# Sheet Music Scanner vs PlayScore 2

The clearest difference is monetization model: PlayScore 2 at free with in-app purchases against Sheet Music Scanner's subscription. Sheet Music Scanner's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sheet Music Scanner sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PlayScore 2 sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sheet Music Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.5K and 4.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Sheet Music Scanner's written reviews are positive against 50% of PlayScore 2's.

Sheet Music Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, PlayScore 2 every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sheet Music Scanner | PlayScore 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheet-music-scanner/id884984324/reviews)** | [4.2 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playscore-2/id1449591118/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.5K** | 4.8K |
| Positive reviews | **61.0% of reviews** | 50.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#127** | #156 |
| Size | 77 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [App Sub 1 LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667982354) | [Organum Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1422471846) |

## What reviewers say

### Sheet Music Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheet-music-scanner/id884984324)

**Currently charting:** #127 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Instantly listen to scanned sheet music with this app. It recognizes musical notation and plays it back on your device with various instruments and adjustable speeds. Learn music by hearing it come alive from the page.

**Highlights:** Scan printed sheet music with camera, Playback from photo library or PDF, Tap to play specific measures, Recognizes melody, harmony, and rhythm symbols, Supports multiple instruments and voices, Adjustable playback speed, Export as MIDI, MusicXML, and audio

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notation Scanner | $4.99 | per month |
| Notation Scanner | $9.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $14.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $17.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $22.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $22.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $22.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $22.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $24.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $29.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $34.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $34.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $44.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Game changing app
- 👍 Helpful for learning music
- 💡 Useful for singers and musicians
- 🚀 Accurate scanning and playback
- 👍 Great value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Misses notes, rhythms, and symbols
- 🐛 Struggles with complex music
- 🔒 Requires subscription to fully use
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance

**Reported bugs**

- Misses key signatures and accidentals
- Struggles with handwritten or low-quality sheet music
- Separates hands/voices incorrectly in multi-staff scores

**Requested features**

- Add ability to manually edit scanned music
- Improve support for repeats, codas, and complex rhythms
- Allow selecting/isolating individual instrument/voice parts
- Add count-in and metronome features
- Improve export options (e.g. separate instrument tracks)


### PlayScore 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playscore-2/id1449591118)

**Currently charting:** #156 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Scan sheet music from photos or PDFs and have it played back. Adjust instruments, tempo, and transposition. Export your scores as MusicXML and MIDI for further editing.

**Highlights:** Scan music from photos and PDFs, Playback with scrolling notation, Adjust volume, instrument, and transposition, Smart metronome with time signature recognition, Export as MusicXML and MIDI, Create 'Playable Score' documents

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PlayScore Productivity | $5.99 | per month |
| PlayScore 2 Professional month | $6.99 | per month |
| PlayScore Productivity | $34.99 | per year |
| PlayScore 2 Professional year | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app for learning music
- 👍 User-friendly and easy to use
- 🎉 Impressive music recognition capabilities
- 💡 Helpful for practicing and isolating parts
- 🎨 Versatile playback options (tempo, instrument)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent note/rhythm recognition
- 🔢 Limitations on number of pages scanned
- 🔇 Issues with volume and audio quality
- 🤔 Struggles with complex or handwritten scores
- 💰 Subscription-based model

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes when scanning/importing
- Playback issues with timing and note accuracy
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Exporting to MIDI/MusicXML not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to import PDFs and multiple pages
- Improved support for transposition and clef changes
- Metronome functionality and count-in feature
- Annotation and score editing capabilities
- Organizational tools (folders, playlists)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sheet Music Scanner free?

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

### Is PlayScore 2 free?

PlayScore 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sheet Music Scanner or PlayScore 2?

Sheet Music Scanner is rated higher. Sheet Music Scanner averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.5K ratings, while PlayScore 2 averages 4.2 from 4.8K ratings.

### Do Sheet Music Scanner or PlayScore 2 have ads?

Neither Sheet Music Scanner nor PlayScore 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sheet Music Scanner or PlayScore 2?

Sheet Music Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, and PlayScore 2 every 2 months. Most recently, Sheet Music Scanner was updated on October 29, 2026 and PlayScore 2 on October 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Sheet Music Scanner or PlayScore 2?

Sheet Music Scanner currently peaks at #127 in the App Store charts, and PlayScore 2 at #156. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*