Symphony Pro vs iWriteMusic Pro
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
iWriteMusic Pro
Create beautiful, professional-quality sheet music with an intuitive interface. This app offers efficient input systems, comprehensive notation tools, and useful playback options for musicians of all levels. Easily share your compositions as PDFs, JPGs, or MIDI files.
- Intuitive and simple user interface
- Efficient One-Flick and Traditional Entry Systems
- Professional quality sheet music creation
- Comprehensive notation element support
- Useful playback options with mixer
- Export to PDF, JPG, and MIDI
- Easy score and parts management
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Less learning. More music. Professional notation without the lengthly learning process. Whether you are capturing a musical idea, preparing lesson material or a lead sheet, or completing a large score, iWriteMusic helps you turn inspiration into finished notation efficiently. 7 reasons to choose iWriteMusic. 1. Easy to master. Essential controls are organized clearly, so even if notation apps are new to you, you can get started without relying on a thick manual or a long series of tutorial videos. 2. Enter notes faster, your way. With OneFlick, you can combine choices such as pitch and note value into a single gesture. Traditional Entry lets you choose the notation item and its position separately. Use either method to match the task and the way you prefer to work. 3. Create polished, professional scores. Flexible page-layout tools help you prepare music for practice, lessons, rehearsals, performance, and distribution. Create individual parts from a score and print directly with AirPrint. 4. Use the notation your music requires. Create multi-track, multi-voice scores with lyrics, chord symbols, percussion, drum notation, and multi-bar rests. Add key, time, clef, and tempo changes within a piece, along with grace notes, articulations, dynamics, and full or partial transposition. 5. Keep scores and parts organized. Manage scores and their individual parts together, and use folders to organize a growing collection of compositions and teaching materials. 6. Listen, check, and practice. Play your score while you work. Use the mixer, solo, mute, instrument selection, loop playback, and swing playback to check your music or support daily practice. 7. Export and share for any purpose. Export PDF, image, Standard MIDI, MusicXML, and audio files (WAV). Share editable iWriteMusic files and continue working on another device. For composers, arrangers, songwriters, music teachers, students, singers, and instrumentalists. Use iWriteMusic for musical sketches, lead sheets, chord charts, lesson materials, choral and ensemble scores, chamber music, band music, orchestral scores, and individual parts. iWriteMusic is free to download. Some features require one-time in-app purchases.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: iWriteMusic Pro at Free against Symphony Pro's $14.99. iWriteMusic Pro also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (75% vs 56%). Symphony Pro's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.5 vs 16.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
iWriteMusic Pro is free to download; Symphony Pro costs $14.99 up front. Symphony Pro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and iWriteMusic Pro sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
iWriteMusic Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 474 and 534 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Symphony Pro's written reviews are positive against 75% of iWriteMusic Pro's.
Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, iWriteMusic Pro every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.
| Parameter | Symphony Pro | iWriteMusic Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (474 ratings) | 4.7 (534 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews | 74.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 474 | 534 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 365 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Xenon Labs, LLC | iWriteMusicProject |
Customer experience
Symphony Pro
iWriteMusic Pro
User reviews
Symphony Pro
From 474 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
iWriteMusic Pro
From 534 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Useful features for composing and arranging
- 👍 Good value for the price
- 🚀 Responsive customer support
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Stability issues after updates
- 🐛 Unreliable playback and MIDI export
- 🔒 Lack of file management options
- 💡 Limited notation options (e.g. dynamics, articulations)
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
iWriteMusic Pro
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to save or export files after iOS 7 update
- Crashing when editing certain notation elements
- Playback issues with repeat signs and tempo changes
Requested features
5 requests- MusicXML import/export support
- Ability to change note sizes and fonts
- More time signature options
- Improved copy/paste functionality
- Folder organization for saved files
In-app purchases
Symphony Pro
- Version 4: Complete Features BundleFree
- Handwriting Recognition Tool$9.99
iWriteMusic Pro
- Advanced File Management$0.99
- Audio Export$0.99
- MIDI Export$0.99
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- MusicXML Export$0.99
- Basic Features$12.99
Questions
Is Symphony Pro free?
Is iWriteMusic Pro free?
Which has better reviews, Symphony Pro or iWriteMusic Pro?
Do Symphony Pro or iWriteMusic Pro have ads?
Which is updated more often, Symphony Pro or iWriteMusic Pro?
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