# PianoGato vs Score Creator

The clearest difference is rating: PianoGato at 4.0 against Score Creator's 3.5. PianoGato also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15). Score Creator's advantage is ratings volume (495 vs 1) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PianoGato sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Score Creator sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PianoGato holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Score Creator has 495 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of PianoGato's written reviews are positive against 60% of Score Creator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PianoGato ships an update every 5 weeks, Score Creator every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PianoGato | Score Creator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianogato/id523376496/reviews)** | [3.5 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/score-creator-compose-music/id627486149/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **495** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **60.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 78 MB | 307 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tanadium Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/523376499) | [TRAN PHUONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/572550151) |

## What reviewers say

### PianoGato

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianogato/id523376496)

Compose and play back your piano music with standard notation. This app offers basic composition tools for free, with an optional upgrade for advanced features. Share your creations and learn music symbols.

**Highlights:** Compose music using standard notation, Playback compositions, Adjust playback settings, Create playlists, Export as Lilypond source files, Share compositions

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PianoGato Composer Extras Package | $4.99 | one-time |


### Score Creator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/score-creator-compose-music/id627486149)

Easily compose and edit sheet music on your mobile device. This app simplifies music creation with a text-keyboard-like interface for notes and chords, supports multiple instruments and clefs, and allows for lyric and chord symbol writing. It's ideal for songwriters, teachers, and students.

**Highlights:** Compose music scores with various clefs and symbols, Write lyrics and chord symbols, Multi-track support for different instruments, Playback sound for each instrument, Transpose songs and import/export MIDI/MusicXML, Export to PDF and audio files, Editing assistant features

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-month full version | $4.99 | per month |
| Basic user - one year | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Three-month full version | $10.99 | per 3 months |
| Basic user - one year | $20.99 | per year |
| One-year full version | $33.49 | per year |
| Basic user - full version | $69.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime full version | $98.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Great for composing music on the go
- 💡 Useful for learning and practicing music
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Helpful for arranging and transcribing music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔇 Poor sound quality of instruments
- 🔇 Lack of dynamics and articulation support
- 🔇 Limited range of instruments
- 💰 Paywall for advanced features

**Reported bugs**

- Sudden loss of data and unsaved work
- Playback issues, including notes not playing correctly
- Instrument key signatures not working as expected
- App crashing on launch or when opening certain scores
- Inability to edit or modify existing compositions

**Requested features**

- Add more percussion instruments
- Implement dynamics, articulations, and expression markings
- Allow for more than 2 instruments in the free version
- Improve the drum notation and playback
- Add support for chords, trills, and other advanced notation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PianoGato free?

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

### Is Score Creator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PianoGato or Score Creator?

PianoGato is rated higher. PianoGato averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Score Creator averages 3.5 from 495 ratings.

### Do PianoGato or Score Creator have ads?

Neither PianoGato nor Score Creator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PianoGato or Score Creator?

PianoGato ships an update every 5 weeks, and Score Creator every 11 days. Most recently, PianoGato was updated on October 11, 2026 and Score Creator on November 1, 2026.

---

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