The Orchestra vs StaffPad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Orchestra
Explore classical music with interactive features like synchronized scores, instrument demonstrations, and a unique BeatMap visualization. Learn about composers, pieces, and instruments through expert commentary and detailed 360° views.
- Synchronized score
- Instrument demonstrations
- BeatMap visualization
- 360° instrument views
- Expert commentary
- Multi-camera video
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Classical music reinvented. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra, performing extracts from eight works representing three centuries of symphonic music. Features: • An orchestra at your command: Experience classical music like never before with fascinating features, including video, synchronized score, simplified score and commentary by Esa-Pekka Salonen. • Expert explanations: World-class musicians explain their role in the orchestra and demonstrate how their instruments work. Use a keyboard to play samples of the instruments, and view each one in glorious detail with 360° rotations. • Discover the BeatMap: This groundbreaking visualization of the performances shows different sections of the orchestra pulse in time with the music, helping you understand the complexity of each piece. Hold down your finger to hear different sections of the orchestra in isolation. • Unparalleled access: Watch beautiful multi-camera video of the acclaimed Philharmonia Orchestra, and switch effortlessly between different angles and sections of the orchestra. • Discover the story: Read insightful text on the pieces, composers and instruments specially written by Mark Swed, music critic of the LA Times. The Music: • Haydn: Symphony No 6 (1st movement) • Beethoven: Symphony No 5 (excerpt from 4th movement) • Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique (March to the Scaffold) • Debussy: Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune • Mahler: Symphony No 6 (exposition from 1st movement) • Stravinsky: The Firebird (excerpt) • Lutosławski: Concerto for Orchestra (2nd movement) • Salonen: Violin Concerto (2nd and 3rd movements) If you enjoy The Orchestra, don’t forget to rate it and leave a review – it really helps!
StaffPad
Compose music effortlessly on your iPad with intuitive handwriting input and advanced notation tools. Convert your playing into sheet music, record and edit audio directly on the score, and utilize powerful playback with professional sample libraries. Seamlessly share your work with others using the companion reader app.
- Handwriting music notation with Apple Pencil
- Convert audio recordings to notation
- Record and edit audio on score
- Professional playback with sample libraries
- Seamless sharing via ScoreSync
- Import/export MusicXML and MIDI
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MADE FOR COMPOSERS ------------------------- StaffPad is designed for composers who want to write music effortlessly, using music notation and audio. Write your music using Apple Pencil, and the app will transform your writing into beautifully typeset notation that can be edited, played back, printed and shared. Record or import audio directly onto your score and edit it intuitively with Apple Pencil. Magically convert your real piano playing or existing recordings into notation using advanced on-device machine learning. Add video, smart symbols and use world leading sample libraries and mix your score with a suite of studio effects. From basic idea to a full film score; StaffPad is the easiest, most powerful and most intuitive way to compose music on iPad. WRITE NATURALLY ------------------- Write your score with the fluidity of natural handwriting. Use touch and Apple Pencil to quickly edit your notation. Transpose, repeat and structure your score with intuitive gestures and tools. Customise the tempo with a unique tempo staff (or import a tempo map from a MIDI file), add chords either manually or automatically with the chord staff. You can even copy music written in StaffPad into other apps, simply using the normal copy and paste functions. HEAR YOUR MASTERPIECE ---------------------------- With a groundbreaking playback engine and over 55 included instruments, StaffPad is ready to perform your written piece instantly. Add industry-standard sample libraries, adapted and customised for StaffPad, from some of the world's leading sample developers. This is a leap forward for composers working at the highest levels. SHARE WITH SCORESYNC --------------------------- Once you're ready to perform or record your work, tap the ScoreSync button in StaffPad and your score is instantly shared across a Wi-Fi network to any device running the free StaffPad Reader app (available in the App Store). The Readers present each individual musical part beautifully formatted, update in realtime with any changes you make to your score, handle automatic page turns, and play back in perfect time with a synchronised metronome, for capturing the perfect recording every time. IMPORT AND EXPORT --------------------------- StaffPad imports and exports MusicXML and MIDI files for easily working with other music apps. You can also export your playback as WAV, AAC or MP3. You can import audio files into your score, with support for most major audio formats. WORK WITH AUDIO AND VIDEO -------------------------------- For the first time, you can seamlessly mix audio with your notated score. Record directly onto the score canvas using your device's in-built microphones, or import loops, Tempo map freeform/rubato performances using the tempo staff. Add shine to your production with a suite of studio quality DSP effects, and polish with precise automation. PIANO AND MIDI CAPTURE --------------------------- Record your real piano and convert it into notation. Don't have a real piano? Don't worry - you can connect a USB or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard and record your performance in realtime, converting to notation as you play. PRINT / PDF ------------ As well as digital parts via ScoreSync, StaffPad will automatically format and print parts or export PDFs for you. Customise the paper size, bar number styles, number of bars per line, scaling, margins, multi-bar consolidation and more. StaffPad automatically formats the score for consistent presentation.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: The Orchestra at $9.99 against StaffPad's $49.99. The Orchestra also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (74% vs 40%). StaffPad's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
The Orchestra costs $9.99 and StaffPad $49.99 up front. The Orchestra sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and StaffPad sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The Orchestra holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 303 and 646 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of The Orchestra's written reviews are positive against 40% of StaffPad's.
The Orchestra ships an update every 3 months, StaffPad fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | The Orchestra | StaffPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 — better | $49.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (303 ratings) — better | 4.0 (646 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 74.1% of reviews — better | 39.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 303 | 646 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2.0 GB | 1.0 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NatureGuides Ltd. | StaffPad Ltd. |
Customer experience
The Orchestra
StaffPad
User reviews
The Orchestra
From 303 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great app for learning about the orchestra
- 🚀 Excellent production quality
- 💡 Innovative way to experience classical music
- 👍 Informative and engaging
- 👍 Helpful for music students and educators
Room to improve
- 🐛 Some bugs and crashes reported
- 💰 Considered expensive by some users
- 🔍 Limited content (only excerpts, not full pieces)
- 🔍 Alphabetical ordering of instruments in score not ideal
StaffPad
From 646 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful composing tool
- 🎨 Intuitive handwriting interface
- 🎹 High-quality playback sounds
- 💻 Seamless iPad integration
- 🎨 Smooth workflow for sketching ideas
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent handwriting recognition
- 🔧 Steep learning curve
- 🔒 Requires Apple Pencil
- 💰 Expensive with additional purchases
- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
Bugs and requests
The Orchestra
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when selecting a piece
- Solo audio feature not working after update
- Compatibility issues with older iPad models
Requested features
4 requests- More musical pieces and composers
- Option to listen to individual instrument tracks
- Ability to adjust playback tempo
- Support for traditional Chinese alphabet
StaffPad
Reported bugs
5 issues- Inability to recognize certain note values
- Eraser function unreliable
- Inconsistent behavior when writing accidentals
- Crashes when attempting to create new scores
- Syncing and file management issues
Requested features
5 requests- Improved handwriting recognition
- More flexible note input options
- Cross-staff notation support
- Customizable UI and layout
- Better collaboration and sharing features
In-app purchases
The Orchestra
- Solo Audio$0.99
StaffPad
- Toy GlockenspielFree
- StaffPad Essential GuitarsFree
- Retro KeyboardsFree
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- Muse StringsFree
- Muse ChoirFree
- Muse WoodwindsFree
- Muse PercussionFree
- Muse BrassFree
- Muse HarpFree
- Muse KeysFree
- Muse Guitars Vol. 1Free
- StaffPad Essentials: AccordionFree









