# iWriteMusic Pro SE vs Notation

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iWriteMusic Pro SE at none against Notation's 2. iWriteMusic Pro SE also leads on ads (none vs shown). Notation's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notation sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. iWriteMusic Pro SE asks for nothing beyond the download.

iWriteMusic Pro SE ships an update every 2 months, Notation weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iWriteMusic Pro SE | Notation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (206 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic-pro-se/id490925777/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **206** | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iWriteMusicProject](https://appshunter.io/developer/393551666) | [凯 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879659677) |

## 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


### Notation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-sheet-music-maker/id6774178274)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription · NotationAI | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Lifetime Access · NotationAI | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iWriteMusic Pro SE free?

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

### Is Notation free?

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

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

Notation shows ads; iWriteMusic Pro SE does not.

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

iWriteMusic Pro SE ships an update every 2 months, and Notation weekly. Most recently, iWriteMusic Pro SE was updated on September 21, 2026 and Notation on September 10, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*