# Musicnotes vs Apple Music Classical

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Apple Music Classical at none against Musicnotes's 10. Apple Music Classical also leads on ads (none vs shown). Musicnotes's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Musicnotes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Apple Music Classical asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Musicnotes against 4.7 for Apple Music Classical. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43K and 24K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Musicnotes's written reviews are positive against 59% of Apple Music Classical's.

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, Apple Music Classical every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Musicnotes | Apple Music Classical |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984/reviews)** | [4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-music-classical/id1598433714/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 24K |
| Positive reviews | 54.9% of reviews | **59.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #151 | **#95** |
| Size | 121 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Musicnotes](https://appshunter.io/developer/369741037) | [Apple Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Musicnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #151 Top Free · Music, #184 Top Grossing · 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 (9)**

| 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 + PDF | $8.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement + PDF | $9.99 | 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


### Apple Music Classical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-music-classical/id1598433714)

**Currently charting:** #95 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Explore the world's largest classical music catalog with this dedicated app. Discover new artists, access high-fidelity audio, and delve into detailed composer biographies and listening guides. It's designed for both seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers to the genre.

**Highlights:** Largest classical music catalog, High-fidelity audio (Hi-Res Lossless), Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, Time-synced listening guides, Composer biographies, Personalized recommendations, Complete metadata

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improved navigation and search
- 👍 Curated playlists and guides
- 🎶 High-quality audio
- 🔍 Detailed composer and work information
- 💡 Dedicated classical music app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Playback issues and app crashes
- 🔍 Inconsistent or missing metadata
- 📱 No iPad app
- 🔽 Lack of offline listening or download options
- 🤔 Overlap with regular Apple Music app

**Reported bugs**

- Tracks not playing correctly when selected
- Issues with AirPlay and HomePod connectivity
- Playlist management problems
- Incorrect release dates and metadata

**Requested features**

- Shuffle function for classical works
- Ability to download music for offline listening
- Integration with Roon and other music platforms
- Dedicated iPad and Mac apps
- More detailed album notes and liner information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Musicnotes free?

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

### Is Apple Music Classical free?

Apple Music Classical is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Musicnotes or Apple Music Classical?

Musicnotes is rated higher. Musicnotes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while Apple Music Classical averages 4.7 from 24K ratings.

### Do Musicnotes or Apple Music Classical have ads?

Musicnotes shows ads; Apple Music Classical does not.

### Which is updated more often, Musicnotes or Apple Music Classical?

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, and Apple Music Classical every 2 months. Most recently, Musicnotes was updated on November 4, 2026 and Apple Music Classical on November 4, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Musicnotes or Apple Music Classical?

Musicnotes currently peaks at #151 in the App Store charts, and Apple Music Classical at #95. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*