# Musicnotes vs Staventabs

The clearest difference is rating: Musicnotes at 4.8 against Staventabs's 3.8. Musicnotes also leads on ratings volume (43K vs 71) and chart position (#174 vs unranked). Staventabs's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (65% vs 55%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Musicnotes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and Staventabs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Musicnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Musicnotes has 43K ratings behind it against 71, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Musicnotes's written reviews are positive against 65% of Staventabs's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, Staventabs every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Musicnotes | Staventabs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984/reviews)** | [3.8 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 71 |
| Positive reviews | 54.8% of reviews | **64.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#174** | — |
| Size | 121 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Musicnotes](https://appshunter.io/developer/369741037) | [Ivan Korovin](https://appshunter.io/developer/937929054) |

## What reviewers say

### Musicnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #174 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


### Staventabs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539)

Compose and edit musical scores and tablature with a user-friendly interface. Create new pieces from scratch or templates, input notes intuitively, and enhance your compositions with advanced editing tools. Practice your songs with playback and metronome features, and manage your projects seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Score and tablature editing, Intuitive note input, Virtual piano and fingerboard, Instrument previews, Playback and metronome, AI-powered scale suggestions, MIDI and MusicXML import/export

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced composing | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited projects | $10.99 | one-time |
| Additional instruments | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient music notation
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🎨 Customizable chord diagrams
- 💾 Supports multiple file formats
- 🎶 Realistic instrument sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Paywall for basic features
- 🔀 Inconsistent note/chord handling
- 🔍 Unclear documentation
- 🔊 Lagging playback

**Reported bugs**

- Imported MIDI files lose instrument assignments
- Disappearing projects after updates
- Inability to adjust note lengths in piano roll
- Metronome not audible over instrument playback

**Requested features**

- Add support for grace notes and ornaments
- Implement repeat/coda symbols
- Allow custom font and layout options
- Integrate MIDI input and output
- Improve chord recognition accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Musicnotes free?

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

### Is Staventabs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Musicnotes or Staventabs?

Musicnotes is rated higher. Musicnotes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while Staventabs averages 3.8 from 71 ratings.

### Do Musicnotes or Staventabs have ads?

Musicnotes shows ads; Staventabs does not.

### Which is updated more often, Musicnotes or Staventabs?

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, and Staventabs every 3 weeks. Most recently, Musicnotes was updated on October 28, 2026 and Staventabs on October 26, 2026.

---

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