# iWriteMusic SE vs CalmusNotation

iWriteMusic SE and CalmusNotation both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 57% of iWriteMusic SE's written reviews are positive against 0% of CalmusNotation's. iWriteMusic SE also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (148 vs 5). CalmusNotation's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for iWriteMusic SE against 4.4 for CalmusNotation. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iWriteMusic SE has 148 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of iWriteMusic SE's written reviews are positive against 0% of CalmusNotation's.

iWriteMusic SE ships an update every 2 weeks, CalmusNotation every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iWriteMusic SE | CalmusNotation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic-se/id393614358/reviews) | [4.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmusnotation/id993026661/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **148** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **56.8% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 19 MB | 294 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iWriteMusicProject](https://appshunter.io/developer/393551666) | [Erki-tonlist sf](https://appshunter.io/developer/929321904) |

## 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


### CalmusNotation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmusnotation/id993026661)

Create and visualize musical compositions using AI-powered graphical notation. This app leverages advanced AI, inspired by NASA's Lisp programming, to generate original music based on user input and can display music from other compatible apps for live performance.

**Highlights:** AI-powered music composition, Graphical notation display, Real-time performance visualization, Lisp-based AI engine, User input-driven music creation, Integration with CalmusComposer and CalmusPlay

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iWriteMusic SE free?

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

### Is CalmusNotation free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iWriteMusic SE or CalmusNotation?

iWriteMusic SE and CalmusNotation are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 148 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do iWriteMusic SE or CalmusNotation have ads?

Neither iWriteMusic SE nor CalmusNotation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iWriteMusic SE or CalmusNotation?

iWriteMusic SE ships an update every 2 weeks, and CalmusNotation every 4 months. Most recently, iWriteMusic SE was updated on November 8, 2026 and CalmusNotation on November 1, 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.*