# iWriteMusic Pro SE vs Prelude

The clearest difference is rating: iWriteMusic Pro SE at 4.5 against Prelude's 3.0. iWriteMusic Pro SE also leads on review sentiment (53% vs 17%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Prelude's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Prelude sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iWriteMusic Pro SE asks for nothing beyond the download.

iWriteMusic Pro SE holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iWriteMusic Pro SE has 207 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of iWriteMusic Pro SE's written reviews are positive against 17% of Prelude's.

iWriteMusic Pro SE ships an update every 4 weeks, Prelude every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | iWriteMusic Pro SE | Prelude |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (207 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic-pro-se/id490925777/reviews)** | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prelude-score-editor/id620817095/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **207** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **53.2% of reviews** | 17.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iWriteMusicProject](https://appshunter.io/developer/393551666) | [Felipe Braunger Valio Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda](https://appshunter.io/developer/615749291) |

## What reviewers say

### iWriteMusic Pro SE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic-pro-se/id490925777)

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.

**Highlights:** Intuitive user interface, Efficient input systems (One-Flick & Traditional), Professional quality sheet music, Comprehensive notation elements, Useful playback options, Export to PDF, JPG, and MIDI

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful for music writing
- 👍 Useful for music teachers
- 🚀 Functional free version
- 👍 Good for small-scale composition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔧 Unintuitive interface
- 🔧 Difficult to navigate
- 🐛 Playback issues
- 🔧 Fiddly note placement

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect transposition of notes
- Inability to save compositions
- Overlapping/unreadable menu text
- Freezing when trying to copy/paste
- Inconsistent behavior when adding new measures

**Requested features**

- Add more music notation options (e.g. glissando, ghost notes)
- Improve playback to follow dynamics and expressions
- Allow multiple key signatures in the same piece
- Provide an undo/redo function
- Implement a chord entry mode for guitarists


### Prelude

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prelude-score-editor/id620817095)

Create and edit sheet music on your iPhone or iPad with a redesigned, modern interface. This intuitive score editor allows for quick composition anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Score editor, Sheet music viewer, Create custom scores, Intuitive interface, Mobile composition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extended Version | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Simple interface
- 💡 Good for basic notation
- 💡 Potential for improvement
- 💡 Useful for teaching
- 💡 Easy to write notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🐛 Incorrect playback
- 🐛 Difficult editing
- 🐛 Limited features
- 🐛 Unintuitive controls

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Playback is incorrect (wrong notes, wrong rhythms)
- Notes don't line up correctly
- Accidentals are placed incorrectly
- Key signatures are incorrect

**Requested features**

- Add repeat signs
- Add ledger lines
- Add words to music
- Add slurs and ties
- Add beams for notes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iWriteMusic Pro SE free?

iWriteMusic Pro SE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Prelude free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iWriteMusic Pro SE or Prelude?

iWriteMusic Pro SE is rated higher. iWriteMusic Pro SE averages 4.5 out of 5 from 207 ratings, while Prelude averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do iWriteMusic Pro SE or Prelude have ads?

Neither iWriteMusic Pro SE nor Prelude shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iWriteMusic Pro SE or Prelude?

iWriteMusic Pro SE ships an update every 4 weeks, and Prelude every 9 days. Most recently, iWriteMusic Pro SE was updated on October 29, 2026 and Prelude on October 29, 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.*