Symphony Pro vs forScore Cue
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
forScore Cue
This app allows you to remotely control another device running a music score application. You can turn pages, navigate between songs, and even view the screen of the controlled device. It's ideal for musicians who need to manage their scores hands-free during performances.
- Remote page turning
- Navigate between scores
- Scroll up/down
- Toggle half-page turns
- View controlled device screen
- Dual Page mode for two-page display
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Remotely control forScore with Cue! Connect wirelessly to one or more nearby devices using forScore and you’ll be able to turn pages, go to a specific page, scroll up and down or toggle half-page turns (depending on each device’s layout), and navigate to any score that’s present on all connected devices. You can even view a device’s screen* to follow along as they play! Cue works with forScore 6.1 or later (sold separately). With Dual Page mode, you can use forScore on one device and Cue on another device to display two full-sized pages simultaneously. Your page and its annotations are sent wirelessly, and tapping or swiping on either device turns two pages at a time—just like a book. Dual Page mode even supports links and buttons, so you can tap on them no matter which side they’re on and they’ll work just like you expect. Cue now even includes a free watchOS app so you can use your Apple Watch as a Bluetooth page turner. Choose from four different button layouts and enable “watch remote” support in forScore’s Devices panel to get started (requires forScore 15.2 or later). Visit forScore.co/cue to learn more! *Performance can vary greatly based on settings, environmental factors, and network availability. A wifi connection is strongly recommended. Image quality can be adjusted in the Settings app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: forScore Cue at $4.99 against Symphony Pro's $14.99. forScore Cue 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 review sentiment (56% vs 30%). On ads 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
Symphony Pro costs $14.99 and forScore Cue $4.99 up front. Symphony Pro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. forScore Cue asks for nothing beyond the download.
forScore Cue 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 89, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Symphony Pro's written reviews are positive against 30% of forScore Cue's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, forScore Cue every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Symphony Pro | forScore Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (474 ratings) | 4.2 (89 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews — better | 30.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 474 — better | 89 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #114 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 365 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Xenon Labs, LLC | forScore LLC |
Customer experience
Symphony Pro
forScore Cue
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
forScore Cue
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Symphony Pro
- Version 4: Complete Features BundleFree
- Handwriting Recognition Tool$9.99
forScore Cue
No in-app purchases









