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 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 (2013-04-21) 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 5] CapXML,[lower-alpha 6] 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 9; 22 November 2021 (2021-11-22) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Denemo Yes Yes Step-time MIDI Denemo,[lower-alpha 7] limited LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] WAV, Ogg, PDF, PNG, Jeremiah Benham, Richard Shann 2.5.0; 3 March 2021 (2021-03-03) GPL-3.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
Dorico Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST Dorico,[lower-alpha 8] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] WAV, MP3, PDF, PNG, TIFF, SVG Steinberg 4.0.10; 2 February 2022 (2022-02-02) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Early Notation Typesetter No Yes No No ENT[lower-alpha 9] ENT,[lower-alpha 9] PDF Samuel Gossner, Daniel West, Dieter Theuns 0.9.6; 20 October 2020 (2020-10-20) Proprietary no charge for single font Windows, macOS, Linux
Encore Yes Yes MIDI Encore,[lower-alpha 10] MusicTime,[lower-alpha 11] Rhapsody,[lower-alpha 12] Compressed MusicXML[lower-alpha 13] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Cakewalk MIDI,[lower-alpha 14] Master Tracks Pro,[lower-alpha 15] PDF Passport Music Software 5.0.4/5.0.7 Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Finale Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU,[2] Garritan library Finale,[lower-alpha 16] 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[2] MakeMusic 27.2; 2 March 2022 (2022-03-02) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Forte Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST Forte,[lower-alpha 17] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] CapXML[lower-alpha 6] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] BMP, JPEG Lugert Verlag GmbH 12; 2020 (2020) Proprietary Non-free Windows
Frescobaldi No WYSIWYM MIDI LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] PDF Wilbert Berendsen 3.1.3; 25 December 2020 (2020-12-25) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
Guitar Pro Yes Yes MIDI, RSE Guitar Pro (versions 1–7),[lower-alpha 18] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 13] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 19] Power Tab,[lower-alpha 20] TablEdit[lower-alpha 21] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 19] PNG, PDF, WAV Arobas Music 7.6.0 Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS, Linux
Impro-Visor No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI Impro-Visor[lower-alpha 22] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PDF Bob Keller 10.2; 1 August 2019 (2019-08-01) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
LilyPond Yes No No MIDI LilyPond;[lower-alpha 4] using converters: ABC,[lower-alpha 23] ETF,[lower-alpha 24] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] PDF, PNG, PS, SVG Han-Wen Nienhuys, Jan Nieuwenhuizen 2.22.2; 22 February 2022 (2022-02-22) GPL-3.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD
MagicScore Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts SFD,[lower-alpha 25] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 26] WAV, MP3 MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 26] WAV, MP3, PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, EMF, WMF Maestro Music Software 8 Proprietary Non-free Windows
Mozart Yes Yes Real-time and step-time MIDI Mozart,[lower-alpha 27] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] NIFF[lower-alpha 28] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke[lower-alpha 26] ABC[lower-alpha 23] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] ABC,[lower-alpha 23] BMP, EMF, GIF, JPEG, PBM, PNG, TIFF Mozart Music Software 15.0.12.0; February 2022 (2022-02) Proprietary Non-free Windows
Mus2 No Yes MIDI Mus2[lower-alpha 29] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] AIFF, WAV, PDF, SVG, BMP, JPEG, PNG, Utku Uzmen (Data-Soft Ltd.) 2.1.5 Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
MuseScore Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts, SFZ MuseScore,[lower-alpha 30] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 13] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 26] MuseData,[lower-alpha 31] Bagpipe Music Writer,[lower-alpha 32] Band-in-a-Box,[lower-alpha 33] Overture,[lower-alpha 34] Capella,[lower-alpha 5] CapXML,[lower-alpha 6] Guitar Pro (versions 1–6),[lower-alpha 18] PDF (experimental), ABC[lower-alpha 23] (with plugin) MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 13] PDF, PNG, SVG, MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV, FLAC, Ogg, MP3 The MuseScore developer community 3.6.2; 8 February 2021 (2021-02-08) GPL-2.0-only No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
MusiCAD No Yes MIDI MusiCAD,[lower-alpha 35] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ABC[lower-alpha 23] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ABC,[lower-alpha 23] PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP Musys Software 4.0 Proprietary Prompt to purchase license appears when saving.[4] Windows
