music notation software alternatives
there is no single best music notation software. MuseScore Studio is the free desktop choice, Dorico and Sibelius are built for professional engraving and both have free entry editions, Flat and Noteflight run in the browser with classroom tools, and notei runs in the browser with a theory assistant that reads your score. Finale is discontinued.
disclosure: notei is our product, and we publish this page, so we make one of the programs on it, which is why the list is alphabetical and unranked.
every fact about the other programs was checked against the vendor's own pages on .
- free desktop: MuseScore Studio, Dorico SE, Sibelius First.
- in the browser: Flat, Noteflight and notei.
- discontinued: Finale, since august 2024.
how to choose
pick a notation program by how you write; our guide to writing sheet music online lists what to check first. this page gives a neutral overview of the main options for writing sheet music today, including notei, which publishes this page. the table is alphabetical, and every fact in it comes from the vendor's own site on the date above.
if you want our ranking rather than a neutral overview, we publish ranked lists too, with notei's place in each disclosed: the best free music notation software, the best online music notation software and the best Finale alternatives.
the options at a glance
| software | where it runs | free option |
|---|---|---|
| Dorico | a desktop install for macOS and Windows, plus an iPad app; no browser version is listed. | Dorico SE is free forever, for up to eight players. Dorico for iPad is free for one or two players, four with a free Steinberg ID; an optional subscription unlocks larger ensembles and Engrave mode. |
| Finale | desktop software, with separate Windows and Mac editions; development has ended. | no free tier, and no longer sold. owners can still re-download installers for versions they bought. |
| Flat | runs in the browser with no install; native apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android are also available. | Flat Basic is free, limited to 15 scores and 30 instruments, with real-time collaboration and MusicXML/MIDI import. Flat Power removes the Flat logo from print and export. |
| MuseScore | MuseScore Studio is a desktop install for Windows 10+, macOS 11+ and Linux (AppImage and distro packages). the download page lists no browser version. scores can be saved to MuseScore.com. | MuseScore Studio is free with no limitations, under the GNU GPL. MuseScore.com accounts can be free or paid. |
| Noteflight | an online, browser-based editor. officially supported browsers: Chrome 54+, Safari 10.1+, Edge 80+, Firefox 51+ and Mobile Safari on iOS 15+. | Noteflight Basic is $0, with up to 10 scores and basic notation features. |
| notei | runs in your browser at app.notei.co, with nothing to install. | free forever: the full editor, real-instrument playback, MusicXML and MIDI export, and up to 10 scores in the cloud. PDF has a watermark, assistant credits are limited each month, and WAV is on paid tiers. you need a free account. |
| Sibelius | a desktop install plus mobile apps, with no browser-based editor listed. Avid's Cloud publishing lets others view and play a score in any browser. | Sibelius First is free and needs an Avid account; the download includes a 30-day Sibelius Ultimate trial. Avid's own pages give different staff limits: up to 8 staves on the comparison page, up to 4 on the mobile page. |
desktop scorewriters
the desktop scorewriters install on your computer and work without a connection once set up. MuseScore Studio is free with no feature limits. Sibelius First and Dorico SE are the free entry editions of two professional programs, with limits on how many staves or players a score can have, and paid editions above them. these are the strongest choices for detailed engraving.
Finale belongs to this group too, but MakeMusic stopped developing and selling it in august 2024. it still runs where it is installed. if you are leaving it, the Finale alternative guide explains how to export your scores as MusicXML and what to check afterwards.
browser-based editors
Flat and Noteflight run in a web browser, and so does notei, which suits shared computers and anyone who switches between machines. each has a free plan with a cap on how many scores you keep. they differ in what they add on top.
- Flat focuses on writing together, with real-time co-editing, native apps and classroom tools. notei vs Flat
- Noteflight pairs its editor with Hal Leonard's sheet music catalogue and a school edition. notei vs Noteflight
- notei builds a music theory assistant into the editor, which reads the open score and answers questions about it.
MuseScore also has a browser-side presence through MuseScore.com, which hosts and shares scores, but the editor itself is the desktop app. the notei vs MuseScore page sets the two side by side.
questions that narrow it down
do you need to write offline? a desktop scorewriter is the safer bet. will several people edit one score at the same time? Flat lists real-time co-editing on every plan. are you printing parts for a publisher? Dorico and Sibelius are both built for publication-quality engraving. is your main problem knowing what to write next, or why something sounds off? that is the gap notei was built for.
most of these programs read and write MusicXML, so trying one does not lock you in. notei's own import limits are listed on each comparison page.
common questions
what is the best free music notation software?
for a free desktop program with no feature limits, MuseScore Studio. Dorico SE and Sibelius First are free entry editions of professional programs, with limits on players or staves. Flat, Noteflight and notei have free plans that run in the browser.
which notation software works on a Chromebook?
the browser-based editors: Flat, Noteflight and notei. Sibelius also offers an Android app that runs on Chromebooks. MuseScore Studio and Dorico list no ChromeOS version. see music notation on a Chromebook.
is Finale still available?
no. MakeMusic stopped developing and selling Finale in august 2024. it still runs where it is installed, and the Finale alternative guide explains how to move your scores out.
can I switch notation programs without losing my scores?
mostly. nearly every program here reads and writes MusicXML, so export your scores as MusicXML and open them in the new program, then check ties, tuplets and tempo markings, which are where programs differ most.
how this page is kept honest
notei makes one of the programs listed, so the order is alphabetical and there is no ranking. each comparison page says where the other program is better and links every fact to the vendor page it came from. if something here is out of date, write to hello@notei.co and we will correct it.