# iWriteMusic Pro SE vs Staventabs

The clearest difference is rating: iWriteMusic Pro SE at 4.5 against Staventabs's 3.8. iWriteMusic Pro SE also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Staventabs's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 53%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Staventabs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. iWriteMusic Pro SE asks for nothing beyond the download.

iWriteMusic Pro SE holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 207 and 71 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of iWriteMusic Pro SE's written reviews are positive against 65% of Staventabs's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iWriteMusic Pro SE ships an update every 4 weeks, Staventabs every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | iWriteMusic Pro SE | Staventabs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (207 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwritemusic-pro-se/id490925777/reviews)** | [3.8 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **207** | 71 |
| Positive reviews | 53.2% of reviews | **64.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iWriteMusicProject](https://appshunter.io/developer/393551666) | [Ivan Korovin](https://appshunter.io/developer/937929054) |

## 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


### Staventabs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539)

Compose and edit musical scores and tablature with a user-friendly interface. Create new pieces from scratch or templates, input notes intuitively, and enhance your compositions with advanced editing tools. Practice your songs with playback and metronome features, and manage your projects seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Score and tablature editing, Intuitive note input, Virtual piano and fingerboard, Instrument previews, Playback and metronome, AI-powered scale suggestions, MIDI and MusicXML import/export

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced composing | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited projects | $10.99 | one-time |
| Additional instruments | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient music notation
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🎨 Customizable chord diagrams
- 💾 Supports multiple file formats
- 🎶 Realistic instrument sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Paywall for basic features
- 🔀 Inconsistent note/chord handling
- 🔍 Unclear documentation
- 🔊 Lagging playback

**Reported bugs**

- Imported MIDI files lose instrument assignments
- Disappearing projects after updates
- Inability to adjust note lengths in piano roll
- Metronome not audible over instrument playback

**Requested features**

- Add support for grace notes and ornaments
- Implement repeat/coda symbols
- Allow custom font and layout options
- Integrate MIDI input and output
- Improve chord recognition accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iWriteMusic Pro SE free?

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

### Is Staventabs free?

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

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

iWriteMusic Pro SE is rated higher. iWriteMusic Pro SE averages 4.5 out of 5 from 207 ratings, while Staventabs averages 3.8 from 71 ratings.

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

Neither iWriteMusic Pro SE nor Staventabs shows ads.

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

iWriteMusic Pro SE ships an update every 4 weeks, and Staventabs every 3 weeks. Most recently, iWriteMusic Pro SE was updated on October 26, 2026 and Staventabs on October 26, 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.*