# Symphony Pro vs Onyx

The clearest difference is price: Onyx at $0.99 against Symphony Pro's $14.99. Onyx also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.2 vs 3.8). Symphony Pro's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (474 vs 70). On review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Symphony Pro costs $14.99 and Onyx $0.99 up front. Symphony Pro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Onyx asks for nothing beyond the download.

Onyx holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symphony Pro has 474 ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Symphony Pro's written reviews are positive against 62% of Onyx's.

Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, Onyx every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Symphony Pro | Onyx |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | [3.8 (474 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symphony-pro-music-notation/id412380315/reviews) | **[4.2 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onyx-pitch-pipe/id464787055/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **474** | 70 |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews | **62.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 365 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xenon Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/327764518) | [forScore LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/797590287) |

## What reviewers say

### Symphony Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symphony-pro-music-notation/id412380315)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Version 4: Complete Features Bundle | Free | one-time |
| Handwriting Recognition Tool | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Handwriting recognition is great
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Flexible for composing and arranging
- 💰 Good value for the price
- 🎹 Works well with Apple Pencil

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Clunky and unintuitive interface
- 🔊 Poor sound quality of instruments
- 🔒 Issues with saving and exporting files
- 🤔 Steep learning curve for some features

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Onyx

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onyx-pitch-pipe/id464787055)

This app provides a versatile pitch pipe with a three-octave range and multiple sound options, including piano, clarinet, strings, horns, and a custom sine wave generator. It offers continuous playback and fine-tuning capabilities for accurate tuning.

**Highlights:** Three-octave range, Multiple sound options (piano, clarinet, strings, horns), Custom sine wave generator, Continuous playback mode, Adjustable tuning frequency, Interactive widget and watch app support

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Symphony Pro free?

Symphony Pro costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Onyx free?

Onyx costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Symphony Pro or Onyx?

Onyx is rated higher. Symphony Pro averages 3.8 out of 5 from 474 ratings, while Onyx averages 4.2 from 70 ratings.

### Do Symphony Pro or Onyx have ads?

Neither Symphony Pro nor Onyx shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Symphony Pro or Onyx?

Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, and Onyx every 5 months. Most recently, Symphony Pro was updated on November 1, 2026 and Onyx on November 1, 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.*