# iWriteMusic SE vs Crescendo Music

The clearest difference is rating: iWriteMusic SE at 4.4 against Crescendo Music's 3.7. iWriteMusic SE also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (57% vs 29%). Crescendo Music's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crescendo Music sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. iWriteMusic SE asks for nothing beyond the download.

iWriteMusic SE holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iWriteMusic SE has 148 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of iWriteMusic SE's written reviews are positive against 29% of Crescendo Music's.

iWriteMusic SE ships an update every 2 weeks, Crescendo Music every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iWriteMusic SE | Crescendo Music |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic-se/id393614358/reviews)** | [3.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crescendo-music/id1641673174/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **148** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **56.8% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 19 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iWriteMusicProject](https://appshunter.io/developer/393551666) | [NCH Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/349888537) |

## What reviewers say

### iWriteMusic SE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic-se/id393614358)

Create professional music notation quickly and easily. Features fast note entry, extensive notation options, and playback for checking your work. Turn your musical ideas into finished scores without a steep learning curve.

**Highlights:** Fast note entry, Extensive notation options, Scores and individual parts, Flexible page layouts, Playback for checking and practice, Intuitive controls

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎼 Comprehensive notation tools and features
- 👍 Intuitive interface for music composition
- 🎵 Wide range of instruments available
- 💾 Easy saving and exporting to PDF
- 🎹 Playback functionality for reviewing compositions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 😤 Difficult and unintuitive note input
- 🔧 Poor user interface design
- 📖 Confusing and poorly organized help documentation
- ⚠️ Inaccurate instrument sound playback

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when adding rests at beginning of measure
- App crashes when adding/removing notation
- App freezes when entering notes on certain pitches
- App randomly quits during composition
- Note placement inaccuracy on iPhone with retina display

**Requested features**

- Auto-save functionality
- MusicXML file transfer support
- Guitar tablature (TAB) notation
- Ability to change time signature mid-composition
- Better grace note controls


### Crescendo Music

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crescendo-music/id1641673174)

Compose and arrange music with a free-form sheet music layout. Easily add notes, change musical elements like key and time signatures, and export your compositions in various formats. Supports VSTi instruments for playback.

**Highlights:** Free-form sheet music layout, Adjust clef, time, and key signatures, Add various note durations and rests, Edit notes with accidentals, slurs, and more, Write guitar tabs and lyrics, Supports VSTi instruments for MIDI playback, Print or save to MIDI, PDF

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Access All Features (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Access Transpose Feature | $2.99 | one-time |
| All Current Features | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iWriteMusic SE free?

iWriteMusic SE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Crescendo Music free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iWriteMusic SE or Crescendo Music?

iWriteMusic SE is rated higher. iWriteMusic SE averages 4.4 out of 5 from 148 ratings, while Crescendo Music averages 3.7 from 15 ratings.

### Do iWriteMusic SE or Crescendo Music have ads?

Neither iWriteMusic SE nor Crescendo Music shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iWriteMusic SE or Crescendo Music?

iWriteMusic SE ships an update every 2 weeks, and Crescendo Music every 5 weeks. Most recently, iWriteMusic SE was updated on November 6, 2026 and Crescendo Music on November 7, 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.*