From each vendor’s own pages
Sheet music scanner prices compared
- Free
- Audiveris (open-source desktop software). MuseScore’s online PDF import was announced as free with an upload limit (not verified).
- Subscriptions
- Soundslice from $5 a month, PlayScore 2 from $5.99 a month (Productivity; Professional $6.99), Scan2Notes $14.99 a month.
- Yearly licences
- ScanScore $9, $39 or $79, with no automatic renewal.
- Pay per line
- PlayableNotes, piano only: 50 free credits, then $10 for 100 lines.
Checked How we checkedPublished by PlayableNotes, one of the nine tools listed. Where a vendor doesn’t publish a price, we say so rather than guess. Prices are US dollars and change; follow the links before you buy.
Table 1
Prices and free tiers
| Tool | Price model | Paid price | Free tier and its limits | Platforms | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlayableNotesUs · piano only | One-time credit packs; 1 credit reads 1 line of music | $10 for 100 credits, $25 for 300, $70 for 1,000A typical piano page is 5 to 7 lines. No subscription; credits never expire. | 50 reading credits for a new account (about 7 to 10 piano pages). Playing, editing, exports and practice links are always free. | Web browser on phones, tablets and computers; also inside ChatGPT. No app to install. | Pricing | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model One-time credit packs; 1 credit reads 1 line of music A typical piano page is 5 to 7 lines. No subscription; credits never expire. Platforms Web browser on phones, tablets and computers; also inside ChatGPT. No app to install. Sources Pricing |
| PlayScore 2Mobile and Windows app | Subscription (1 or 12 months), sold separately per platform | Productivity: $5.99/month or $34.99/year · Professional: $6.99/month or $59.99/yearUS App Store, which sells both as 1-month or 12-month subscriptions. PlayScore doesn’t publish prices on its site. | Free app plays a photographed page in unlimited staves and makes single-page playable documents. Multi-page, PDFs and exports need a subscription. | iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows (separate apps and subscriptions). Recognition runs on the device. | App Store listingPlayScore FAQ | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model Subscription (1 or 12 months), sold separately per platform US App Store, which sells both as 1-month or 12-month subscriptions. PlayScore doesn’t publish prices on its site. Platforms iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows (separate apps and subscriptions). Recognition runs on the device. Sources App Store listingPlayScore FAQ |
| SoundsliceWeb app | Subscription, monthly or yearly; cancel anytime | Plus: $5/month or $50/year · Teacher: $20/month or $200/yearScanning: Plus 100 pages a month, Teacher 200; up to 25 pages per scan. | Free plan: 2 trial scans a month, 1 page and 32 bars per scan. Exports need a paid plan. | Web browser on phones, tablets and computers; nothing to install. | PlansScanner page | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model Subscription, monthly or yearly; cancel anytime Scanning: Plus 100 pages a month, Teacher 200; up to 25 pages per scan. Platforms Web browser on phones, tablets and computers; nothing to install. Sources PlansScanner page |
| ScanScore 3Desktop software | One-year licence, no automatic renewal | Melody $9 · Ensemble $39 · Professional $79Melody reads 1 staff per system, Ensemble up to 4 (piano, SATB), Professional unlimited. | 14-day trial with Professional features; export and playback are limited. 30-day money-back guarantee on licences. | Windows 8 or later, macOS 10.12 or later; ScanScore Capture phone app for photos. | ProductsFAQ | |
| Sheet Music ScannerApp Sub 1 LLC (iOS, Android) | Free download with in-app subscriptions | In-app purchases from $4.99 to $34.99The US App Store lists ten; it doesn’t say which are monthly or yearly. | Free to download; free-tier limits not published. | iPhone, iPad and Apple-silicon Mac (App Store); Android (Google Play). | App Store listingGoogle Play | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model Free download with in-app subscriptions The US App Store lists ten; it doesn’t say which are monthly or yearly. Platforms iPhone, iPad and Apple-silicon Mac (App Store); Android (Google Play). Sources App Store listingGoogle Play |
| Scan2NotesKlangio | Subscription, or a one-off scan | Pro: $14.99/month or $74.99/year · single scan $4.99Prices from Klangio’s checkout. Pro is under a fair-use policy. | Demo scans without a login show the first 12 measures; demo export is PDF only. 14-day money-back guarantee. | Web browser on computers and phones (not in Klangio’s app list). | Scan2Notes pageDemo vs full | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model Subscription, or a one-off scan Prices from Klangio’s checkout. Pro is under a fair-use policy. Platforms Web browser on computers and phones (not in Klangio’s app list). Sources Scan2Notes pageDemo vs full |
