Comparison

Staventabs vs Symphony

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Staventabs

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
Read full description

A simple notation and tab editor, Staventabs could become your indispensable helper in music creation. Use smart and convenient tools of Staventabs for composing and improving scores on your iPad or iPhone. Get inspired by viewing majestic classics scores or practicing good old jazz. Easily edit sheet music and tablature with user friendly interface like never before. Share musical inspiration with your band using Staventabs files. Create music • Start your new score from the scratch or with one of the two dozen templates² • Enter notes with intuitive instrument-independent interface or virtual Piano Keyboard • Explore and edit your score with sophisticated Piano Roll and Drums Editor • Choose from 22 groups of the instruments (keyboards, guitars, strings, drums, percussions, etc.)² listening their preview fragments • Use context-sensitive selection for bars, chords and tracks • Modify notes with dots, tuplets and ties • Make your music alive with lyrics • Customize clefs, key signatures and time signatures for bars • Change dynamics • Switch between enharmonic equivalents of the notes • Use customizable voices • Setup tunings with the large value of presets • Navigate around the score with Tracks board • Easily copy, paste and remove selected areas • Switch fast between tablature and stave inputs • Edit tabs with easy-to-use numeric keypad or virtual Fingerboard • Input notes by Staff Positions • Set the visibility for instrument parts in the score • Edit title and information about creators • Select and customize horizontal, vertical or page layout for your score • Use Scientific or Helmholtz pitch notation when entering notes • Add repeat signs and volta brackets • Don’t worry about losing data thanks to auto-saving • Connect your MIDI devices to Staventabs Practice your songs • Play the whole composition or selected fragment • Customize metronome clicking and countdown • Change track’s audio properties on-the-fly • Loop the playback of the desired part Improve compositions • Mark non-playable objects with "Highlight issues" • Use the "Starred scales" AI to determine the chromatic scales most similar to the selected area • Adjust the semitones of the selected area notes to the chromatic scale • Customize the chromatic scale for adjustment³ • Diminish, augment and subdivide note values • Transpose pitches by semitones Manage projects • Browse your projects with convenient file manager • Store your compositions in iCloud Drive and keep them up-to-date across all your iOS devices • Create new projects and duplicate existing (up to three editable projects in free version)¹ • Listen to preview fragments of the scores directly from the files menu • Open SNT, MIDI, MusicXML, Compressed MusicXML (MXL), Guitar Pro (GPX, GP5, GP4, GP3) and Karaoke (KAR) files • Edit MIDI, MusicXML, MXL, Guitar Pro and Karaoke files¹ • Organize your files from a desktop computer using iTunes or iCloud Drive • Open files from Mail and other applications (Dropbox, Box, etc.) • Convert files between supported formats¹ Share your brand-new hits with friends • Email your scores and tabs right from Staventabs • Print your score¹ • Export to PDF and MPEG-4 AAC¹ Features marked with superscript numbers are available via the corresponding in-app purchases: ¹ Unlimited Projects ² Additional Instruments ³ Advanced Composing

About

Symphony

Create musical scores and compositions directly on your iPhone. This app offers tools for adding notes, chords, and lyrics, with multi-track playback and various export options for sharing your work.

Highlights
  • Multi-staff & multi-voice editor
  • On-screen piano for quick composition
  • Live, low-latency, multi-track playback
  • Import MIDI, XML, and Symphony files
  • Export as PDF, MIDI, MusicXML, or audio
  • Chord charts and lead sheets
  • Tablature and standard notation editing
Features
Read full description

