Comparison

Notation vs Notely

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

Head to head
About

Notation

Create and edit professional sheet music on your mobile device. Easily capture musical ideas, arrange scores with lyrics and chords, and share playable web links with collaborators. Offers robust notation tools for composers, arrangers, and students.

Highlights
  • Touch notation keyboard
  • Multi-staff playback
  • Web score sharing
  • MusicXML, MIDI, PDF export
  • Lyrics and chord support
  • Cloud sync
Features
Read full description

Notation is professional sheet music notation for composers, arrangers, and music students. Capture a motif at the piano, tweak harmony on your commute, or share a link before rehearsal—all on iPhone or iPad with lyrics and chords. If you read a staff, you can go from a piano sketch to multi-staff scores for class and rehearsal. TOUCH NOTATION A notation keyboard replaces deep menus: tap notes and markings, or select on the staff to edit. Undo/redo for commutes, rehearsal gaps, or at the piano. On the free tier, inserting or editing measures shifts later bars automatically so the rest of the score stays aligned. WRITE AND HEAR IT Multi-staff playback; on long scores, playback follows your edit position. Composer Pro: per-staff Mute and Solo for full scores. WEB SCORE SHARING Generate a web score link—text or email to teachers, singers, or collaborators. Any browser shows standard notation and multi-part playback without installing the app. Print-friendly pages for handouts. PDF for archives and fixed layout; web links when your choir or band needs to hear the piece before rehearsal. Many mobile apps stop at PDF or screenshots; Notation shares playable web scores with the same playback and layout as on your device. EXPORT AND INTERCHANGE MusicXML, MIDI, PDF (screen preview + A4 print PDF). Import MusicXML without length limits—continue in MuseScore, Sibelius, etc. Free tier: starter export allowance. Composer Pro: unlimited export, clean PDF (see app for web-link limits). IPAD PRO WORKSPACE On iPad, library and score sit side by side for desktop-like sessions. iPhone: full notation and sharing when you are catching ideas on the go. YOU CAN ALSO: - Piano keyboard chord stacks; multi-verse lyrics with melismas and paste lyrics line by line; measure insert/copy/paste/delete - Ties, slurs, manual beams—free - Cloud sync (web links need sign-in + sync); Composer Pro: 8 staves, 2 voices per staff, transpose, meter changes NOTATION COVERAGE: * Notes/rests, dots, ties, slurs, beams (manual break/join) * Triplets; quintuplets–septuplets (Composer Pro) * Ornaments, articulations, dynamics, hairpins * Lyrics (verses), chords; title/composer/lyricist header * Clefs, time, tempo; major/minor keys; accidentals * Repeats, voltas, D.S./D.C.; pickups; measure-level edits * Templates: piano grand, treble/bass single staff, custom; long-score paging SUBSCRIPTION & LEGAL (COMPOSER PRO — OPTIONAL) Notation offers an optional paid membership called Composer Pro. You can subscribe in the app under Me → Upgrade. No subscription is required to create, edit, save, or play scores on the free tier. AUTO-RENEWABLE SUBSCRIPTION • Name: Composer Pro — Weekly Plan • Length: 1 week (renews every week) • Price: Shown on the in-app purchase screen before you confirm (localized price; may vary by country or region). If a free trial is available in your region, it is displayed on the subscription screen before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the price of the selected plan. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial, if offered, is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. WHAT COMPOSER PRO INCLUDES • Advanced composing: full transposition and any key; up to 8 staves and 2 voices per staff; meter changes and special/additive meters; undo/redo; advanced repeat playback • Delivery & export: unlimited exports (MusicXML, and web score links); • Playback: full instrument library; per-staff mute and solo • Other: ad-free experience; community publishing; priority support Privacy Policy: https://solfegehub.com/UserManagerPrivacy_en.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://solfegehub.com/UserManagerTerms_en.html

About

Notely

Compose, edit, and share beautiful sheet music with an intuitive touch-first editor. Create professional scores for various instruments, export them in multiple formats, and organize your projects with ease. Ideal for musicians of all levels.

Highlights
  • Intuitive touch-first music notation editor
  • Realistic playback with adjustable tempo
  • Export to PDF, MIDI, WAV, MP3, PNG, SVG
  • Support for multiple clefs and instruments
  • Add lyrics, chords, and annotations
  • Organize projects with folders
  • Apple Pencil support for iPad
Features
Read full description

Compose, edit, and share beautiful sheet music with Notely - Sheet Music Composer. Whether you're a beginner learning music theory or a professional composer creating orchestral arrangements, this powerful music notation app provides everything you need to turn musical ideas into polished scores. Create music with an intuitive touch-first editor, realistic playback, and professional engraving tools. Write for piano, guitar, choir, orchestra, band, or any custom ensemble, then export your compositions as high-quality PDFs, MIDI, or audio files. Features • Create unlimited music scores with Premium • Professional music notation editor • Multiple score templates for piano, orchestra, choir, guitar, and more • Support for treble, bass, alto, and tenor clefs • Add notes, rests, chords, tuplets, slurs, ties, articulations, and dynamics • Insert lyrics, chord symbols, tempo markings, and text annotations • Realistic playback with adjustable tempo and metronome • Mixer with instrument volume, solo, and mute controls • Import MusicXML and MIDI files • Export to PDF, MIDI, WAV, MP3, PNG, and SVG • Print beautiful sheet music with AirPrint support • Organize projects with folders and favorites • Automatic score layout and professional engraving • Apple Pencil support for iPad • iCloud synchronization across your Apple devices • Dark Mode and Light Mode support Perfect For • Songwriters • Music composers • Piano players • Guitarists • Music students • Music teachers • Choir directors • Orchestra arrangers • Band directors • Film and game composers From simple melodies to full orchestral scores, Notely - Sheet Music Composer helps you capture inspiration anytime, refine every detail, and share your music with confidence. Download today and start composing wherever inspiration strikes. We currently offer the following auto-renewing subscription option: - $34.99 per year - $7.99 per month By subscribing you get unlimited access to effects and remove advertisement. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Terms of Use: https://tos.atlantismobileapps.com Privacy Policy: https://privacy.atlantismobileapps.com

Screenshots

Notation4 screens
Notely3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notation at 100% against Notely's 0%. Notation also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). Notely's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Notation sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Notely sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Notation versus Notely: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotationNotely
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer凯 张Nguyen Nam Giang

Customer experience

Notation

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Notely

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Notation

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly Subscription · NotationAI3 Days trial$3.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access · NotationAI$19.99
3 purchases

Notely

Subscriptions2
  • Notely Premium Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Notely Premium Yearly$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Notely Premium Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Notation free?
Notation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notely free?
Notely is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Notation or Notely have ads?
Notation shows ads; Notely does not.

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