# Staventabs vs CalmusNotation

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Staventabs at 65% against CalmusNotation's 0%. Staventabs also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (70 vs 5). CalmusNotation's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Staventabs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. CalmusNotation asks for nothing beyond the download.

CalmusNotation holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Staventabs has 70 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Staventabs's written reviews are positive against 0% of CalmusNotation's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Staventabs ships an update every 3 weeks, CalmusNotation every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Staventabs | CalmusNotation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539/reviews) | **[4.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmusnotation/id993026661/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **70** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **64.8% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 121 MB | 294 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ivan Korovin](https://appshunter.io/developer/937929054) | [Erki-tonlist sf](https://appshunter.io/developer/929321904) |

## 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


### CalmusNotation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmusnotation/id993026661)

Create and visualize musical compositions using AI-powered graphical notation. This app leverages advanced AI, inspired by NASA's Lisp programming, to generate original music based on user input and can display music from other compatible apps for live performance.

**Highlights:** AI-powered music composition, Graphical notation display, Real-time performance visualization, Lisp-based AI engine, User input-driven music creation, Integration with CalmusComposer and CalmusPlay

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Staventabs free?

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

### Is CalmusNotation free?

CalmusNotation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

CalmusNotation is rated higher. Staventabs averages 3.8 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while CalmusNotation averages 4.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do Staventabs or CalmusNotation have ads?

Neither Staventabs nor CalmusNotation shows ads.

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

Staventabs ships an update every 3 weeks, and CalmusNotation every 4 months. Most recently, Staventabs was updated on September 13, 2026 and CalmusNotation on June 5, 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.*