Comparison of scorewriters

This is a comparison of music notation programs.

General information

Name Guitar tablature WYSIWYG editor MIDI entry[1] Playback File formats Developer(s) Stable release; review date License Cost (USD) Operating systems
Import Export
Canorus No Yes MIDI CanorusML,[lower-alpha 1] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] simple LilyPond[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] PDF Reinhard Katzmann, Matevž Jekovec, Georg Rudolph 0.7.1; 21 April 2013 GPL Free Linux
Denemo Yes WYSIWYM Step-time MIDI Denemo,[lower-alpha 5] limited LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] WAV, Ogg, PDF, PNG, Jeremiah Benham, Richard Shann 2.2.0; 24 July 2017 GPL Free Windows, macOS, Linux
Frescobaldi No Yes MIDI LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] PDF Wilbert Berendsen 2.20.0; 17 February 2017 GPL Free Windows, macOS, Linux
Impro-Visor No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI Impro-Visor[lower-alpha 6] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PDF Bob Keller 9.1; 19 June 2017 GPL Free Windows, macOS, Linux
LilyPond Yes No No MIDI LilyPond;[lower-alpha 4] using converters: ABC,[lower-alpha 7] ETF,[lower-alpha 8] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] PDF, PNG, PS, SVG Han-Wen Nienhuys, Jan Nieuwenhuizen 2.18.2; 17 March 2014 GPL Free Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD
MuseScore Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts, SFZ MuseScore,[lower-alpha 9] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 10] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 11] MuseData,[lower-alpha 12] Bagpipe Music Writer,[lower-alpha 13] Band-in-a-Box,[lower-alpha 14] Overture,[lower-alpha 15] Capella,[lower-alpha 16] CapXML,[lower-alpha 17] Guitar Pro (versions 1–6),[lower-alpha 18] PDF (experimental), ABC[lower-alpha 7] (with plugin) MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 10] PDF, PNG, SVG, MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV, FLAC, Ogg, MP3 Werner Schweer and others 2.3.2; 31 July 2018 GPL v2 Free Windows, macOS, Linux
MusiCAD No Yes MIDI MusiCAD,[lower-alpha 19] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ABC[lower-alpha 7] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ABC,[lower-alpha 7] PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP Musys Software 4.0 Proprietary Free,[3] license for €45 Windows
Musink No WYSIWYM MIDI Musink[lower-alpha 20] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PDF, PNG, XPS Lee Reid 1.2 Proprietary Free Windows
MusiXTeX Yes No No No TeX (incl. PMX and M-Tx),[lower-alpha 21] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] (with converters) DVI,[lower-alpha 22] PS, PDF, MIDI[lower-alpha 3] (for PMX input) Daniel Taupin, Ross Mitchell, Andreas Egler 1.26; 15 November 2017 GPL Free Windows, macOS, Linux
Philip's Music Writer Yes No No MIDI PMW[lower-alpha 23] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PS Philip Hazel 4.30; 15 June 2018 GPL Free Linux (older versions for RISC OS)
Power Tab Editor Yes Yes MIDI Power Tab,[lower-alpha 24] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 25] BMP, HTML Brad Larsen 1.0.0.175; 26 August 2006 Proprietary Free Windows
Rosegarden No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI Rosegarden,[lower-alpha 26] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Hydrogen[lower-alpha 27] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Csound,[lower-alpha 28] Mup,[lower-alpha 29] PDF Chris Cannam, Richard Bown, Guillaume Laurent 18.06; 6 June 2018 GPL Free Linux
ScoreCloud Studio No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] live audio MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV, PDF Doremir Music Research AB 4.0.2 Proprietary Freemium (no file saving), $139/yr for full version Windows, macOS, iOS
TuxGuitar Yes Yes MIDI TuxGuitar,[lower-alpha 30] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Guitar Pro (versions 1–6),[lower-alpha 18] Power Tab,[lower-alpha 24] TablEdit[lower-alpha 31] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Guitar Pro (versions 3–5),[lower-alpha 18] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 25] PDF Julian Gabriel Casadesus 1.5.2; 3 August 2018 LGPL Free Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD
Capella Yes Yes MIDI, VST Capella,[lower-alpha 16] CapXML,[lower-alpha 17] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] BMP, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, Truevision TGA, PCX, HTML Capella Software AG 7.1-37; 13 January 2017 Proprietary $228 Windows
