Best LilyPond Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from music notation software ranked against LilyPond on the same published basis.
- 1LilyPond vs Flat
- 2LilyPond vs Fender Notion
- 3LilyPond vs Sibelius
- 4LilyPond vs MuseScore Studio
- 5LilyPond vs Noteflight
- 6LilyPond vs Dorico
- 8LilyPond vs ScoreCloud
- 9LilyPond vs TuxGuitar
- 10LilyPond vs DomiSol
- 11LilyPond vs Crescendo Music Notation Software
- 12LilyPond vs Guitar Pro
- 13LilyPond vs Denemo
- 14LilyPond vs Harmony Assistant
- 15LilyPond vs HarmonyBuilder
- 16LilyPond vs capella
- 17LilyPond vs SmartScore
- 18LilyPond vs Pizzicato
- 19LilyPond vs iWriteMusic
- 20LilyPond vs music21
- 21LilyPond vs MagicScore
LilyPond alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flat | 9.0 | Free plan | — | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Fender Notion | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| 3 | Sibelius | 8.5 | No | — | iOS, Mac, Web |
| 4 | MuseScore Studio | 8.5 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | Noteflight | 8.5 | No | $4.08/mo | Web |
| 6 | Dorico | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | iOS |
| 8 | ScoreCloud | 8.0 | Free plan | $5.99/mo | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS |
| 9 | TuxGuitar | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | DomiSol | 7.9 | Free plan | $10/mo | Android, API, iOS, Web |
| 11 | Crescendo Music Notation Software | 7.7 | No | $80/mo | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 12 | Guitar Pro | 7.6 | No | $69.95/mo | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 13 | Denemo | 7.5 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 14 | Harmony Assistant | 7.5 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 15 | HarmonyBuilder | 7.3 | No | $14/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 16 | capella | 7.2 | No | — | Windows, Mac |
| 17 | SmartScore | 7.1 | No | $49/mo | Windows, Mac |
| 18 | Pizzicato | 7.0 | No | — | Windows, Mac |
| 19 | iWriteMusic | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | iOS, Android, Mac |
| 20 | music21 | 6.9 | No | — | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 21 | MagicScore | 6.8 | No | $2.33/mo | Windows |
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Questions about LilyPond alternatives
What is the best alternative to LilyPond?
Flat, number 1 in music notation software with a score of 9.0 out of 10. The others here: Fender Notion, Sibelius, MuseScore Studio and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to LilyPond?
Flat is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 8 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.