Symphony is the premiere notation app and notepad for professional musicians, composers, and students alike, allowing to you create anything from piano sheet music to large orchestrations directly on your iPhone. The Pencil tool allows you to tap anywhere on the canvas to quickly add notes and chords with the multi-staff & multi-voice editor. Powerful editing features like vertical drag to transpose and On-Screen piano lets you compose even more quickly. Switch to the other Select tool to highlight one or more notes to modify duration, transpose, erase, cut, or paste multiple tracks & bars anywhere you want. To hear your performance, choose from 100+ acoustic instruments available for live, low-latency, multi-track playback. Import an existing Symphony/SP project or a MIDI/XML file to bring your music collection to life, with an interactive score display & interface optimized for the small screen. To send your work to a different editor or to a sheet music viewer, Symphony can print your score with AirPrint, share it as a PDF attachment, or as a MIDI, MusicXML, or audio file to DropBox and iCloud Drive. More Features: • Write notes using direct touch, an on-screen instrument, a MIDI input device, or even a QWERTY keyboard • Notate beautifully formatted chord charts & lead sheets using the Chord Symbol and Lyric tools. • Import MusicXML, MIDI, MXL, or Symphony files • Export as a PDF, MusicXML, MIDI, AAC, or Symphony file • Print the score from your iPad with AirPrint • Edit grace notes and percussion/drum set notation • Intuitive score and document navigation • Up to 15 instruments, 45 staves, 4 voices/layers per score • Record MIDI to notation in real-time using a click track • Backup & sync scores with iCloud • Edit tablature and standard music notation • Large selection of articulations & dynamics in the Expressions menu • Copy/Paste function can select multiple measures & staves, and cut single or multiple voices/layers • Unlimited undo and redo • Customizable stem directions & note beaming • Transposing instruments & concert pitch options • Change tempo or clef at any point in the score • Stream audio or share your screen wirelessly with AirPlay • Advanced document management support • Customizable part groupings for SATB and instrument families • Customizable chord symbol, lyric, and annotation font • Loop playback between a region selection • Auto-save For more info, please visit: • Product overview: http://symphonypro.net/iphone • Ask support questions by visiting forums.symphonypro.net • Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/symphonyapp ************************************************** • Symphony iPhone is now a paid app before download: – Free Edition users who have never upgraded can now enable Symphony: Full Edition by rating or reviewing the app

Screenshots

Staventabs4 screens
Symphony4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Staventabs at Free against Symphony's $4.99. Symphony's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (79% vs 65%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Staventabs is free to download; Symphony costs $4.99 up front. Staventabs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Symphony sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Symphony holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symphony has 517 ratings behind it against 71, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Staventabs's written reviews are positive against 79% of Symphony's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Staventabs ships an update every 3 weeks, Symphony every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Staventabs versus Symphony: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStaventabsSymphony
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating3.8 (71 ratings)4.4 (517 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.8% of reviews79.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings71517 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.410.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB279 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIvan KorovinXenon Labs, LLC

Customer experience

Staventabs

All ratings70 ratings
Positive65.7%
Neutral11.4%
Negative22.9%
Written reviews227 reviews
Positive64.8%
Neutral12.3%
Negative22.9%

Symphony

All ratings515 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews204 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral6.9%
Negative13.7%

User reviews

Staventabs

From 71 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Symphony

From 517 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 💡 Versatile features
  • 🎨 Great for composing on the go
  • 🎶 Helpful for learning music

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔀 Orientation and layout issues
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find features
  • 🎹 Limited MIDI and playback capabilities
  • 📄 Formatting and printing problems

Bugs and requests

Staventabs

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Symphony

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Notes stacking up when playing the piano
  • Disappearing score symbols after saving and exiting
  • Clef changes not showing up in the app
  • Playback issues with continuing mid-bar
  • Lag when re-entering the app

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for repeat marks and other advanced notation
  • Improve voice management and editing tools
  • Implement better file organization and folder support
  • Enhance MIDI and audio export options
  • Provide more customization and personalization settings

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Staventabs

One-time3
  • Advanced composing$9.99
  • Unlimited projects$10.99
  • Additional instruments$10.99
1 purchases

Symphony

One-time1
  • Full Edition: Unlimited Projects & ExportingFree

Questions

Is Staventabs free?
Staventabs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Symphony free?
Symphony costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Staventabs or Symphony?
Symphony is rated higher. Staventabs averages 3.8 out of 5 from 71 ratings, while Symphony averages 4.4 from 517 ratings.
Do Staventabs or Symphony have ads?
Neither Staventabs nor Symphony shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Staventabs or Symphony?
Staventabs ships an update every 3 weeks, and Symphony every 4 weeks. Most recently, Staventabs was updated on October 26, 2026 and Symphony on October 26, 2026.

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