# Prelude vs Score Creator

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Score Creator at 60% against Prelude's 17%. Score Creator also leads on rating (3.5 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (495 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Prelude 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.

Score Creator holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Score Creator has 495 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Prelude's written reviews are positive against 60% of Score Creator's.

Prelude ships an update every 9 days, Score Creator every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prelude | Score Creator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prelude-score-editor/id620817095/reviews) | **[3.5 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/score-creator-compose-music/id627486149/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **495** |
| Positive reviews | 17.4% of reviews | **60.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 307 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Felipe Braunger Valio Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda](https://appshunter.io/developer/615749291) | [TRAN PHUONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/572550151) |

## What reviewers say

### Prelude

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prelude-score-editor/id620817095)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extended Version | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Simple interface
- 💡 Good for basic notation
- 💡 Potential for improvement
- 💡 Useful for teaching
- 💡 Easy to write notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🐛 Incorrect playback
- 🐛 Difficult editing
- 🐛 Limited features
- 🐛 Unintuitive controls

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Playback is incorrect (wrong notes, wrong rhythms)
- Notes don't line up correctly
- Accidentals are placed incorrectly
- Key signatures are incorrect

**Requested features**

- Add repeat signs
- Add ledger lines
- Add words to music
- Add slurs and ties
- Add beams for notes


### 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 | $32.99 | 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 Prelude free?

Prelude 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, Prelude or Score Creator?

Score Creator is rated higher. Prelude averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Score Creator averages 3.5 from 495 ratings.

### Do Prelude or Score Creator have ads?

Neither Prelude nor Score Creator shows ads.

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

Prelude ships an update every 9 days, and Score Creator every 11 days. Most recently, Prelude was updated on October 6, 2026 and Score Creator 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.*