# Staventabs vs Notation

The clearest difference is ads: Staventabs at none against Notation's shown. Notation's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Staventabs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Notation sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Staventabs ships an update every 3 weeks, Notation weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Staventabs | Notation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **70** | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 123 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ivan Korovin](https://appshunter.io/developer/937929054) | [凯 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879659677) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Notation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-sheet-music-maker/id6774178274)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription · NotationAI | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Lifetime Access · NotationAI | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Staventabs free?

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

### Is Notation free?

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

### Do Staventabs or Notation have ads?

Notation shows ads; Staventabs does not.

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

Staventabs ships an update every 3 weeks, and Notation weekly. Most recently, Staventabs was updated on September 28, 2026 and Notation on September 10, 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.*