# Symphony Pro vs Notion

The clearest difference is price: Notion at Free against Symphony Pro's $14.99. Symphony Pro's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (56% vs 42%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Notion is free to download; Symphony Pro costs $14.99 up front. Symphony Pro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Notion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Symphony Pro holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symphony Pro has 474 ratings behind it against 71, 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 42% of Notion's.

Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, Notion every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Symphony Pro | Notion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (474 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symphony-pro-music-notation/id412380315/reviews)** | [3.1 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notion-music-notation-and-tab/id475820434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **474** | 71 |
| Positive reviews | **55.9% of reviews** | 42.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 365 MB | 146 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.5** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xenon Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/327764518) | [Fender Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1107017949) |

## 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


### Notion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notion-music-notation-and-tab/id475820434)

Create dynamic musical compositions using traditional notation or guitar tablature. This app offers an intuitive touch-based interface, realistic playback with orchestral samples, and cross-platform syncing. Share or export your creations in various formats.

**Highlights:** Traditional musical notation, Guitar tablature, Intuitive touch interface, Realistic audio playback, Cross-platform syncing, Multiple export formats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feature Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great sound quality and instrument samples
- 💡 Handwriting recognition feature
- 🔗 Seamless integration with desktop version
- 👍 Useful for composing on the go

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔀 Inconsistent and buggy note/chord entry
- 💸 Expensive in-app purchases for full functionality
- 🤔 Unintuitive interface and steep learning curve
- 🔍 Poor documentation and support

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to change key signatures mid-piece
- Incorrect transposition of notes and chords
- Text formatting and positioning issues
- Unreliable MIDI file import/export
- Playback distortion and timing issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize note beaming and stem direction
- Option to display note letter names
- Improved handwriting recognition for complex rhythms
- Folder organization for better file management
- Keyboard shortcuts for power users


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Symphony Pro free?

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

### Is Notion free?

Notion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Symphony Pro is rated higher. Symphony Pro averages 3.8 out of 5 from 474 ratings, while Notion averages 3.1 from 71 ratings.

### Do Symphony Pro or Notion have ads?

Neither Symphony Pro nor Notion shows ads.

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

Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, and Notion every 6 weeks. Most recently, Symphony Pro was updated on November 1, 2026 and Notion on November 3, 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.*