# Prelude vs Staventabs

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Staventabs at 65% against Prelude's 17%. Staventabs also leads on rating (3.8 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (71 vs 4). Prelude's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Prelude sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Staventabs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Staventabs holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Staventabs has 71 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 65% of Staventabs's.

Prelude ships an update every 9 days, Staventabs every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prelude | Staventabs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prelude-score-editor/id620817095/reviews) | **[3.8 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **71** |
| Positive reviews | 17.4% of reviews | **64.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Felipe Braunger Valio Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda](https://appshunter.io/developer/615749291) | [Ivan Korovin](https://appshunter.io/developer/937929054) |

## 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


### 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 Prelude free?

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

### Is Staventabs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Prelude or Staventabs?

Staventabs is rated higher. Prelude averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Staventabs averages 3.8 from 71 ratings.

### Do Prelude or Staventabs have ads?

Neither Prelude nor Staventabs shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prelude or Staventabs?

Prelude ships an update every 9 days, and Staventabs every 3 weeks. Most recently, Prelude was updated on October 6, 2026 and Staventabs on October 29, 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.*