# Piascore vs Notation Pad

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.

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.

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.

Piascore ships an update weekly, Notation Pad monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piascore | Notation Pad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piascore-sheet-music-reader/id406141702/reviews)** | [4.3 (5.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-sheet-music-score/id1091921942/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.9K | **5.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **81.6% of reviews** | 55.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 77 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Piascore, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406133802) | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) |

## What reviewers say

### Piascore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piascore-sheet-music-reader/id406141702)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Music Sheet | $0.99 | one-time |
| Music Sheet | $1.99 | one-time |
| Music Sheet | $2.99 | one-time |
| Music Sheet | $3.99 | one-time |
| Music Sheet | $4.99 | one-time |
| Piascore Full Upgrading | $5.99 | one-time |
| Music Sheet | $5.99 | one-time |
| Music Sheet | $6.99 | one-time |
| Music Sheet | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-sheet-music-score/id1091921942)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Access Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Guitar Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ensemble Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Brass Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Reed Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pipe Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Strings Instrument Group | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Instruments Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Extras Package | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 7, 2026 and Notation Pad on November 6, 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.*