# forScore vs Musicnotes

The clearest difference is price: Musicnotes at Free against forScore's $24.99. Musicnotes also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). forScore's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#11 vs #188). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Musicnotes is free to download; forScore costs $24.99 up front. forScore sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and Musicnotes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for forScore against 4.8 for Musicnotes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43K and 43K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of forScore's written reviews are positive against 55% of Musicnotes's.

forScore ships an update every 9 days, Musicnotes fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | forScore | Musicnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forscore/id363738376/reviews) | [4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 43K |
| Positive reviews | 49.7% of reviews | **54.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | #188 |
| Size | 42 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [forScore LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/797590287) | [Musicnotes](https://appshunter.io/developer/369741037) |

## What reviewers say

### forScore

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

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Music, #101 Top Paid, #198 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


### Musicnotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984)

**Currently charting:** #188 Top Grossing · Music, #203 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Access and play a vast library of digital sheet music. Practice with interactive tools, transpose keys, and annotate scores. Organize your music into set lists for lessons, rehearsals, or performances.

**Highlights:** Interactive sheet music player, Key transposition tool, Annotation and markup, Set list organization, 500,000+ sheet music arrangements, Personal sheet music upload, Interactive playback with tempo control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Musicnotes Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| PDF Sheet Music Arrangement | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $6.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $7.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $8.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement + PDF | $8.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement + PDF | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $12.99 | one-time |
| Pro Credit Pack (3 Credits) | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great convenience
- 🎹 Fantastic range of music
- 🎶 Adjustable to skill level
- 💻 Reliable and responsive
- 🎨 Helpful playback and annotation features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overpriced compared to other options
- 🔒 Restrictive printing and usage policies
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🖥️ Inconsistent pricing between app and website
- 📱 Poor iPad and iPhone X support

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to access purchased content
- Crashes and performance problems, especially on newer devices
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating and scrolling sheet music
- Unreliable playback and sync features

**Requested features**

- Add ability to permanently delete pre-installed songs
- Improve note-taking and annotation tools, including Apple Pencil support
- Implement better browsing and search functionality
- Allow more flexible printing and copying options
- Add seamless syncing between app and website purchases


## Frequently asked questions

### Is forScore free?

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

### Is Musicnotes free?

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

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

forScore and Musicnotes are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 43K and 43K ratings respectively.

### Do forScore or Musicnotes have ads?

Musicnotes shows ads; forScore does not.

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

forScore ships an update every 9 days, and Musicnotes fortnightly. Most recently, forScore was updated on October 17, 2026 and Musicnotes on October 17, 2026.

### Which is more popular, forScore or Musicnotes?

forScore currently peaks at #11 in the App Store charts, and Musicnotes at #188. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*