Comparison

Piascore vs Notation Pad

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Piascore

This app digitizes sheet music for musicians, eliminating the need for physical scores. It offers free access to over 130,000 classical pieces and tools for annotation, organization, and playback.

Highlights
  • Digital sheet music reader
  • Free classical score library
  • Annotation tools
  • Smart browsing and page turns
  • Automatic scrolling
  • Metronome and tuner
  • PDF import
Features
Read full description

** More than 7,000,000 musicians around the world use Piascore! ** ** Fully optimized for iPad Pro and iPhone 18! ** Piascore is a digital sheet music reader for iPad and iPhone, made for pianists, guitarists and every other musician who plays from a score. The idea behind it is simple: all the world's sheet music, right there in your hands. It takes on the everyday problems every performer knows too well. No more hauling a bag of heavy binders to rehearsal, and no more digging through piles of paper for the one piece you need. ** Features ** : Annotate freely Six pens, each with its own color, thickness and nib, let you mark up a score exactly as you would on paper. Stamps for dynamics and other symbols, plus text boxes, make annotating quick. : Smart browsing Our own rendering engine gives you page turns among the fastest anywhere. Jump straight to the first or last page, preview a page before you turn to it, and crop pages to enlarge the staves for easier reading. Password-protected PDFs are supported. : Automatic vertical scrolling and half-page turns Let the score scroll by itself and forget about turning pages altogether. The scrolling speed is yours to set. : Over 130,000 classical scores to download for free Piascore connects to IMSLP (the International Music Score Library Project) / Petrucci Music Library, so you can download 131,000 public domain works by 16,200 composers, free of charge. : Plenty of ways to bring in your own scores Piascore reads PDF files. Transfer your own scores over iTunes File Sharing, import them from Dropbox, photograph printed music with the camera, or download a score you found in Safari. : Easy library management Tags and setlists keep even a large library in order, with powerful sorting and keyword search. : Metronome A metronome with a natural, realistic sound to keep your daily practice on track. : Piascore music tools Everything a musician needs beside the score: a keyboard, a chromatic tuner, a music player (iTunes) and a voice recorder. : Custom covers Use a photo or any image you like to give each score its own cover. : Editable table of contents Build your own table of contents, or import one from the PDF. : Reorder pages, jump between them Put the pages in whatever order suits you. For repeats, D.S. and the like, place a jump button on the page and go straight where the music takes you. : Export your scores Print an annotated score over AirPrint, or send it by email. : The Piascore Store Classical works, folk songs and easy arrangements, all in one store. Search by genre or by artist and find that piece you have been looking for. : Air Page Turning (iPhone required) Pair an iPhone running the companion app "Piascore Air" and turn pages more easily than ever, without touching the screen at all. : AirTurn Bluetooth pedal support Connect an AirTurn pedal and turn pages with your foot. ** Praise ** "This is a sheet music viewer that is genuinely worth having" - GRAMOPHONE "Very easy to use, a beautiful sound library" - appPicker "The most wonderful and convenient music sheet viewer you can't miss!" - Best10Apps.com "Impressed with the outstanding visibility!" - AppBank ** Award ** : 2011 International Business Awards - Consumer Entertainment / Information (Distinguished Honoree) : 2012 4th SF NewTech Japan Night Winner ** FAQ ** : https://help.piascore.com/ ** Contact ** : https://piascore.com/ : support@piascore.com

About

Notation Pad

Create, edit, and play sheet music with this comprehensive notation editor. Compose original pieces, transcribe existing music, and even collaborate in real-time. Ideal for musicians of all levels, from beginners learning notes to experienced composers.

Highlights
  • Real-time collaborative editing
  • MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF export
  • High-quality playback sound
  • Support for up to 8 staves
  • Over 100 instrument sounds
  • Lyric editing
  • Multi-voice support
Features
Read full description

