# Musicnotes vs Notation Scanner

The clearest difference is price: Musicnotes at Free against Notation Scanner's $2.99. Musicnotes also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (43K vs 730). Notation Scanner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Musicnotes is free to download; Notation Scanner costs $2.99 up front. Musicnotes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Notation Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Musicnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Musicnotes has 43K ratings behind it against 730, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Musicnotes's written reviews are positive against 50% of Notation Scanner's.

Musicnotes ships an update every 3 weeks, Notation Scanner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Musicnotes | Notation Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984/reviews)** | [4.1 (730 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-scanner-sheet-music/id1260311003/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 730 |
| Positive reviews | **54.7% of reviews** | 49.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#206** | — |
| Size | 128 MB | 168 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Musicnotes](https://appshunter.io/developer/369741037) | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) |

## What reviewers say

### Musicnotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984)

**Currently charting:** #206 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Access and play a vast library of digital sheet music. Practice with interactive tools, transpose keys, and annotate scores. Organize your music into set lists for lessons, rehearsals, or performances.

**Highlights:** Interactive sheet music player, Key transposition tool, Annotation and markup, Set list organization, 500,000+ sheet music arrangements, Personal sheet music upload, Interactive playback with tempo control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Musicnotes Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| PDF Sheet Music Arrangement | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $6.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $7.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $8.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement + PDF | $8.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement + PDF | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $12.99 | one-time |
| Pro Credit Pack (3 Credits) | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great convenience
- 🎹 Fantastic range of music
- 🎶 Adjustable to skill level
- 💻 Reliable and responsive
- 🎨 Helpful playback and annotation features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overpriced compared to other options
- 🔒 Restrictive printing and usage policies
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🖥️ Inconsistent pricing between app and website
- 📱 Poor iPad and iPhone X support

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to access purchased content
- Crashes and performance problems, especially on newer devices
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating and scrolling sheet music
- Unreliable playback and sync features

**Requested features**

- Add ability to permanently delete pre-installed songs
- Improve note-taking and annotation tools, including Apple Pencil support
- Implement better browsing and search functionality
- Allow more flexible printing and copying options
- Add seamless syncing between app and website purchases


### Notation Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-scanner-sheet-music/id1260311003)

This app allows users to scan and recognize sheet music using their device's camera or existing images. It functions as a sheet music reader and player, supporting over 100 instruments and offering playback controls. Users can also export their recognized scores in various formats.

**Highlights:** Scan sheet music via camera or image library, Recognize and playback music scores, Support for over 100 instruments, Adjust tempo and voice parts, Export as MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, PDF

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for learning and practicing music
- 🚀 Works well when the sheet music is clear
- 💡 Useful for choir and band members

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Struggles to recognize complex or low-quality sheet music
- 🔒 Forces users to leave 5-star reviews to unlock features
- 🔋 Slow scanning and processing times

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot recognize any photos or scans of sheet music
- Playback skips notes and has timing issues
- App crashes frequently when trying to scan music

**Requested features**

- Allow users to manually correct scanned music
- Improve recognition accuracy for different sheet music styles
- Add more instrument options beyond just piano


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Musicnotes free?

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

### Is Notation Scanner free?

Notation Scanner costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Musicnotes or Notation Scanner?

Musicnotes is rated higher. Musicnotes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while Notation Scanner averages 4.1 from 730 ratings.

### Do Musicnotes or Notation Scanner have ads?

Musicnotes shows ads; Notation Scanner does not.

### Which is updated more often, Musicnotes or Notation Scanner?

Musicnotes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Notation Scanner every 2 weeks. Most recently, Musicnotes was updated on September 27, 2026 and Notation Scanner on September 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.*