# Virtual Technician vs Dorico

The clearest difference is rating: Dorico at 4.6 against Virtual Technician's 2.6. Dorico also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 9). Virtual Technician's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dorico sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Virtual Technician asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dorico holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dorico has 2.3K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Virtual Technician's written reviews are positive against 55% of Dorico's.

Virtual Technician ships an update every 7 months, Dorico every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Virtual Technician | Dorico |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-technician/id948579667/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **2.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 38.7% of reviews | **55.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 975 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17 |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/448581784) | [Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/316698251) |

## What reviewers say

### Virtual Technician

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-technician/id948579667)

This app allows musicians to digitally adjust the sound, touch, and tuning of their Kawai digital piano. Shape the piano's character in real-time with an intuitive interface, learning about acoustic piano adjustments.

**Highlights:** Adjust sound, touch, and tuning, Simulates professional piano technician refinements, Shape piano character to personal preferences, Regulate hammer and key release noises, Fine-tune string, lid, and damper resonances, Intuitive iPad app interface, Learn acoustic piano characteristics

**In-app purchases:** none


### Dorico

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090)

Create professional music notation and compositions with this powerful app. Easily input notes, edit performances, and share your work in various formats. It's suitable for beginners and professionals alike.

**Highlights:** Compose music notation, On-screen keyboard, drum pads, fretboard, MIDI editing tools, PDF, audio, MusicXML export, Print to AirPrint, Read mode with annotation, Automatic engraving

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dorico Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Dorico Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Dorico Lifetime Unlock | $119.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and full-featured notation app on iPad
- 👍 Seamless integration with desktop version
- 🚀 Efficient workflow with keyboard shortcuts
- 👍 Impressive engraving and layout capabilities
- 🚀 Comprehensive feature set for composing and arranging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription-only model, no option to purchase outright
- 🐛 Glitchy touch/scroll functionality
- 🐛 Inability to delete clefs or access certain settings
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on older iPad models

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening or editing projects
- Corrupted/lost files after app crashes
- Unresponsive keyboard and note input issues
- Scrolling and UI glitches, especially in Engrave mode
- Incompatibility with certain iPad models and iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Support for Apple Pencil and handwriting input
- Improved file management and organization
- Expanded audio unit/plugin integration
- More customization options for layout and engraving
- Ability to export/import flows and projects between iPad and desktop


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Virtual Technician free?

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

### Is Dorico free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Virtual Technician or Dorico?

Dorico is rated higher. Virtual Technician averages 2.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Dorico averages 4.6 from 2.3K ratings.

### Do Virtual Technician or Dorico have ads?

Neither Virtual Technician nor Dorico shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Virtual Technician or Dorico?

Virtual Technician ships an update every 7 months, and Dorico every 3 weeks. Most recently, Virtual Technician was updated on October 24, 2026 and Dorico on October 31, 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.*