Software:Comparison of scorewriters

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This is a comparison of music notation programs.

General information

Name Guitar tablature WYSIWYG editor MIDI entry[lower-alpha 1] Playback File formats Developer(s) Stable release; review date License Cost Operating systems
Import Export
Canorus No Yes MIDI CanorusML,[lower-alpha 2] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] simple LilyPond[lower-alpha 5] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 5] PDF Reinhard Katzmann, Matevž Jekovec, Georg Rudolph 0.7.3; 18 June 2018 (6 years ago) (2018-06-18) Since 0.7.3: GPL-3.0-only
0.1.0 to 0.7.2: GPL-2.0-only 		No cost Linux
Capella Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, SoundFonts Capella,[lower-alpha 6] CapXML,[lower-alpha 7] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] BMP, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, Truevision TGA, PCX, HTML capella-software AG 9.0-12; 12 December 2023 (11 months ago) (2023-12-12) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Denemo Yes Yes Step-time MIDI Denemo,[lower-alpha 8] limited LilyPond,[lower-alpha 5] MusicXML[lower-alpha 3] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 5] MusicXML, WAV, Ogg, PDF, PNG, MIDI Jeremiah Benham, Richard Shann 2.6.0; 11 March 2022 (2 years ago) (2022-03-11) GPL-3.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
Dorico Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST Dorico,[lower-alpha 9] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] WAV, MP3, PDF, PNG, TIFF, SVG Steinberg 5.1.10; 18 January 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-01-18) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Early Notation Typesetter No Yes No No ENT[lower-alpha 10] ENT,[lower-alpha 10] PDF Samuel Gossner, Daniel West, Dieter Theuns 0.9.6; 20 October 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-10-20) Proprietary No charge for single font Windows, macOS, Linux
Encore Yes Yes MIDI Encore,[lower-alpha 11] MusicTime,[lower-alpha 12] Rhapsody,[lower-alpha 13] Compressed MusicXML[lower-alpha 14] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Cakewalk MIDI,[lower-alpha 15] Master Tracks Pro,[lower-alpha 16] PDF Passport Music Software 5.0.4 (Windows); 5.0.7 (macOS); 2015 (9 years ago) (2015) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Finale Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU,[lower-alpha 17] Garritan library Finale,[lower-alpha 18] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] WAV, MP3, AIFF, PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, EPS, BMP, GIF, PICT[lower-alpha 17] MakeMusic, Inc. 27.4; 29 November 2023 (11 months ago) (2023-11-29) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Forte Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST Forte,[lower-alpha 19] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] CapXML[lower-alpha 7] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] BMP, JPEG Lugert Verlag GmbH 12; 2020 (4 years ago) (2020) Proprietary Non-free Windows
Frescobaldi No WYSIWYM MIDI LilyPond,[lower-alpha 5] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] ABC MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] PDF Wilbert Berendsen 3.3.0; 26 March 2023 (19 months ago) (2023-03-26) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
Guitar Pro Yes Yes MIDI, RSE Guitar Pro (versions 1–7),[lower-alpha 20] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 14] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 21] Power Tab,[lower-alpha 22] TablEdit[lower-alpha 23] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 21] PNG, PDF, WAV Arobas Music 8.1; 27 March 2023 (19 months ago) (2023-03-27) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS, Linux
Impro-Visor No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI Impro-Visor[lower-alpha 24] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] PDF Bob Keller 10.2; 1 August 2019 (5 years ago) (2019-08-01) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
LilyPond Yes No No MIDI LilyPond;[lower-alpha 5] using converters: ABC,[lower-alpha 25] ETF,[lower-alpha 26] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML[lower-alpha 3] PDF, PNG, PS, SVG Han-Wen Nienhuys, Jan Nieuwenhuizen 2.24.3; 19 November 2023 (12 months ago) (2023-11-19) GPL-3.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD
MagicScore Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts SFD,[lower-alpha 27] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 28] WAV, MP3 MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 28] WAV, MP3, PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, EMF, WMF Maestro Music Software 8.280; 2017 (7 years ago) (2017) Proprietary Non-free Windows
Mozart Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI Mozart,[lower-alpha 29] MusicXML[lower-alpha 3] NIFF[lower-alpha 30] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] Karaoke[lower-alpha 28] ABC[lower-alpha 25] MusicXML[lower-alpha 3] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] ABC,[lower-alpha 25] BMP, EMF, GIF, JPEG, PBM, PNG, TIFF Mozart Music Software 16.1.1; October 2023 (1 year ago) (2023-10) Proprietary Non-free Windows
Mus2 No Yes MIDI Mus2[lower-alpha 31] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] AIFF, WAV, PDF, SVG, BMP, JPEG, PNG, Utku Uzmen (Data-Soft Ltd.) 3.2.3; November 2022 (2 years ago) (2022-11) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
MuseScore Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts, SFZ MuseScore,[lower-alpha 32] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 14] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 28] MuseData,[lower-alpha 33] Bagpipe Music Writer,[lower-alpha 34] Band-in-a-Box,[lower-alpha 35] Overture,[lower-alpha 36] Capella,[lower-alpha 6] CapXML,[lower-alpha 7] Guitar Pro (versions 1–6),[lower-alpha 20] Power Tab (experimental),[lower-alpha 22] PDF (experimental), ABC[lower-alpha 25] (with plugin) MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 14] PDF, PNG, SVG, MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] WAV, FLAC, Ogg, MP3 The MuseScore developer community 4.2.1; 24 January 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-01-24) GPL-3.0-only for desktop tools; online and mobile tools are proprietary and freemium No cost for most tools Windows, macOS, Linux
