Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

StaffPad VS Dorico

Compare StaffPad VS Dorico and see what are their differences

StaffPad logo StaffPad

Write music naturally on your Windows Surface Tablet.

Dorico logo Dorico

Dorico redefines the gold standard in scoring software.
  • StaffPad Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-16
  • Dorico Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-26

StaffPad features and specs

  • Handwritten Input
    Allows users to compose music with a stylus, converting handwritten notation into digital sheet music.
  • Playback and Interpretation
    Offers high-quality playback with realistic instrument sounds, helping composers to fine-tune their work and hear it as intended.
  • Ease of Use
    Designed with an intuitive interface suitable for touch screen devices, making it accessible for both amateur and professional composers.
  • Synchronization
    Enables synchronization across devices, allowing users to work on their compositions from various platforms seamlessly.
  • Feature Rich
    Includes a variety of tools and features such as dynamics, articulations, and other music notations, supporting comprehensive music composition.

Possible disadvantages of StaffPad

  • Platform Limitations
    Primarily designed for specific platforms like Windows tablets, which may exclude users using other operating systems or devices.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its intuitive design, there might be a learning curve for users unfamiliar with digital music notation software.
  • Cost
    StaffPad is a paid app, which might not be ideal for hobbyists or those with budget constraints looking for free alternatives.
  • Resource Intensive
    Requires a powerful device to run smoothly, which could be a hindrance for users with older or less powerful hardware.
  • Limited Integration
    May have limited integration with other music production software, which can be a challenge for users needing to use multiple tools.

Dorico features and specs

  • Advanced Notation Features
    Dorico offers a highly sophisticated set of notation features, enabling complex score creation for composers, arrangers, and music educators.
  • Intelligent Layout
    The software automatically adjusts the score layout to optimize readability and reduce manual editing time, ensuring a professional look for printed scores.
  • User-friendly Interface
    Despite its powerful capabilities, Dorico is designed with an intuitive interface that makes it accessible even to newcomers in music notation software.
  • Flexible Workflow
    Dorico supports a highly flexible workflow by allowing seamless switching between writing, engraving, and playback modes, catering to various stages of score development.
  • Integrated Playback
    The software includes a robust playback engine with realistic virtual instruments, allowing composers to hear their work as they write it.

Possible disadvantages of Dorico

  • High Cost
    Dorico is relatively expensive compared to some other music notation software, which might be a barrier for students and hobbyists.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    While Dorico is intuitive, its vast array of features can be overwhelming for new users, requiring a significant time investment to master.
  • Resource Intensive
    The software requires a relatively powerful computer to run efficiently, which can be a limitation for those with older machines.
  • Limited Third-party Integration
    Compared to some competitors, Dorico has fewer options for integrating with other music production and editing software tools.
  • Lesser Known
    Dorico is not as widely used as some other notation software, which can make finding community support and resources more challenging.

StaffPad videos

StaffPad and Reader for iPad review

More videos:

  • Review - StaffPad Review
  • Review - StaffPad Review - Write Music on Your Tablet - On Microsoft Surface Pro 3

Dorico videos

Music Software & Interface Design: Steinberg's Dorico

More videos:

  • Review - Dorico Review (My First Impressions Switching from Sibelius)
  • Review - Why Is Dorico 3 Special?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to StaffPad and Dorico)
Music Tools
34 34%
66% 66
Music
37 37%
63% 63
Audio & Music
36 36%
64% 64
Musician Tools
41 41%
59% 59

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare StaffPad and Dorico

StaffPad Reviews

Best music notation software 2022
StaffPad (opens in new tab) This clever app turns your messy scribbles into engraved compositions. Using a smart pen and touchscreen device, you can write notes directly onto the staves and the software will turn them into a properly formatted composition. It’s not the cheapest app out there, but it probably has the most accurate handwriting interpretation tools. If you’re...

Dorico Reviews

The 10 Best Music Writing Software Programs (2022)
Its professional design and easy-to-use interface are impressive. Furthermore, Dorico Pro 2 provides a smart layout and instrumental adjustments while you write and compose with a vast playback library of almost 1500 sounds.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Dorico seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

StaffPad mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of StaffPad yet. Tracking of StaffPad recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Dorico mentions (2)

  • Worth buying nuraphones?
    Absolutely love mine. Excellent sound quality unmatched by any other headphones that I've used below, at, and even slightly above their price range -- and by "unmatched," I mean it isn't even close. The Nuras are phenomenal, period. I use mine regularly, for both listening enjoyment and orchestral music composition with Dorico and Spitfire Symphony Orchestra. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Music Software and Bad Interface Design: Avid’s Sibelius
    Well, the founders of Sibelius started another music notation software called Dorico[1]. Is Dorico's UI more consistent? Does it address many of the issues of this video's criticism? Or put another way, does being a green-field software project allow the freedom to create a sane UI? Or did it have to deliberately copy may of Sibelius' faults so migrating users can quickly get up to speed with Dorico? (Analogous... - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing StaffPad and Dorico, you can also consider the following products

Finale - Finale, the world standard for music notation software, lets you compose, arrange, notate, and print engraver-quality sheet music.

MuseScore - Our goal is to let musicians from all over the world create and share their works, as well as to make learning music exciting, easy and available for all.

Sibelius - Sibelius is a virtual score creation tool which allows composers to easily create new piano scores, developed by Avid.

forScore - With forScore, your sheet music has never been better—it’s everything you can do with paper, and so much more.

Guitar Pro - Create, play and share your tabs

Flat - Online collaborative music score and tab editor, accessible from any device