# Score Creator vs Notation Pad Pro

The clearest difference is price: Score Creator at Free against Notation Pad Pro's $149.00. Score Creator also leads on ratings volume (495 vs 161). Notation Pad Pro's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Score Creator is free to download; Notation Pad Pro costs $149.00 up front. Score Creator sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Notation Pad Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notation Pad Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 495 and 161 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 60% and 61% positive.

Score Creator ships an update every 11 days, Notation Pad Pro every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Score Creator | Notation Pad Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $149.00 |
| Rating | [3.5 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/score-creator-compose-music/id627486149/reviews) | **[4.2 (161 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-pro-sheet-music/id1163705635/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **495** | 161 |
| Positive reviews | 60.5% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 307 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TRAN PHUONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/572550151) | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Notation Pad Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-pro-sheet-music/id1163705635)

Compose, edit, and playback musical scores with lyrics. This app allows users to create music compositions using touch gestures and supports a wide range of notation elements. It's suitable for both beginners learning music theory and experienced musicians for songbooks or complex scores.

**Highlights:** Compose and edit sheet music, Write and integrate lyrics, Playback scores with high-quality sound, Export to MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF, Support for up to 8 staves, Over 100 musical instruments, Multi-voice support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Score Creator free?

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

### Is Notation Pad Pro free?

Notation Pad Pro costs $149.00, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Score Creator or Notation Pad Pro?

Notation Pad Pro is rated higher. Score Creator averages 3.5 out of 5 from 495 ratings, while Notation Pad Pro averages 4.2 from 161 ratings.

### Do Score Creator or Notation Pad Pro have ads?

Neither Score Creator nor Notation Pad Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Score Creator or Notation Pad Pro?

Score Creator ships an update every 11 days, and Notation Pad Pro every 3 weeks. Most recently, Score Creator was updated on October 29, 2026 and Notation Pad Pro on October 24, 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.*