MusiCAD No Yes MIDI MusiCAD,[lower-alpha 37] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] ABC[lower-alpha 25] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] ABC,[lower-alpha 25] PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP Musys Software 4.0; 1 May 2015 (9 years ago) (2015-05-01) Proprietary Prompt to purchase license appears when saving[2] Windows
MusicEase Yes Yes MIDI MusicEase,[lower-alpha 38] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] ABC,[lower-alpha 25] SongWright[lower-alpha 39] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] PDF MusicEase Software 10.1c; August 2023 (1 year ago) (2023-08) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Musink No WYSIWYM MIDI Musink[lower-alpha 40] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] PDF, PNG, XPS Lee Reid 1.3.0.3 Proprietary No cost Windows, macOS
MusiXTeX Yes No No No TeX (incl. PMX and M-Tx),[lower-alpha 41] MusicXML[lower-alpha 3] (with converters) DVI,[lower-alpha 42] PS, PDF, MIDI[lower-alpha 4] (for PMX input) Daniel Taupin, Ross Mitchell, Andreas Egler 1.37; 7 October 2023 (13 months ago) (2023-10-07) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
Notation Composer No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts Notation,[lower-alpha 43] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 14] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Karaoke[lower-alpha 28] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 14] PDF, MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 28] PNG, BMP, JPEG, GIF, WAV, FLAC, Ogg, MP3 Notation Software 4.0.3; 2022 (2 years ago) (2022) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS, Linux
NoteWorthy Composer Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI NWC,[lower-alpha 44] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Karaoke[lower-alpha 28] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] NoteWorthy Software 2.75a.2; 2017 (7 years ago) (2017) Proprietary Non-free Windows
Notion Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 14] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Guitar Pro[lower-alpha 20] (versions 4–5) MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] WAV PreSonus 6.8.2; 24 August 2021 (3 years ago) (2021-08-24) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS, iOS (iPad)
Overture Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU[lower-alpha 17] Overture,[lower-alpha 36] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Score Writer,[lower-alpha 45] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] WAV, MP3 Sonic Scores 5.6.1.1; 2 December 2019 (4 years ago) (2019-12-02) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Philip's Music Writer Yes No No MIDI PMW[lower-alpha 46] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] PS Philip Hazel 5.22; 21 December 2023 (11 months ago) (2023-12-21) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Linux (older versions for RISC OS)
Power Tab Editor Yes Yes MIDI Power Tab,[lower-alpha 22] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 21] BMP, HTML Brad Larsen 1.0.0.175; 26 August 2006 (18 years ago) (2006-08-26) Proprietary No cost Windows
Rosegarden No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI Rosegarden,[lower-alpha 47] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Hydrogen[lower-alpha 48] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 5] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Csound,[lower-alpha 49] Mup,[lower-alpha 50] PDF Chris Cannam, Richard Bown, Guillaume Laurent 23.12; 6 December 2023 (11 months ago) (2023-12-06) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Linux
SCORE Yes No Step-time MIDI SCORE (.mus) EPS Leland Smith,
San Andreas Press 		5.01; 1 November 2013 (11 years ago) (2013-11-01) Proprietary Non-free MS-DOS
Windows
ScoreCloud Studio No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] live audio MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] WAV, PDF Doremir Music Research AB 4.7.12; January 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-01) Proprietary Free without file saving Windows, macOS, iOS
Sibelius Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU,[lower-alpha 17] Avid library Sibelius,[lower-alpha 51] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] MP3, PDF, SVG, EPS, PNG, Avid Technology, Inc. 2023.11; 30 November 2023 (11 months ago) (2023-11-30) Proprietary No cost up to 4 staves[3] Windows, macOS, RISC OS, iOS
SmartScore 64 Yes Yes MIDI SmartScore,[lower-alpha 52] scanned images, MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] NIFF[lower-alpha 30] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Finale,[lower-alpha 18] NIFF,[lower-alpha 30] PDF Musitek Corporation 11.5.100; April 2023 (1 year ago) (2023-04) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
TuxGuitar Yes Yes MIDI TuxGuitar,[lower-alpha 53] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Guitar Pro (versions 1–6),[lower-alpha 20] Power Tab,[lower-alpha 22] TablEdit[lower-alpha 23] MIDI,[lower-alpha 4] Guitar Pro (versions 3–5),[lower-alpha 20] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 5] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 21] PDF Julian Gabriel Casadesus 1.6.0; 16 September 2023 (14 months ago) (2023-09-16) LGPL-2.1-only No cost Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD
Name Guitar tablature WYSIWYG editor MIDI entry[lower-alpha 1] Playback Import Export Developer(s) Stable release; review date License Cost Operating systems
File formats

