# Fingering Brass vs Sibelius

The clearest difference is price: Sibelius at Free against Fingering Brass's $1.99. Sibelius also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 14) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). Fingering Brass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). On ads there is nothing between them.

Sibelius is free to download; Fingering Brass costs $1.99 up front. Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Fingering Brass asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fingering Brass holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sibelius has 1.8K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Fingering Brass's written reviews are positive against 36% of Sibelius's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Fingering Brass ships an update every 9 months, Sibelius every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fingering Brass | Sibelius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fingering-brass/id375636288/reviews)** | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | **35.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 120 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrick Q. Kelly](https://appshunter.io/developer/310068987) | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) |

## What reviewers say

### Fingering Brass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fingering-brass/id375636288)

Access interactive fingering charts for a wide range of brass instruments, including alternate fingerings. View notes on a piano interface and hear concert pitches. Supports multiple clefs and transpositions for various instruments.

**Highlights:** Interactive fingering charts, Alternate fingerings, Piano interface, Concert pitch playback, Multiple clef support, Transposition options

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sibelius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259)

Professional music notation software is now available on mobile devices. Create, edit, and hear your compositions anywhere with a full suite of tools optimized for touch and stylus input. Seamlessly sync across platforms and access different feature tiers to suit your needs.

**Highlights:** Professional music notation, Cross-platform synchronization, High-quality sample library, Apple Pencil and touch optimization, Innovative note entry, Command Search functionality, Scalable subscription tiers

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sibelius Artist for iOS | $5.99 | per month |
| Sibelius Ultimate for iOS | $12.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🚀 Useful for composing on the go
- 💡 Good for making quick edits to existing scores
- 🎨 Stylish and professional-looking app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes frequently
- 🔒 Difficulty unlocking full version and accessing features
- 💰 Subscription service is very expensive
- 🔇 Limited sound library and poor playback quality
- 📁 Unreliable saving and file management

**Reported bugs**

- Scores disappearing or not saving properly
- Subscription issues and inability to log in
- Crashes when performing basic actions
- Compatibility problems with newer iPad OS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to enlarge chord symbols
- More time signature options
- Support for MIDI input
- Better Apple Pencil integration
- Autosave and improved file management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fingering Brass free?

Fingering Brass costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fingering Brass or Sibelius?

Fingering Brass is rated higher. Fingering Brass averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Sibelius averages 4.2 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Fingering Brass or Sibelius have ads?

Neither Fingering Brass nor Sibelius shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fingering Brass or Sibelius?

Fingering Brass ships an update every 9 months, and Sibelius every 2 months. Most recently, Fingering Brass was updated on October 29, 2026 and Sibelius on October 29, 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.*