MusicEase Yes Yes MIDI MusicEase,[lower-alpha 36] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ABC,[lower-alpha 23] SongWright[lower-alpha 37] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PDF MusicEase Software 9.0 Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Musink No WYSIWYM MIDI Musink[lower-alpha 38] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PDF, PNG, XPS Lee Reid 1.2 Proprietary No cost Windows
MusiXTeX Yes No No No TeX (incl. PMX and M-Tx),[lower-alpha 39] MusicXML[lower-alpha 2] (with converters) DVI,[lower-alpha 40] PS, PDF, MIDI[lower-alpha 3] (for PMX input) Daniel Taupin, Ross Mitchell, Andreas Egler 1.30; 20 March 2020 (2020-03-20) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Windows, macOS, Linux
Notation Composer No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, SoundFonts Notation,[lower-alpha 41] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 13] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke[lower-alpha 26] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 13] PDF, MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke,[lower-alpha 26] PNG, BMP, JPEG, GIF, WAV, FLAC, Ogg, MP3 Notation Software 4.0.1; 2020 (2020) Proprietary Non-free Windows
NoteWorthy Composer Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI NWC,[lower-alpha 42] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Karaoke[lower-alpha 26] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] NoteWorthy Software 2.75a.2; 2017 (2017) Proprietary Non-free Windows
Notion Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] Compressed MusicXML,[lower-alpha 13] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Guitar Pro[lower-alpha 18] (versions 4–5) MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV PreSonus 6.8; 21 October 2020 (2020-10-21) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS, iOS (iPad)
Overture Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU,[2] Overture,[lower-alpha 34] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Score Writer,[lower-alpha 43] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] WAV, MP3 Sonic Scores 5.6.1.1; 2 December 2019 (2019-12-02) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
Philip's Music Writer Yes No No MIDI PMW[lower-alpha 44] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] PS Philip Hazel 4.51; 6 January 2021 (2021-01-06) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Linux (older versions for RISC OS)
Power Tab Editor Yes Yes MIDI Power Tab,[lower-alpha 20] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 19] BMP, HTML Brad Larsen 1.0.0.175; 26 August 2006 (2006-08-26) Proprietary No cost Windows
Rosegarden No Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI Rosegarden,[lower-alpha 45] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Hydrogen[lower-alpha 46] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Csound,[lower-alpha 47] Mup,[lower-alpha 48] PDF Chris Cannam, Richard Bown, Guillaume Laurent 21.12; 8 December 2021 (2021-12-08) GPL-2.0-or-later No cost Linux
SCORE Yes No Step-time MIDI SCORE (.mus) EPS Leland Smith,
San Andreas Press		 5.01; December 2013 (2013-12) Proprietary Non-free MS-DOS
Windows
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 4.1 Proprietary free without file saving Windows, macOS, iOS
Sibelius Yes Yes Step-time and real-time MIDI, VST, AU,[2] Avid library Sibelius,[lower-alpha 49] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI[lower-alpha 3] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] MP3, PDF, SVG, EPS, PNG, Avid Technology Inc. 2021.2; December 2020 (2020-12) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS, RISC OS
SmartScore Pro Yes Yes MIDI SmartScore,[lower-alpha 50] scanned images, MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] NIFF[lower-alpha 28] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Finale,[lower-alpha 16] NIFF,[lower-alpha 28] PDF Musitek Corporation 10.5.8; June 2015 (2015-06) Proprietary Non-free Windows, macOS
TuxGuitar Yes Yes MIDI TuxGuitar,[lower-alpha 51] MusicXML,[lower-alpha 2] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Guitar Pro (versions 1–6),[lower-alpha 18] Power Tab,[lower-alpha 20] TablEdit[lower-alpha 21] MIDI,[lower-alpha 3] Guitar Pro (versions 3–5),[lower-alpha 18] LilyPond,[lower-alpha 4] ASCII tab,[lower-alpha 19] PDF Julian Gabriel Casadesus 1.5.5; 12 February 2022 (2022-02-12) LGPL-2.1-only No cost Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD
Name Guitar tablature WYSIWYG editor MIDI entry[1] Playback Import Export Developer(s) Stable release; review date License Cost Operating systems
File formats

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

See also

Notes
  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. Mac version only
  3. "An incomplete description of the Enigma Transport Format". LilyPond.org. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  4. Restrictions
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