File formats and extensions

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 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. ↑ Canorus native format, .can
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 MusicXML, open standard XML-based music notation exchange format, .xml or (version 3.1 or later) .musicxml
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36 4.37 4.38 4.39 4.40 4.41 4.42 4.43 4.44 4.45 4.46 4.47 Standard MIDI file format, .mid or .midi
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 LilyPond plain text native format, .ly
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Capella native format, binary file, .cap
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Capella native format, compressed ZIP containing XML, .capx
  8. ↑ Denemo native format, .denemo
  9. ↑ Dorico native format, .dorico
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Early notation typesetter native format, .ent
  11. ↑ Encore native format, .enc
  12. ↑ MusicTime (by the same developer as Encore) native format, .mto, .mus (different to Finale .mus)
  13. ↑ Rhapsody (by the same developer as Encore) native format, .rhp
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 MusicXML version 2.0 or later, compressed as a ZIP, .mxl
  15. ↑ Cakewalk MIDI file format, .mff[clarification needed]
  16. ↑ Master Tracks Pro (by the same developer as Encore) native format, .mts
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Mac version only
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Finale native format, .mus (2012 and earlier) or .musx (2014 and later)
  19. ↑ Forte native format, .fnf
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Guitar Pro native format version 1–2, .gtp; version 3, .gp3; version 4, .gp4; version 5, .gp5; version 6, .gpx; version 7, .gp
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 ASCII tablature plain text format, .txt, .tab, or .btab
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Power Tab Editor native format, .ptb
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 TablEdit native format, .tef
  24. ↑ Impro-Visor native format, .ls
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 ABC plain text format, .abc
  26. ↑ Finale Enigma Transport Format, .etf[1]
  27. ↑ Maestro software family native format, .sfd
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 28.6 Standard MIDI file format including standard MIDI lyrics, used for karaoke, .kar
  29. ↑ Mozart native format, .mz
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Notation Interchange File Format, .nif
  31. ↑ Mus2 notation and tuning file format, .mus2, .mu2
  32. ↑ MuseScore native format, .mscz; uncompressed XML-based format, .mscx; style sheet, .mss; score album, .album
  33. ↑ MuseData project format, .md
  34. ↑ Bagpipe Music Writer native format, .bww
  35. ↑ Band-in-a-Box native format, .mgu or .sgu
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Overture native format, .ove
  37. ↑ MusiCAD plain text native format, .mc
  38. ↑ MusicEase native format, .mez
  39. ↑ SongWright native format, .sw
  40. ↑ Musink native format, .musink
  41. ↑ PMX, preprocessor language for MusixTeX, .pmx; M-Tx, processor for PMX, .mtx
  42. ↑ TeX device independent file format, .dvi
  43. ↑ NoteSoft file, Notation Software native format, .not
  44. ↑ NoteWorthy Composer native format, .nwc or .nwctxt
  45. ↑ Score Writer (by the same developer as Overture) native format, .scw
  46. ↑ Philip's Music Writer native format, human-readable text, .pmw
  47. ↑ Rosegarden native format, .rg
  48. ↑ Hydrogen drum machine song XML file format, .h2song
  49. ↑ Csound audio domain-specific language format, without orchestra data, .csd
  50. ↑ Music Publisher Score file format, .mup
  51. ↑ Sibelius (scorewriter) native format, .sib
  52. ↑ SmartScore native format, .enf
  53. ↑ TuxGuitar native format, .tg

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "An incomplete description of the Enigma Transport Format". Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130503013630/http://lilypond.org/web/devel/misc/etfformat. Retrieved 29 December 2017. 
  2. ↑ Restrictions
  3. ↑ Version Comparison



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