them to better fit your device's screen • Turn your device sideways for bigger scrolling pages or view two pages side by side instead • Use Reflow on smaller screens to lay out systems of music end-to-end like a horizontal teleprompter REFINE • Annotate by drawing, typing text, or placing common symbols onto the page • Separate your annotations into layers and show or hide them at any time • Open scores and setlists in multiple windows or tabs to multitask with ease SIMPLIFY • Create links and buttons to handle repeats or perform common actions with a single tap • Rearrange and duplicate pages of a score to play without jumping back and forth • Connect your Bluetooth page turner for hands-free navigation EXTEND • Access integrated utilities like our metronome, pitch pipe, tuner, and piano keyboard • Link tracks to scores to loop regions, adjust pitch, and even use them to record and play back your page turns • Connect wirelessly to nearby devices and coordinate your page turns and program changes effortlessly There's much more than those highlights, though, so be sure to visit forscore.co to learn all about forScore's incredible features and find out why so many musicians agree that forScore is simply the best! Note: forScore also offers an optional, annual auto-renewing subscription called forScore Pro that unlocks additional features and content (visit forScore.co/pro for complete details). forScore Pro is a 1-year subscription that renews automatically until canceled. Should you choose to subscribe, payment will be charged to your iTunes Account upon confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will then automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions in your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Complete terms of service are available on our website at: forScore.co/terms-of-serviceGo paperless.

About

The Score Stack

This app helps music groups collaborate by providing tools for sharing sheet music, practice tracks, and managing group members. It includes integrated messaging and a calendar for scheduling events and rehearsals.

Highlights
  • Group creation and customization
  • Sheet music and practice track uploads
  • Member roles and permissions
  • Integrated messaging and announcements
  • Event and rehearsal calendar
Features
Read full description

Download The Score Stack today and revolutionize the way your music group collaborates and communicates! Groups Create groups for any type of musical ensemble that requires sheet music, practice tracks, or general rehearsing. Each group can be customized to fit the needs of its members, ensuring a smooth and efficient collaborative experience. Music Upload sheet music and practice tracks for all your rehearsing needs. All music and audio files can be edited or deleted after uploading, providing flexibility and control over your group's resources. Members Members can be added to each group by the original creator and assigned roles such as "Member," "Co-Owner," or "Owner." Members have view-only access, Co-Owners can add/edit/delete documents and audio files and add members to the group, while Owners have full control, including the ability to add/edit/delete documents and audio files, manage members, and edit/delete the group. Announcements/Messaging Stay connected with your group through integrated messaging and announcements. Instantly share important updates, rehearsal schedules, and other crucial information, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Calendar Manage rehearsals, performances, and other events with an integrated calendar that syncs with all your groups. Keep track of important dates and ensure that no one misses a beat.

Screenshots

forScore4 screens
The Score Stack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Score Stack at 100% against forScore's 50%. The Score Stack also leads on price (Free vs $24.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 11). forScore's advantage is ratings volume (43K vs 15) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Score Stack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: forScore has 43K ratings behind it against 15, 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 100% of The Score Stack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
forScore versus The Score Stack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterforScoreThe Score Stack
Price$24.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (43K ratings)5.0 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings43K — better15
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#8 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperforScore, LLCHunter John Adam

Customer experience

forScore

All ratings43,041 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews878 reviews
Positive49.5%
Neutral11.7%
Negative38.7%

The Score Stack

All ratings15 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

forScore

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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 Score Stack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

forScore

Subscriptions1
  • forScore Pro$14.991 Year
One-time9
  • Brahms: The Mutopia CollectionFree
  • Haydn: The Mutopia CollectionFree
  • Händel: The Mutopia CollectionFree
Show 6 more
  • Liszt: The Mutopia CollectionFree
  • Satie: The Mutopia CollectionFree
  • Schumann: The Mutopia CollectionFree
  • Tchaikovsky: The Mutopia CollectionFree
  • Beethoven: The Mutopia Collection$0.99
  • forScore Pro 30-Day Pass$2.99
None

The Score Stack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is forScore free?
forScore costs $24.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is The Score Stack free?
The Score Stack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, forScore or The Score Stack?
The Score Stack is rated higher. forScore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while The Score Stack averages 5.0 from 15 ratings.
Do forScore or The Score Stack have ads?
Neither forScore nor The Score Stack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, forScore or The Score Stack?
forScore ships an update fortnightly, and The Score Stack fortnightly. Most recently, forScore was updated on September 26, 2026 and The Score Stack on September 10, 2026.

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