# Score Creator vs Music Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Music Reader at 4.5 against Score Creator's 3.5. Music Reader also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15). Score Creator's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Score Creator sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Music Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Music Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 495 and 192 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Score Creator's written reviews are positive against 51% of Music Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Score Creator ships an update every 11 days, Music Reader every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Score Creator | Music Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/score-creator-compose-music/id627486149/reviews) | **[4.5 (192 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-reader-sheet-music-note/id1491308446/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **495** | 192 |
| Positive reviews | **60.5% of reviews** | 51.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 307 MB | 183 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 | $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


### Music Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-reader-sheet-music-note/id1491308446)

This app is a comprehensive tool for sheet music. It allows users to view, learn, listen, mark, and play musical scores. It supports various music genres and instruments, acting as a portable songbook and powerful player.

**Highlights:** View and play sheet music, Mark and annotate scores, Import MusicXML and NotationPad files, Supports dark mode, Transposition (PRO), Change instrument parts (PRO)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Access | $14.99 | per year |
| Pro Access | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Score Creator free?

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

### Is Music Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Score Creator or Music Reader?

Music Reader is rated higher. Score Creator averages 3.5 out of 5 from 495 ratings, while Music Reader averages 4.5 from 192 ratings.

### Do Score Creator or Music Reader have ads?

Music Reader shows ads; Score Creator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Score Creator or Music Reader?

Score Creator ships an update every 11 days, and Music Reader every 4 months. Most recently, Score Creator was updated on November 1, 2026 and Music Reader 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.*