Comparison

Reflow vs Prelude

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Reflow

Create, edit, and share musical scores and guitar tablature. Supports multiple instruments, realistic playback, and import/export of various file formats. Ideal for songwriters and musicians looking to compose and practice.

Highlights
  • Tablature and notation editor
  • Import Guitar Pro and MIDI files
  • Realistic instrument playback
  • Instant web sharing
  • Multi-track scores
  • Chord diagrams
  • Edit while playing
Features
Read full description

Reflow is a tablature and notation editor for guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals. Write tabs, compose songs, import Guitar Pro and MIDI files, and hear everything played back with realistic instruments. Trusted by thousands of musicians for over a decade. Instant Web Share - Share any score as a web link — one tap, no account needed - Recipients get a full interactive player with audio playback and cursor tracking - Speed control and loop markers in the web player - Links expire after 7 days Import Your Files - Open Guitar Pro 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 files (.gp, .gp5) - Import Standard MIDI files with track mapping and quantization controls - Import MusicXML files - Access thousands of tabs shared online Tablature & Notation - Guitar, bass, banjo, ukulele, and any stringed instrument - Bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics, and all standard techniques - Lyrics with auto-advance — press Space or Hyphen to chain syllables across beats - Standard notation stays in sync above the tab staff - Custom tuning support Virtual Instruments - Interactive piano keyboard — tap to enter or preview notes - Interactive fretboard — see note names, tap to enter notes - Scale overlay — display any scale on the keyboard or fretboard Drum Notation - Full drum kit mapping on a standard percussion staff - Custom drum mapping editor — assign any MIDI note to any staff position - Enter beats with keyboard shortcuts, numeric keypad, or tap input Chord Diagrams - Built-in library with 89 chord types and voicings - Add diagrams above any beat - Chord names display automatically Multi-Track Scores - Combine guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals in one score - Solo, mute, and adjust volume and pan per track - Realistic instrument sounds across 128 instruments - Rack view with per-track controls and custom track colors Edit While It Plays - Edit your score during playback — hear changes in real time - Add notes, adjust dynamics, switch instruments without stopping Audio & Practice - High-quality instrument sounds with instant playback - Loop / A-B repeat — drag markers to loop any section - Adjustable playback speed from 0.25x to 2x - Metronome, precount, and playback tracking - MIDI input from external controllers View Modes - Continuous vertical scroll — modern reading experience - Page view with Fit Page Width - Free zoom and horizontal scroll Export & Share - Instant Web Share — temporary web link with interactive player - Export to MusicXML, GP5, GP7, MIDI, WAV, M4A, and PDF - Open your scores in Dorico, Sibelius, MuseScore, or Finale - Print your scores directly - Bundled sample songs to explore and learn from Keyboard Shortcuts - Full keyboard support on Mac and iPad with hardware keyboard - Works on all keyboard layouts — AZERTY, QWERTZ, and more Privacy First - All data stored locally on your device - iCloud backup and sync - No account, no login, no tracking - Works fully offline One-Time Purchase - Free to try — all features available in evaluation mode - Evaluation watermark and 10-measure export limit - Purchase once to remove the watermark and unlock full exports Download Reflow and start creating music today.

About

Prelude

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
Read full description

** In version 3.0 of Prelude the app has been completely redesigned. Now better and more modern, Prelude will give you a completely new experience! ** Prelude is a score editor that allows you to create your own scores the way you want. Developed especially for iPhones and iPads, it has a simple and intuitive interface, allowing you to write your scores quickly. With Prelude you can compose anytime, anywhere.

Screenshots

Reflow4 screens
Prelude4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Reflow at 3.5 against Prelude's 3.0. Reflow also leads on review sentiment (44% vs 17%) and ratings volume (33 vs 4). Prelude's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Reflow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $34.99 per year and Prelude sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reflow holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reflow has 33 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Reflow's written reviews are positive against 17% of Prelude's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reflow ships an update every 2 weeks, Prelude every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Reflow versus Prelude: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReflowPrelude
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (33 ratings) — better3.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews44.0% of reviews — better17.4% of reviews
Number of ratings33 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.414.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGargantFelipe Braunger Valio Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda

Customer experience

Reflow

All ratings33 ratings
Positive60.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative30.3%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive44.0%
Neutral12.9%
Negative43.1%

Prelude

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews109 reviews
Positive17.4%
Neutral16.5%
Negative66.1%

