# Staventabs vs Symphony

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Staventabs | Symphony |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539/reviews) | **[4.4 (517 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symphony-music-notation/id951251308/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 71 | **517** |
| Positive reviews | 64.8% of reviews | **79.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 123 MB | 279 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ivan Korovin](https://appshunter.io/developer/937929054) | [Xenon Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/327764518) |

## 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


### Symphony

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symphony-music-notation/id951251308)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Edition: Unlimited Projects & Exporting | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


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