# iWriteMusic vs Notion

The clearest difference is price: Notion at Free against iWriteMusic's $9.99. Notion also leads on device support (4 vs 1). iWriteMusic's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (73% vs 42%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Notion is free to download; iWriteMusic costs $9.99 up front. iWriteMusic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Notion sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iWriteMusic holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 181 and 72 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of iWriteMusic's written reviews are positive against 42% of Notion's.

iWriteMusic ships an update every 5 weeks, Notion every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iWriteMusic | Notion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (181 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic/id393624808/reviews)** | [3.1 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notion-music-notation-and-tab/id475820434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **181** | 72 |
| Positive reviews | **73.2% of reviews** | 42.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#172** | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 146 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kazuo Nakamura](https://appshunter.io/developer/393551666) | [Fender Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1107017949) |

## What reviewers say

### iWriteMusic

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

**Currently charting:** #172 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

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 |


### Notion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notion-music-notation-and-tab/id475820434)

Create dynamic musical compositions using traditional notation or guitar tablature. This app offers an intuitive touch-based interface, realistic playback with orchestral samples, and cross-platform syncing. Share or export your creations in various formats.

**Highlights:** Traditional musical notation, Guitar tablature, Intuitive touch interface, Realistic audio playback, Cross-platform syncing, Multiple export formats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Classical guitar | $0.99 | one-time |
| Harp | $0.99 | one-time |
| Jazz Alto Sax | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vibraphone | $0.99 | one-time |
| Marimba | $0.99 | one-time |
| Jazz Bass | $0.99 | one-time |
| Percussion Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Handwriting | $7.99 | one-time |
| Feature Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| All Sounds Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great sound quality and instrument samples
- 💡 Handwriting recognition feature
- 🔗 Seamless integration with desktop version
- 👍 Useful for composing on the go

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔀 Inconsistent and buggy note/chord entry
- 💸 Expensive in-app purchases for full functionality
- 🤔 Unintuitive interface and steep learning curve
- 🔍 Poor documentation and support

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to change key signatures mid-piece
- Incorrect transposition of notes and chords
- Text formatting and positioning issues
- Unreliable MIDI file import/export
- Playback distortion and timing issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize note beaming and stem direction
- Option to display note letter names
- Improved handwriting recognition for complex rhythms
- Folder organization for better file management
- Keyboard shortcuts for power users


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iWriteMusic free?

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

### Is Notion free?

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

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

iWriteMusic is rated higher. iWriteMusic averages 4.5 out of 5 from 181 ratings, while Notion averages 3.1 from 72 ratings.

### Do iWriteMusic or Notion have ads?

Neither iWriteMusic nor Notion shows ads.

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

iWriteMusic ships an update every 5 weeks, and Notion every 6 weeks. Most recently, iWriteMusic was updated on October 20, 2026 and Notion on October 22, 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.*