# iWriteMusic vs Maestro

The clearest difference is price: Maestro at Free against iWriteMusic's $9.99. Maestro also leads on device support (3 vs 1). iWriteMusic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On review sentiment, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Maestro is free to download; iWriteMusic costs $9.99 up front. iWriteMusic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Maestro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iWriteMusic holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 181 and 283 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 73% and 73% positive.

iWriteMusic ships an update every 4 weeks, Maestro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iWriteMusic | Maestro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (181 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic/id393624808/reviews)** | [4.3 (283 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro-music-composer/id1579863714/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 181 | **283** |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | **73.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iWriteMusicProject](https://appshunter.io/developer/393551666) | [Future Sculptor Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579863716) |

## What reviewers say

### iWriteMusic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic/id393624808)

Create professional-quality sheet music efficiently on your smartphone. This app offers an intuitive interface and a powerful input system designed for small screens, making music notation accessible for musicians of all levels. Share your compositions as PDFs, JPGs, or MIDI files.

**Highlights:** Intuitive and simple user interface, Efficient One-Flick Entry System, Professional quality sheet music creation, Supports major notation elements, Useful playback options, Export to PDF, JPG, and MIDI

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced File Management | $0.99 | one-time |


### Maestro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maestro-music-composer/id1579863714)

Compose music quickly and easily with a comprehensive set of tools for writing musical notations, including notes, chords, articulations, and accidentals. Supports over 100 instruments for playback and allows export to image and audio files.

**Highlights:** Write musical notations, Supports over 100 instruments, Unlimited staves and music length, Export to image and audio files, Write lyrics and chord texts, Change clef, tempo, and key signature

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Free Licence & Tickets | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for quick music writing
- 💡 Ability to post sheet music for others to listen
- 🎨 Versatile and entertaining

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (app crashes, playback issues, export problems)
- 🎚️ Limited rhythmic flexibility (no swing, limited tuplets)
- 🎹 Subpar sound quality for some instruments
- 💤 Lack of advanced features (dynamics, articulations, tempo changes)

**Reported bugs**

- Beam note function not working
- Playback cursor glitches when using short note setting
- Unable to save or export compositions in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add more percussion instruments (e.g., cymbals, snare, tambourine)
- Implement swing rhythm and advanced tuplets
- Allow multiple articulations on a single note
- Add support for grace notes and pedal effects
- Improve MIDI export and import functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iWriteMusic free?

iWriteMusic costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Maestro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iWriteMusic or Maestro?

iWriteMusic is rated higher. iWriteMusic averages 4.5 out of 5 from 181 ratings, while Maestro averages 4.3 from 283 ratings.

### Do iWriteMusic or Maestro have ads?

Maestro shows ads; iWriteMusic does not.

### Which is updated more often, iWriteMusic or Maestro?

iWriteMusic ships an update every 4 weeks, and Maestro every 2 months. Most recently, iWriteMusic was updated on October 29, 2026 and Maestro on October 30, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*