Symphony Pro vs Sheet Music Maker & Scanner
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
Sheet Music Maker & Scanner
Create, edit, and perform music with this comprehensive notation editor and digital music stand. It offers features for writing scores, playback with realistic instruments, PDF import, annotation, and practice tools like a metronome and tuner.
- Write scores from scratch or templates
- Realistic playback with multiple instruments
- Import and scan PDF sheet music
- Annotate with Apple Pencil or finger
- Hands-free page turns
- Metronome and chromatic tuner
- AI lyric assistance
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Write it. Hear it. Mark it up. Play it. Sheet Music is a notation editor, a digital music stand and a practice room in one app for iPad and iPhone, made for pianists, singers, guitarists, students and teachers. Leave the binders at home. Open your PDF sheet music or write a score from scratch, hear every part, practice at your own pace and walk on stage with hands-free page turns. WRITE SCORES • Start from a blank score, from Piano Solo to Full Orchestra, from more than 150 public-domain examples or from a MusicXML file made in another notation app • Enter notes from the palette, drag symbols onto the staff, use keyboard shortcuts, the on-screen piano or a USB or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard • Add slurs, tuplets, grace notes, dynamics, articulations, ornaments, lyrics, chord symbols, repeats and endings • Transpose by key or interval, view single parts and rearrange instruments HEAR EVERY NOTE • A grand piano recorded at 16 dynamic levels, plus strings, brass, flute, harp and drums • Playback follows dynamics, pedaling, ornaments, tempo changes and repeats, and highlights each part in its own color • Balance the parts in the Mixer, loop a passage, add a count-in or a metronome • Turn on Wait for Me and the score waits until you play each note • Pages turn ahead of the music, so you never lose the first notes of a new page READ PDF SHEET MUSIC • Import PDFs from the Files app or any other app, or scan paper music with your camera • View one page, two pages side by side or a continuous scroll, or invert the page colors for dark stages • Rearrange pages, add bookmarks and search long books MARK UP YOUR PART • Annotate with Apple Pencil or your finger: pens, highlighters, text and shapes • Stamp notes, rests, accidentals, dynamics and bowings from Music Symbols; notes snap onto the staff • Record yourself as you play and keep the take with the score PERFORM WITH CONFIDENCE • Performance Mode shows your music full screen • Turn pages with a tap, a keyboard or a Bluetooth page-turner pedal • Half-page turns show what comes next before you reach it • Add jumps for repeats, D.S. and Coda so the right page is always waiting PRACTICE SMARTER • Metronome with tap tempo and a chromatic tuner • Play-along track: add a recording, loop a passage and slow it down without changing the pitch • The Practice Log shows the time you spend with each score WRITE SONGS • ChordPro chord sheets with chord diagrams, transposition, capo and auto-scroll for the stage • Find rhymes and count the syllables of every lyric line • Ask the AI Assistant for ideas, or to rewrite, correct or translate your lyrics STAFF PAPER • More than 200 templates: staff paper, piano, voice and choir, guitar tab, band and orchestra, music theory • Or design your own with the clef, staff size, layout and number of staves you need ORGANIZE AND SHARE • Folders and search keep your library in order; iCloud syncs it across your devices • Export audio, MIDI, MusicXML or PDF, print, and open MIDI files as editable scores • Share your music with your band, choir or students From the first idea to the final bow, Sheet Music keeps all your music in one place. Privacy Policy http://www.noteswriter.com/Kairoos_Privacy_Policy.html EULA https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Sheet Music Maker & Scanner at Free against Symphony Pro's $14.99. Sheet Music Maker & Scanner also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks). Symphony Pro's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 2.6) and ratings volume (474 vs 5). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Sheet Music Maker & Scanner is free to download; Symphony Pro costs $14.99 up front. Symphony Pro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Sheet Music Maker & Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Symphony Pro holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symphony Pro has 474 ratings behind it against 5, 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 33% of Sheet Music Maker & Scanner's.
Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, Sheet Music Maker & Scanner every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Symphony Pro | Sheet Music Maker & Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (474 ratings) — better | 2.6 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 474 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 365 MB | 527 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Xenon Labs, LLC | Kairoos Solutions SL |
Customer experience
Symphony Pro
Sheet Music Maker & Scanner
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
Sheet Music Maker & Scanner
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Symphony Pro
- Version 4: Complete Features BundleFree
- Handwriting Recognition Tool$9.99
Sheet Music Maker & Scanner
- Sheet Music Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Sheet Music Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Full Pro Unlock$14.99
Questions
Is Symphony Pro free?
Is Sheet Music Maker & Scanner free?
Which has better reviews, Symphony Pro or Sheet Music Maker & Scanner?
Do Symphony Pro or Sheet Music Maker & Scanner have ads?
Which is updated more often, Symphony Pro or Sheet Music Maker & Scanner?
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