# Score Creator vs Sibelius

The clearest difference is rating: Sibelius at 4.2 against Score Creator's 3.5. Sibelius also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 495) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15). Score Creator's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 36%) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, 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 Sibelius sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sibelius holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 495 and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Score Creator's written reviews are positive against 36% of Sibelius'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, Sibelius every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Score Creator | Sibelius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/score-creator-compose-music/id627486149/reviews) | **[4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 495 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **60.5% of reviews** | 35.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 307 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TRAN PHUONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/572550151) | [Avid®](https://appshunter.io/developer/436394595) |

## 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


### Sibelius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sibelius/id1503221259)

Professional music notation software is now available on mobile devices. Create, edit, and hear your compositions anywhere with a full suite of tools optimized for touch and stylus input. Seamlessly sync across platforms and access different feature tiers to suit your needs.

**Highlights:** Professional music notation, Cross-platform synchronization, High-quality sample library, Apple Pencil and touch optimization, Innovative note entry, Command Search functionality, Scalable subscription tiers

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sibelius Artist for iOS | $5.99 | per month |
| Sibelius Ultimate for iOS | $12.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🚀 Useful for composing on the go
- 💡 Good for making quick edits to existing scores
- 🎨 Stylish and professional-looking app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes frequently
- 🔒 Difficulty unlocking full version and accessing features
- 💰 Subscription service is very expensive
- 🔇 Limited sound library and poor playback quality
- 📁 Unreliable saving and file management

**Reported bugs**

- Scores disappearing or not saving properly
- Subscription issues and inability to log in
- Crashes when performing basic actions
- Compatibility problems with newer iPad OS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to enlarge chord symbols
- More time signature options
- Support for MIDI input
- Better Apple Pencil integration
- Autosave and improved file management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Score Creator free?

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

### Is Sibelius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Score Creator or Sibelius?

Sibelius is rated higher. Score Creator averages 3.5 out of 5 from 495 ratings, while Sibelius averages 4.2 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Score Creator or Sibelius have ads?

Neither Score Creator nor Sibelius shows ads.

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

Score Creator ships an update every 11 days, and Sibelius every 2 months. Most recently, Score Creator was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sibelius on October 27, 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.*