notei vs Dorico
pick Dorico if engraving quality and automatic layout matter most, or if you are leaving Finale, and try the free Dorico SE edition for scores of up to eight players first. pick notei if you want to write sheet music in a browser on any computer and ask a theory assistant about the score in front of you.
disclosure: notei is our product, and we publish this page, so we make one of the two programs it compares. the other column links to Steinberg's own pages, and the section on where Dorico is better is written to be read as plainly as the rest.
every fact about the other programs was checked against the vendor's own pages on .
- Steinberg's editor: automatic professional engraving, with a free SE edition for up to eight players.
- notei: a browser editor with a theory assistant that reads your score.
- scores move between them through MusicXML.
what each one is
Dorico is Steinberg's scorewriter for macOS and Windows, sold as Elements and Pro, with a free SE edition and an iPad app. Steinberg's pitch is that it lays music out "beautifully, completely automatically". notei is a notation editor that runs in the browser, so there is nothing to install, and you save scores to a free notei account.
Dorico 6 is the current version. it is a large, deep program built for people who engrave for a living as well as for students on the free edition, while notei is built around writing and understanding the music as you go.
side by side
each cell on the right links the Steinberg page it comes from. Steinberg's regional store showed prices in Swiss francs when we checked, so that is how they appear here.
| what we compared | notei | Dorico |
|---|---|---|
| runs in the browser / install required | runs in your browser at app.notei.co, with nothing to install. | a desktop install for macOS and Windows, plus an iPad app; no browser version is listed. (source) |
| free tier and its limits | 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. | 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. (source) |
| price of the paid tier | notei+ is $9/month and full score $18/month; students pay half ($4.50 and $9). this is early pricing and may change. | steinberg.net lists Dorico Elements 6 at 97.00 CHF and Dorico Pro 6 at 562.00 CHF (full versions). (source) |
| AI assistant or AI features | a built-in assistant that reads your open score. it answers theory questions, makes plain-language edits, and can harmonise, arrange or vary a line as editable notes. harmonise, arrange, extend, vary and feedback on your writing are on notei+ and full score only. | steinberg.net names no AI features for Dorico. it describes Dorico SE as "like an intelligent assistant" for its automatic layout. (source) |
| playback quality | sampled real instruments on every plan, the free one included. | hundreds of high-quality sounds, 30+ effects processors and a mixer; a Key Editor (piano roll) for shaping playback; VST 3 instruments. SE plays back through HALion Sonic. (source) |
| MusicXML import / export | opens MusicXML and MuseScore files as editable scores; MusicXML export is free on every plan. | imports and exports MusicXML. (source) |
| MIDI import / export | opens MIDI files as editable scores; MIDI export is free on every plan. | imports and exports MIDI; MIDI keyboard input. (source) |
| PDF export | PDF export on every plan, with a watermark on free and without one on paid plans. | exports PDF on every edition, including free SE and iPad. (source) |
| collaboration | no shared editing yet. your scores sync across the devices you sign in on. | no real-time co-editing is listed. projects are shared as files and open across desktop, iPad and every Dorico edition. (source) |
| mobile / Chromebook support | works on a Chromebook, a school laptop, a Mac, a Windows PC or a tablet, because it runs in the browser. there is no native mobile app. | an iPad app (free tier plus optional subscription). no Android, iPhone or Chromebook version is listed. (source) |
where Dorico is better
Dorico's strengths are in layout, arranging tools and depth, and the list below is taken from Steinberg's own pages.
- automatic professional engraving and layout, with deep customization in Dorico Pro.
- Dorico SE is free forever for up to eight players and includes a piano-roll Key Editor and VST 3 support.
- arranging tools: explode or reduce music across instruments, and voiced parts from chord symbols.
- an iPad app compatible with desktop projects.
- a discounted Dorico Pro crossgrade for Finale owners.
each point comes from the vendor's own pages, linked under sources at the end of this page.
for engraved parts, shaping playback in a piano-roll Key Editor, or a big ensemble on the free SE edition, Dorico is the program to try. Finale owners also get a crossgrade price on Dorico Pro, which the Finale alternative guide covers.
where notei is different
Steinberg names no AI features for Dorico, and describes Dorico SE as "like an intelligent assistant" only in the sense of its automatic layout. notei's assistant is a different thing: it reads the score you have open and answers music theory questions about it, and on the paid plans it can harmonise, arrange, extend or vary a passage as editable notes.
notei runs anywhere a modern browser does, a Chromebook included, where Dorico lists macOS, Windows and iPad. playback uses sampled real instruments on every notei plan, the free one included.
notei has no offline app and no iPad app, and its layout control is far simpler than Dorico's. if you print parts for a professional session, Dorico is the safer pick.
moving a score from Dorico to notei
Dorico imports and exports MusicXML, and notei opens MusicXML as an editable score, so export from Dorico and import the file in notei. MIDI works too, but it carries far less notation detail.
these are the limits of notei's import and export today.
- opening a MusicXML file: the importer reads no tuplets, no ties and no unpitched drums; every import opens at 120 BPM; a minor key arrives under its relative major's name.
- saving as MusicXML: export writes no ties and no tempo.
- PDF export: watermarked on Free; clean on notei+ and full score.
- scores kept in your account: Free keeps up to 10 scores in the cloud; paid tiers have no limit.
after the import, compare the two side by side, re-enter any ties and tuplets, and set the tempo. it also opens notei's MusicXML exports, for the other direction.
common questions
is Dorico free?
its entry edition is. the SE edition is free for scores of up to eight players, and Dorico for iPad is free for one or two players, or four with a free Steinberg ID. Elements and Pro are paid.
does Dorico run on a Chromebook?
no Chromebook version is listed. it runs on macOS and Windows, with an iPad app. on a Chromebook, a browser editor such as notei is the practical route.
how do I move a score from Dorico to notei?
export the score as MusicXML and open it in notei. read the import limits above first, then play the score back once and compare tied notes and triplets with the original.
sources
Dorico facts, from the vendor's own pages:
- steinberg.net/dorico/compare-editions
- steinberg.net/dorico/se
- steinberg.net/dorico/ipad
- steinberg.net/dorico
- finalemusic.com/blog/end-of-finale-new-journey-dorico-letter-from-president
notei facts, from notei.co:
Dorico and Steinberg are named here only to compare the products, and notei is not affiliated with either. Avid's program is compared on the notei vs Sibelius page, and the full list is under music notation software alternatives.
other comparisons: notei vs MuseScore, notei vs Flat, notei vs Noteflight, notei vs Sibelius and the Finale alternative guide, all on the notation software alternatives hub. related guides: the Finale alternative guide, write sheet music online.