# Symphony Pro vs Sheet Music Maker & Scanner

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Symphony Pro | Sheet Music Maker & Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (474 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symphony-pro-music-notation/id412380315/reviews)** | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheet-music-maker-and-scanner/id6471382037/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **474** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **55.9% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 365 MB | 527 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.5** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xenon Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/327764518) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## 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


### Sheet Music Maker & Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheet-music-maker-and-scanner/id6471382037)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sheet Music Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Sheet Music Annual | $14.99 | per year |
| Full Pro Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Symphony Pro free?

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

### Is Sheet Music Maker & Scanner free?

Sheet Music Maker & Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Symphony Pro or Sheet Music Maker & Scanner?

Symphony Pro is rated higher. Symphony Pro averages 3.8 out of 5 from 474 ratings, while Sheet Music Maker & Scanner averages 2.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do Symphony Pro or Sheet Music Maker & Scanner have ads?

Neither Symphony Pro nor Sheet Music Maker & Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Symphony Pro or Sheet Music Maker & Scanner?

Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, and Sheet Music Maker & Scanner every 9 days. Most recently, Symphony Pro was updated on November 10, 2026 and Sheet Music Maker & Scanner on November 12, 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.*