Dorico No Yes Step-time MIDI, VST Dorico,[lower-alpha 32] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] WAV, MP3, PDF, PNG, TIFF, SVG Steinberg 2.1; 16 August 2018 Proprietary $559 Windows, macOS
Encore Yes Yes MIDI Encore,[lower-alpha 33] MusicTime,[lower-alpha 34] Rhapsody,[lower-alpha 35] Compressed MusicXML[lower-alpha 10] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Cakewalk MIDI,[lower-alpha 36] MadTracker 2,[lower-alpha 37] PDF Passport Music Software 5.0.4/5.0.7 Proprietary $280 Windows, macOS
Finale Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU,[4] Garritan library Finale,[lower-alpha 38] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV, MP3, AIFF, PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, EPS, BMP, GIF, PICT[4] MakeMusic 25.5; 23 November 2017 Proprietary $600 Windows, macOS
Forte Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST Forte,[lower-alpha 39] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] CapXML[lower-alpha 17] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] BMP, JPEG Lugert Verlag 9.2; 10 August 2018 Proprietary $229 Windows
Guitar Pro Yes Yes MIDI, RSE Guitar Pro (versions 1–7),[lower-alpha 18] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 10] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 25] Power Tab,[lower-alpha 24] TablEdit[lower-alpha 31] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 25] PNG, PDF, WAV Arobas Music 7.5.0 Proprietary $70 Windows, macOS, Linux
MagicScore Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts SFD,[lower-alpha 40] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 11] WAV, MP3 MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 11] WAV, MP3, PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, EMF, WMF Maestro Music Software 8 Proprietary $70 Windows
Mozart Yes Yes Real-time MIDI Mozart,[lower-alpha 41] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] BMP, EMF, GIF, JPEG, PBM, PNG, David Webber 14.0.12.0; 2 September 2018 Proprietary $155 Windows
Mus2 No Yes MIDI Mus2[lower-alpha 42] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] AIFF, WAV, PDF, SVG, BMP, JPEG, PNG, Utku Uzmen (Data-Soft Ltd.) 2.1.5 Proprietary $60 Windows, macOS
MusicEase Yes Yes MIDI MusicEase,[lower-alpha 43] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ABC,[lower-alpha 7] SongWright[lower-alpha 44] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PDF MusicEase Software 9.0 Proprietary $250 Windows, macOS
Notation Composer No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts Notation,[lower-alpha 45] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 10] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke[lower-alpha 11] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 10] PDF, MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 11] PNG, BMP, JPEG, GIF, WAV, FLAC, Ogg, MP3 Notation Software 3.1.1; 27 February 2018 Proprietary $98 Windows
NoteWorthy Composer Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI NWC,[lower-alpha 46] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke[lower-alpha 11] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] NoteWorthy Software 2.75a.2; 2017 Proprietary $49 Windows
Notion Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 10] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Guitar Pro[lower-alpha 18] (versions 4–5) MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV PreSonus 6.3; 13 December 2017 Proprietary $149 Windows, macOS, iOS (iPad)
Overture Yes Yes MIDI, VST Overture,[lower-alpha 15] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Score Writer,[lower-alpha 47] Encore[lower-alpha 33] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV Geniesoft 5.5.2-5; 1 May 2018 Proprietary $249 Windows, macOS
Sibelius Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU,[4] Avid library Sibelius,[lower-alpha 48] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] MP3, PDF, SVG, EPS, PNG, Avid Technology Inc. 2018.6; 26 June 2018 Proprietary $599, or $239/yr Windows, macOS, RISC OS
SmartScore Pro Yes Yes MIDI SmartScore,[lower-alpha 49] scanned images, MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] NIFF[lower-alpha 50] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Finale,[lower-alpha 38] NIFF,[lower-alpha 50] PDF Musitek Corporation 10.5.8; June 2015 Proprietary $399 Windows, macOS
Name Guitar tablature WYSIWYG editor MIDI entry[1] Playback Import Export Developer(s) Stable release; review date License Cost (USD) Operating systems
File formats

