Comparison

GPMuse vs Notation

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

GPMuse

Features
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GPMuse is an intuitive music writing and notation tool for iOS. It provides a minimalist and smooth workspace, helping you quickly capture your musical ideas. KEY FEATURES: β€’ Visual Notation: Add, delete, and edit notes directly on the staff. Flexibly switch between clefs (Treble, Bass, Alto...). β€’ Diverse Rhythms: Customize the tempo of your score. Fully supports rhythms from basic to complex, including triplets. β€’ Harmony & Key Signatures: Quickly set key signatures and insert accurate chord symbols above the staff. β€’ Playback: Instantly play back your written score with high-quality audio to review your melodies. OPTIMIZED EXPERIENCE: β€’ User-friendly interface, specially optimized for touch gestures on iPhone and iPad. β€’ Full Dark Mode support to protect your eyes and improve focus. Terms of use: https://support.gpmuse.com/terms_of_use.html Privacy policy: https://support.gpmuse.com/privacy_policy.html

About

Notation

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YOUR DIGITAL SHEET MUSIC LIBRARY. MORE ROOM FOR MUSIC. Keep your scores organized, add personal annotations and work on challenging passages: Notation brings your PDF library and powerful music tools together on iPad and iPhone. For musicians, students and teachers – at home, in lessons, at rehearsals and in concert. YOUR LIBRARY, ORGANIZED Import your own PDF scores and organize your repertoire into collections and setlists. Favorites, search and bookmarks help you find the right piece and passage. Add work details and notes. On-device PDF analysis suggests metadata; you decide what to accept. Read your music, turn pages and zoom in on details. The included sample score β€œRecuerdos de la Luna” lets you try things out right away. PRACTICE WITH LOOPS AT YOUR OWN PACE Link imported audio or your own recordings to your scores. Place markers in the waveform to define practice sections and repeat exactly the passage you want to work on. Adjust playback speed for the entire track or your loops and progress step by step. Notation automatically estimates the BPM. If needed, correct the value manually or tap the beat with TAP. Confirm manual entries; a valid TAP result is saved automatically after a short pause. These features work with both imported audio and your own recordings. MAKE YOUR SCORES YOUR OWN Add fingerings, highlight important passages and write personal reminders directly on the page. Use the pen, text, musical symbols and shapes – from a simple line to a music staff. Colors, line widths and layers help you organize your annotations. Use Apple Pencil on compatible iPads, or draw and annotate with your finger in Drawing mode on iPhone. RECORD, LISTEN, KEEP PRACTICING Record your playing and listen alongside the corresponding score. Then use your recording to practice with loops and adjusted playback speed. A metronome and chromatic tuner round out your toolkit. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PRACTICE See how long you have practiced and which pieces you have worked on. Weekly, monthly and yearly views show your practice history. Select today or a previous practice day in the calendar to explore its details. CONNECTED ON IPAD AND IPHONE Sync your library data through iCloud across devices using the same Apple Account. PDF and audio files are stored in iCloud Drive. Content already available on your device can also be used without an internet connection. A short interactive introduction helps you get started. Notation is available in German, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese (Brazil). START FREE. EXPAND WITH PRO. Use Notation without a time limit with up to: β€’ 5 of your own PDF files β€’ 5 imported audio tracks β€’ 5 of your own recordings Each limit applies separately. The included sample score does not count. Items in Trash continue to take up a slot until permanently deleted. Pro removes these quantity limits with a one-time In-App Purchase – no subscription. The price is shown before you buy. Restore your Pro purchase using the same purchase account. GOOD TO KNOW Requires iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later. Imports, saved recordings and syncing require iCloud Drive to be enabled and sufficient storage. Recording and the tuner require microphone access. Notation does not automatically play PDF scores and is not music notation software. Audio files, a sheet music catalog and additional iCloud storage are not included. Other content and practice times shown in screenshots are sample data.

Screenshots

GPMuse4 screens
Notation4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GPMuse at none against Notation's 1. GPMuse also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). Notation's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Notation sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GPMuse asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GPMuse ships an update every 2 weeks, Notation every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
GPMuse versus Notation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGPMuseNotation
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.6 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size37 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHung Truong KhanhMoritz Kuntz

In-app purchases

None

GPMuse

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Notation

One-time1
  • Pro$9.00

Questions

Is GPMuse free?
GPMuse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notation free?
Notation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GPMuse or Notation have ads?
Neither GPMuse nor Notation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GPMuse or Notation?
GPMuse ships an update every 2 weeks, and Notation every 4 days. Most recently, GPMuse was updated on October 31, 2026 and Notation on November 6, 2026.

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