| NewzikNewzik (LiveScores) | Free, one-time Essentials, or Premium subscription or lifetime | Premium $44.99/year · Pro $9.99/month · Essentials $24.99 · Premium lifetime $179US App Store. Newzik’s site lists euro prices only (Premium €49.99/year). | Up to three scores and 10 LiveScore (recognised) pages in total. Premium has a free trial (length not stated). | iPhone and iPad apps; Newzik Web in any browser (Windows, macOS, Linux). | App Store listingNewzik app FAQ | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model Free, one-time Essentials, or Premium subscription or lifetime US App Store. Newzik’s site lists euro prices only (Premium €49.99/year). Platforms iPhone and iPad apps; Newzik Web in any browser (Windows, macOS, Linux). Sources App Store listingNewzik app FAQ |
| MuseScore PDF importMuse Group (NoteVision) | Announced (November 2025) as free with an upload limit; unlimited with MuseScore Pro Plus | Pro Plus price not confirmedMuseScore’s site didn’t load for us, so its upload limit and Pro Plus price are unconfirmed. | Announced as free “with limits on the number of uploads”; the limit isn’t stated and we couldn’t confirm it. | Online at musescore.com/import; MuseScore Studio’s Import PDF opens it. Studio runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. | Muse Group announcement | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model Announced (November 2025) as free with an upload limit; unlimited with MuseScore Pro Plus MuseScore’s site didn’t load for us, so its upload limit and Pro Plus price are unconfirmed. Platforms Online at musescore.com/import; MuseScore Studio’s Import PDF opens it. Studio runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Sources Muse Group announcement |
| AudiverisOpen source (AGPL-3.0) | Free, open-source desktop software | FreeNo paid plan. Budget time to install it and correct the result. | Everything; no limits. Long, multi-page scores are supported. | Windows, macOS, Linux. | GitHub project and licenceInstall | Price model, platforms and sourcesPrice model Free, open-source desktop software No paid plan. Budget time to install it and correct the result. Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux. |
Table 2
What each one reads and exports
“Reads” means the vendor says it recognises that kind of printed notation. None of these makes a promise of perfect accuracy, and we haven’t tested accuracy ourselves.
| Tool | Piano | Choir / SATB | Orchestra, band | Guitar tab | Handwriting | Exports | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlayableNotes | Yes: treble and bass staff together | No separate voice parts | No | No | No | PDF, MusicXML, MIDI (a track per hand). Free. | Support: reading |
| PlayScore 2 | Yes | Yes: SATB vocal scores | Yes: Chamber, band and orchestral | No, per its FAQ | Not published | MIDI (Productivity), MusicXML (Professional); “for noncommercial use only”. | PlayScore FAQFeatures |
| Soundslice | Yes, as two parts | Yes: Multi-part, lyrics; choir use named | Partly: Multi-part scores; orchestra not named | Yes: Standard guitar or bass tuning; tab-only with caveats | Partly: “Maybe”; best for engraved music | MusicXML, PDF, MIDI, MP3, Guitar Pro (paid plans). | Scanner pageSupported notationsExporting |
| ScanScore 3 | Yes (Ensemble or higher) | Yes: SATB on Ensemble | Yes: Professional, unlimited staves | No, per its FAQ | No, per its FAQ | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF and MP3 audio (paid licence); it also prints. | FAQProductsHome page (exports) |
| Sheet Music Scanner | Yes: Both hands | Yes: “All the choir voices” | Not published | No, per its site | No, per its site | MIDI, MusicXML, audio (M4A, MP3, WAV), PDF. | sheetmusicscanner.com |
| Scan2Notes | Yes | Vocals listed; choir not named | Strings and wind listed | Guitar listed; tab not stated | Not published | PDF, MusicXML, MIDI (MusicXML and MIDI need Pro). | Scan2Notes pageDownload formats |
| Newzik | Newzik doesn’t publish what kinds of notation it reads. | MusicXML and MIDI with Premium. | Newzik app FAQ | ||||
| MuseScore PDF import | Not published on the pages we could read. | An editable MuseScore file (MSCZ); MuseScore Studio then exports MusicXML, MIDI, PDF and audio. | Muse Group announcementMuseScore download | ||||
| Audiveris | Yes: Printed music | Yes: Printed multi-staff scores | Yes: Printed multi-staff scores | No: Detected only to be ignored | No, per its handbook | MusicXML, its own .omr project, PDF. No playback: open the MusicXML elsewhere. | LimitationsHandbook |
Which to pick for which job
Turn a piano page into a student’s version
PlayableNotes. Read a photo or PDF, fix it, ask for an easier left hand or another key, and send a practice link. Piano only; pay per line.
Hear any score on a phone, on the device
PlayScore 2. Piano, choir, band and orchestra, with recognition on the device. Subscription for PDFs and exports.
