Symphony Pro vs Notation Pad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Symphony Pro
Compose music notation on your iPad with intuitive handwriting recognition or traditional input methods. Create scores for various ensembles, import and export in multiple formats, and utilize a wide range of notational elements. Enjoy built-in instruments for playback and auditioning.
- Handwriting recognition for Apple Pencil and touch
- Compose for various ensembles
- Import/export MusicXML, MIDI, and more
- On-screen instrument input
- Real-time recording and transcription
- Wide range of notational elements
- Print via AirPrint
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Symphony Pro 6 is a complete and intuitive app for writing music notation on iPad. It allows you to compose music for just about any size ensemble, from piano, symphonies, band, lead sheets, chord charts, guitar tabs, and more. Starting Version 5, Symphony Pro now offers handwriting recognition as the only in-app purchase: Perfect with Apple Pencil, and works great with touch or capacitive stylus GETTING STARTED SP provides all of the key options to begin your work. Import a score via MusicXML, MXL, MIDI, or SP file from your computer, or from apps like Dropbox, Mail, iCloud Drive, or Safari. You can base your project on a template, or start a blank score and add additional parts later. EDITING To add notes, choose Pencil mode, and tap anywhere on a bar to begin editing right away. You can quickly specify note properties before or after placing notes. By switching to Select mode with one touch, you can also transpose, erase, cut, and paste multiple notes/tracks. With an on-screen instrument, a QWERTY keyboard, or Core MIDI compatible keyboard, you can quickly enter notes & chords in step entry mode. Record a part in real-time with on-screen instruments to transcribe into notation. Versions 4 & 5 take greater advantage of the iPad touchscreen. With shortcuts and contextual menus to edit note & bar properties, many of the commonly used editing commands are right at your fingertips. SP supports a wide range of notational elements for your composition. Including dynamics & articulations, time & key signature changes, clef changes, pedals, and repeat conventions. Edit chord symbols, lyrics, and annotations using the iPad’s standard keyboard. EXPORT & SHARE When you’re finished, print out your score with AirPrint, or export it as a PDF, MusicXML, AAC, MIDI, or Symphony file. Share files via email or directly to another computer or iPad via Dropbox/iCloud Drive. KEY FEATURES • Introducing Handwriting Recognition for Apple Pencil & touch • Starting Version 5, Handwriting is the only In-App Purchase to enable the complete app • Now download SP on your iPhone • 24+ professionally recorded and sound-designed acoustic instruments, free out of the box Earlier features offered free, to existing & new owners • 114 built-in instruments for playback, and auditioning the notes you entered • Create in standard music notation or tablature • Edit with an on-screen piano, QWERTY keyboard, or a MIDI input device • Dozens of shortcuts & gestures to edit & navigate • Reduce your score size, range, or combination of parts for viewing & editing* • Print directly to AirPrint • Up to 48 instruments, 100 staves, 4 voices/layers per score • Record a part in real-time with clicks at the beat with optional emphasis • Backup & sync your scores with iCloud* • Import MusicXML, MIDI, MXL, or Symphony files • Export as a PDF, MusicXML, MIDI, AAC, or Symphony file • Large selection of articulations & dynamics • Multi-measure rests, including automatic rests • Grace notes • Customizable noteheads & note colors • Chord symbol, lyric, and annotation tools • Edit the properties of multiple notes and rests simultaneously by multi-note select • Copy/Paste function supports partial & multi-bar/staff select • Unlimited undo/redo • Customizable stem directions & note beaming • Transposing & concert pitch score option • Change tempo or clef anywhere in score or bar • Stream audio or share your screen wirelessly with AirPlay • Advanced document management • Create your own custom project template or use a built-in one • Customizable part groupings for SATB and instrument families • Customizable chord symbol, lyric, and annotation font • Loop playback feature • Auto-save support * Previously paid, but now free upgrade in Version 5 For More information, please visit: • http://www.symphonypro.net • http://forums.symphonypro.net • Facebook page at www.facebook.com/symphonyapp • Learn about the iPhone-only app: bit.ly/symphonyiphone
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Notation Pad at Free against Symphony Pro's $14.99. Notation Pad also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (5.3K vs 469). On review sentiment, update cadence, 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
Notation Pad is free to download; Symphony Pro costs $14.99 up front. Symphony Pro sells 2 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.
Notation Pad holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notation Pad has 5.3K ratings behind it against 469, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 56% and 56% positive.
Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, Notation Pad monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Symphony Pro | Notation Pad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (469 ratings) | 4.3 (5.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.7% of reviews | 55.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 469 | 5.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 365 MB | 162 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Xenon Labs, LLC | 嵩 张 |
Customer experience
Symphony Pro
Notation Pad
User reviews
Symphony Pro
From 469 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Handwriting recognition is great
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Flexible for composing and arranging
- 💰 Good value for the price
- 🎹 Works well with Apple Pencil
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Clunky and unintuitive interface
- 🔊 Poor sound quality of instruments
- 🔒 Issues with saving and exporting files
- 🤔 Steep learning curve for some features
Notation Pad
From 5.3K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Symphony Pro
Reported bugs
5 issues- Project menu disappears unexpectedly
- Ties and tuplets not working correctly
- Inconsistent behavior when zooming and panning
- Instruments not transposing properly
- Frequent crashes when editing complex scores
Requested features
5 requests- Add guitar metronome
- Improve text and lyrics handling
- Allow more customization of page layout
- Implement better transposition and chord features
- Provide more orchestral percussion instruments
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
Symphony Pro
- Version 4: Complete Features BundleFree
- Handwriting Recognition Tool$9.99
Notation Pad
- Unlimited Access7 Days trial$6.997 Days
- Unlimited Access Monthly$14.991 Month
- Guitar Instrument Group$0.99
- Ensemble Instrument Group$0.99
- Brass Instrument Group$0.99
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- Reed Instrument Group$0.99
- Pipe Instrument Group$0.99
- Strings Instrument Group$1.99
- All Instruments Pack$4.99
- Extras Package$19.99