Bugs and requests

Reflow

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Prelude

Reported bugs

70 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Playback is incorrect (wrong notes, wrong rhythms)
  • Notes don't line up correctly
  • Accidentals are placed incorrectly
  • Key signatures are incorrect
Show 65 more
  • Cannot delete notes
  • Paid version has issues
  • Instruments sound out of tune
  • Notes switch octaves unexpectedly
  • Timing is not respected
  • App freezes or becomes unresponsive
  • Save function is unreliable
  • Touch controls are difficult and inaccurate
  • App closes automatically on playback
  • Notes don't play back at the correct pitch
  • Notes don't play back with the correct duration
  • Measures have incorrect beat capacity
  • Notes are placed on top of bar lines
  • App doesn't adjust for note types
  • Sound takes forever to load or doesn't work
  • Notes don't stick when trying to place them
  • Cannot get notes below middle C in treble clef
  • App deleted saved work
  • Cannot drag notes to the stave
  • Playback doesn't play treble and bass together
  • App doesn't recognize accidentals
  • Cannot change keys
  • Notes don't sound properly
  • App doesn't play the right notes
  • Note values on playback are incorrect
  • Soft and loud symbols appear in the wrong place
  • Sharps are in the wrong areas
  • Difficult to move notes
  • Key signatures don't work properly
  • Adding accidentals individually doesn't work
  • App doesn't adjust for note types
  • App doesn't play back compositions in the free version
  • App doesn't beam quavers
  • App places sharps incorrectly
  • Measure isn't large enough for notes
  • Cannot adjust measures
  • Notes don't beam
  • Quavers are written incorrectly
  • Playback doesn't respect timings correctly
  • Editing of notes is not precise
  • App doesn't play notes as they are composed
  • Cannot undo actions
  • Cannot start playback from various places
  • App is unresponsive
  • App crashes on playback
  • App doesn't respect metronome, pauses, etc.
  • Acoustic feedback is misleading and wrong
  • Hard to hit correct note to move
  • Hard to find correct places for notes
  • Buggy with time signatures other than 4:4
  • Notes are not visible due to finger
  • Cannot hear notes in the free version
  • App doesn't play back compositions
  • App doesn't have sound unless paid for
  • App is useless without sound
  • App is a ripoff
  • App doesn't work
  • App is disappointing
  • App is bare bones
  • No way to save anything
  • App blocks at every step
  • App is fake and useless
  • App is faulty, pointless, and not intuitive
  • Cannot delete a note
  • App skips notes but doesn't allow deletion

Requested features

43 requests
  • Add repeat signs
  • Add ledger lines
  • Add words to music
  • Add slurs and ties
  • Add beams for notes
Show 38 more
  • Add more instrument options
  • Add glissando signs
  • Add harp notes
  • Add crescendo and decrescendo
  • Add accents
  • Add key signatures
  • Add time signatures
  • Add magnifying glass for note placement
  • Add more note values (eighth, sixteenth)
  • Add rests (whole, half, eighth, sixteenth)
  • Add ability to write on music
  • Add double bar lines, repeat signs, da capo
  • Add chord bank
  • Add ability to change note values
  • Add sharps and flats to key signatures
  • Add ability to adjust measure size
  • Add undo/redo button
  • Add ability to choose playback start point
  • Add ability to save/export
  • Add harp instrument
  • Add more note range (higher and lower)
  • Add C note
  • Add more symbols
  • Add metronome
  • Add in-app keyboard
  • Add more than two staves
  • Add annotations
  • Add tuplets
  • Add staccato and other accents
  • Add tie or slurs
  • Add beamed notes
  • Add ability to specify key
  • Add ability to delete any note
  • Add dark mode
  • Add advanced analytics dashboard
  • Add 8va
  • Add wider note range
  • Add lines connecting notes

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reflow

Subscriptions1
  • Reflow Premium7 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Reflow — Full Version$14.99
1 purchases

Prelude

One-time1
  • Extended Version$2.99

Questions

Is Reflow free?
Reflow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Prelude free?
Prelude is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Reflow or Prelude?
Reflow is rated higher. Reflow averages 3.5 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Prelude averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Reflow or Prelude have ads?
Neither Reflow nor Prelude shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reflow or Prelude?
Reflow ships an update every 2 weeks, and Prelude every 9 days. Most recently, Reflow was updated on October 23, 2026 and Prelude on October 6, 2026.

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