File formats and extensions

  1. ↑ Canorus native format, .can
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 MusicXML, open standard XML-based music notation exchange format, .xml or (version 3.1 or later) .musicxml
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 Standard MIDI file format, .mid or .midi
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 LilyPond plain text native format, .ly
  5. ↑ Denemo native format, .denemo
  6. ↑ Impro-Visor native format, .ls
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 ABC plain text format, .abc
  8. ↑ Finale Enigma Transport Format, .etf[2]
  9. ↑ MuseScore native format, .mscz; uncompressed XML-based format, .mscx; style sheet, .mss; score album, .album
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 MusicXML version 2.0 or later, compressed as a ZIP, .mxl
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Standard MIDI file format including standard MIDI lyrics, used for karaoke, .kar
  12. ↑ MuseData project format, .md
  13. ↑ Bagpipe Music Writer native format, .bww
  14. ↑ Band-in-a-Box native format, .mgu or .sgu
  15. 1 2 Overture native format, .ove
  16. 1 2 Capella native format, binary file, .cap
  17. 1 2 3 Capella native format, compressed ZIP containing XML, .capx
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Guitar Pro native format version 1–2, .gtp; version 3, .gp3; version 4, .gp4; version 5, .gp5; version 6, .gpx; version 7, .gp
  19. ↑ MusiCAD plain text native format, .mc
  20. ↑ Musink native format, .musink
  21. ↑ PMX, preprocessor language for MusixTeX, .pmx; M-Tx, processor for PMX, .mtx
  22. ↑ TeX device independent file format, .dvi
  23. ↑ Philip's Music Writer native format, huamn-readable text, .pmw
  24. 1 2 3 Power Tab Editor native format, .ptb
  25. 1 2 3 4 ASCII tablature plain text format, .txt, .tab, or .btab
  26. ↑ Rosegarden native format, .rg
  27. ↑ Hydrogen drum machine song XML file format, .h2song
  28. ↑ Csound audio domain-specific language format, without orchestra data, .csd
  29. ↑ Music Publisher Score file format, .mup
  30. ↑ TuxGuitar native format, .tg
  31. 1 2 TablEdit native format, .tef
  32. ↑ Dorico native format, .dorico
  33. 1 2 Encore native format, .enc
  34. ↑ MusicTime (by the same developer as Encore) native format, .mto
  35. ↑ Rhapsody (by the same developer as Encore) native format, .rhp
  36. ↑ Cakewalk MIDI file format, .mff
  37. ↑ Madtracker 2 sample file format, .mts
  38. 1 2 Finale native format, .mus (2012 and earlier) or .musx (2014 and later)
  39. ↑ Forte native format, .fnf
  40. ↑ Maestro software family native format, .sfd
  41. ↑ Mozart native format, .mz
  42. ↑ Mus2 notation and tuning file format, .mus2, .mu2
  43. ↑ MusicEase native format, .mez
  44. ↑ SongWright native format, .sw
  45. ↑ NoteSoft file, Notation Software native format, .not
  46. ↑ NoteWorthy Composer native format, .nwc or .nwctxt
  47. ↑ Score Writer (by the same developer as Overture) native format, .scw
  48. ↑ Sibelius (software) native format, .sib
  49. ↑ SmartScore native format, .enf
  50. 1 2 Notation Interchange File Format, .nif

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 When entering notes, "step-time" means one first selects the note duration then enters notes and chords one a time, while "real-time" means one plays the notes to enter with correct rhythm and the software recognizes the note durations.
  2. ↑ "An incomplete description of the Enigma Transport Format". LilyPond.org. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  3. ↑ Prompt to purchase license appears when saving. See Tryware and Restrictions for full details.
  4. 1 2 3 Mac version only
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