A sheet music creator and music notation editor on iOS. For any music lover or composer, Notation Pad gives you the ability to read, compose, edit, playback music scores and write lyrics. With it you can be a talented composer and great sheet music maker anywhere. As long as you have a little knowledge of sheet music, you can write music composition simply by touching and moving. You could use it as your songbook or scoresheet. It is also designed for a beginner who wants to learn music score, music notes and tablature. It can handle ensemble, choir or symphony score, also it supports for a single track piano score. With the help of it you could easily record the flashes of inspiration wherever they strike. Are you ready to compose music in a simple way? ----------------------- Features: -Realtime multi-person collaborative editing via SharePlay. -Export/Import the industry-popular MusicXML file format, allowing for exchanging sheet music with other software (Finale, Sibelius, Encore, MuseScore, etc). -Export MIDI file. -Export PNG image and PDF document. -High quality sound for playback. -Support editing up to 8 staff at the same time. -Support over 100 kinds of musical instrument. Piano, organ, guitar, violin, sax, flute, brass, bass, etc. -Support multi-voice. -A great lyric app. ----------------------- Supported notation: *A variety of music note types, from whole note to 128th note and dotted note *Chord, staff, track *Treble, alto and bass clef *Edit lyrics *A variety of time signatures *All standard key signatures *Adjustable tempo *All accidentals (sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and naturals) *Tie, slur, and tuplet *Many types of ornament *A wide range of dynamics ----------------------- UNLIMITED ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION - Support up to 8 staff - Config parts(add, delete, reorder) - Change key for each part - Change beat type and tempo - Config clef for each staff - Config sound for each part - No watermark image export - No Ads - Support 2nd voice part - Transpose instruments - Pickup bar - Import data file - Edit downloaded music score - Unlock all 100+ instruments - The subscription is $6.99 weekly with trial - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable - Terms of use: https://service.notationpad.com/terms_service.html

Screenshots

Piascore4 screens
Notation Pad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Piascore at free with in-app purchases against Notation Pad's subscription. Piascore also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 56%) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Notation Pad's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Piascore sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Notation Pad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Piascore holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 5.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Piascore's written reviews are positive against 56% of Notation Pad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Piascore ships an update weekly, Notation Pad monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Piascore versus Notation Pad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPiascoreNotation Pad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.9K ratings) — better4.3 (5.3K ratings)
Positive reviews81.6% of reviews — better55.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K5.3K — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB162 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPiascore, Inc.嵩 张

Customer experience

Piascore

All ratings1,927 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.4%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews1,381 reviews
Positive81.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative11.9%

Notation Pad

All ratings5,264 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral5.7%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews465 reviews
Positive55.9%
Neutral8.6%
Negative35.5%

User reviews

Piascore

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Convenient digital sheet music management
  • 💡 Useful features like annotation, metronome, and tuner
  • 👍 Seamless integration with cloud storage
  • 👍 Affordable paid version with additional functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🔒 Concerns about syncing and backup capabilities
  • 👎 Limitations in editing and organizing sheet music

Notation Pad

From 5.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🎼 Good for basic music notation
  • 🎹 Helpful for piano/keyboard players

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Many features locked behind paywall
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
  • 📱 Limited functionality compared to desktop apps
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find features

Bugs and requests

Piascore

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unreliable facial gesture page turning
  • Issues with downloading and importing files
  • Inconsistent behavior when making edits

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to add/insert pages to existing scores
  • More customization options for annotations and page turning
  • Improved syncing across devices
  • Better support for guitar tablature and chord charts

Notation Pad

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription popup that cannot be closed
  • Instruments turning into drums unexpectedly
  • Inability to delete or modify certain elements

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more instrument options
  • Improve editing capabilities
  • Allow changing key signatures and time signatures without premium
  • Provide better tutorials and documentation
  • Fix issues with note placement and playback

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Piascore

One-time9
  • Music Sheet$0.99
  • Music Sheet$1.99
  • Music Sheet$2.99
Show 6 more
  • Music Sheet$3.99
  • Music Sheet$4.99
  • Piascore Full Upgrading$5.99
  • Music Sheet$5.99
  • Music Sheet$6.99
  • Music Sheet2 variants$9.99
10 purchases

Notation Pad

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Access7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access Monthly$14.991 Month
One-time8
  • Guitar Instrument Group$0.99
  • Ensemble Instrument Group$0.99
  • Brass Instrument Group$0.99
Show 5 more
  • Reed Instrument Group$0.99
  • Pipe Instrument Group$0.99
  • Strings Instrument Group$1.99
  • All Instruments Pack$4.99
  • Extras Package$19.99

Questions

Is Piascore free?
Piascore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notation Pad free?
Notation Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Piascore or Notation Pad?
Piascore is rated higher. Piascore averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Notation Pad averages 4.3 from 5.3K ratings.
Do Piascore or Notation Pad have ads?
Neither Piascore nor Notation Pad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Piascore or Notation Pad?
Piascore ships an update weekly, and Notation Pad monthly. Most recently, Piascore was updated on November 6, 2026 and Notation Pad on November 6, 2026.

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