Guitar tab, or notation synced to a recording
Soundslice. Reads tab and chord diagrams, syncs with YouTube or your own audio, and has a full editor. Exports need a paid plan.
Correct a multi-staff score on a computer
ScanScore. Desktop editing, then MusicXML or MIDI for your notation program, or a PDF or MP3. Count staves per system before choosing an edition.
Free, open source, long scores
Audiveris. No cost and no limits, if you’re happy to install it and correct the recognition yourself. No playback.
You already work in MuseScore
MuseScore PDF import. Announced as free with an upload limit, straight into an editable MuseScore file. Check the current limit on musescore.com.
Comparing credits with subscriptions
Most scanners charge a subscription or a yearly licence. PlayableNotes charges per line of music read: 1 credit reads a treble and a bass staff together, across the page. A typical piano page has 5 to 7 lines, so it costs about 50–70¢ at the $10 pack rate and 35–49¢ with the 1,000-credit pack. New accounts get 50 credits free; editing, playback, exports and practice links never use credits.
If you read a few pieces a month, one-time credits usually cost less than a subscription. If you scan dozens of pages every month, a flat subscription can work out cheaper. Count your pages, then compare.
How we checked
On we read each vendor’s pricing, product and help pages, and the App Store listing for the mobile apps. Every row links to the pages used. We list US-dollar prices; app store prices can differ by country and platform. Where a vendor doesn’t publish something, the table says so. Scan2Notes’ prices come from its checkout. MuseScore’s site didn’t load for us, so its upload limit and Pro Plus price are unconfirmed.
We make PlayableNotes, so read the table with that in mind: every tool is described the way its own maker describes it. We did not run the tools against a shared test set, so this page says nothing about which reads most accurately. If something here is out of date, write to support@playablenotes.com and we’ll correct it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest sheet music scanner?
Audiveris is free, open-source desktop software, and MuseScore’s PDF import was announced in November 2025 as free with an upload limit (we couldn’t verify the current limit). Among paid tools, ScanScore Melody is $9 for a year but reads one staff per system; for piano, ScanScore Ensemble is $39 for a year. PlayableNotes gives 50 free credits and then sells one-time packs from $10 for 100 lines of piano music. Prices checked 22 October 2026.
Is there a free sheet music scanner?
Yes, with limits. Audiveris is free with no limits but no playback. MuseScore’s online PDF import was announced as free with an upload cap (not verified). Soundslice’s free plan includes 2 trial scans a month (1 page, 32 bars each), PlayScore 2’s free app plays a photographed page, Scan2Notes demos show the first 12 measures, Newzik’s free tier converts 10 pages in total, and PlayableNotes gives new accounts 50 reading credits.
Which sheet music scanners read guitar tab?
Soundslice reads tablature in standard guitar or 4-string bass tuning, best with a standard staff above it; tab on its own works with caveats. ScanScore, PlayScore 2 and Sheet Music Scanner say they don’t read tab, Audiveris ignores it, and PlayableNotes reads piano music only. Scan2Notes lists guitar among its instruments, but its page doesn’t say it reads tab.
Which scanners read choir or orchestra scores?
PlayScore 2 reads SATB vocal scores and chamber, band and orchestral music. ScanScore Ensemble reads up to four staves per system (enough for SATB), and Professional has no staff limit. Sheet Music Scanner reads choir voices, and Audiveris reads printed multi-staff scores. PlayableNotes reads piano music only.
Can any of them read handwritten music?
Don’t count on it. ScanScore, Sheet Music Scanner and Audiveris say they don’t read handwriting; Soundslice says “maybe” and that it works best for engraved music. PlayableNotes doesn’t support handwritten manuscripts.
Which ones work without an internet connection?
PlayScore 2 says recognition happens on your device, and Audiveris runs on your computer. ScanScore is desktop software, but its pages don’t say whether it needs a connection. Soundslice, Scan2Notes, MuseScore’s PDF import and PlayableNotes run online.
Is a subscription or pay-per-use cheaper?
It depends on how much you scan. A PlayableNotes piano page of 5 to 7 lines costs about 50 to 70¢ at the $10 pack rate, with no monthly fee. If you scan dozens of pages every month, a flat subscription such as Soundslice Plus (100 pages a month for $5) or PlayScore 2 (no monthly limit) can cost less.
How accurate are they?
We haven’t tested them against each other, so this page doesn’t rank accuracy. Every vendor tells you to check the result. Try the same page in two or three tools and count the corrections you need.
Read a piano page for free.
New accounts get 50 reading credits, about 7 to 10 typical piano pages. Check the reading, hear it, fix it, and make the version your student needs.
Try my piano page → Or open a free library piece
50 free reading credits. No card needed, no subscription.
