- ScoreLens
- Compare
Built for your part, not the whole score
PlayScore 2, Soundslice and Opuscan turn whole scores into sound. ScoreLens does one job: the part you were handed, on your instrument, ready before rehearsal. Here is how the four compare, with links.
What ScoreLens does for your part
- Hear it on your instrumentClarinet sounds like a clarinet, horn like a horn: 13 instrument sounds, not a piano for everyone.
- At the pitch it really soundsSay you play B♭ clarinet, E♭ alto sax or F horn once. Every part then plays as the band will hear it.
- Send it to your sectionA link plays in any browser, with nothing to install. Or send a practice track at your tempo and key.
- Honest about doubtBars it isn't sure of are marked. Hear the likely readings and keep the one that matches the page.
- Practice the hard barsLoop two bars, slow them down, and let the speed trainer bring them up to tempo.
- Print it in your keyA free PDF of the part transposed for C, B♭, E♭ or F instruments. No account needed.
| Feature | ScoreLens | PlayScore 2 | Soundslice | Opuscan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | One printed part for your instrument: band, orchestra, church or solo | Scores of all kinds, including piano, organ, SATB and chamber music 1,2 | Learning and teaching with interactive notation, tab and video 4 | Turning printed music into editable, exportable scores 7,8 |
| Share with your section | A link that plays in any browser: no app, no account, no pages used | Not stated on its site | Sharing with students on the Teacher plan 6 | Not stated on its site |
| Practice audio | Send a track at your tempo and key to a chat in one tap | Not stated on its site | Not stated on its site | MP3 export 7,9 |
| Doubtful notes | Unsure bars are marked; hear up to three readings and keep the right one | Not stated on the pages we checked | Fix them in the editor 4,5 | Notes it is unsure of are flagged for you to correct 7 |
| Runs on | iPhone and Android | iOS, Android and Windows 2,3 | A web browser on any device; nothing to install 4 | macOS, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android 7 |
| Reads | Printed parts with one line on a staff, from a photo or a PDF | Photos, images and PDFs, including piano, organ, SATB vocal scores and chamber music 1,2 | PDFs and photos, including tablature and percussion 5 | Photos, scans and PDFs of printed music 7,8 |
| Piano and full scores | Best on single parts; piano works for beginner and intermediate pieces | Yes 1,2 | Not stated on its scanner page | Not stated on its site |
| Handwriting | No | Not stated on its site | “It might work if the handwriting is nice and clear” 5 | No 7 |
| Tablature | No | Not stated on its site | Yes, in the scanner and the editor 4,5 | No 7 |
| Playback | 13 instrument sounds, any tempo, loop bars, a speed trainer, count-in and click; your part alone or left out | Any tempo, a count-in, a choice of instrument per staff 1 | Slow down, loop, solo parts; notation synced with video 4 | Tempo control and a click track 9 |
| Transposing | Pick your instrument once: B♭, E♭ and F parts play at the pitch they sound. Any key; a free PDF printed for C, B♭, E♭ or F | Set a transposition per instrument, or auto-transpose a whole ensemble 2,3 | Transpose in the player 4 | Transpose the whole score into another key 8 |
| Editing | Fix a wrong note by tapping it; no full editor | Not stated on the pages we checked | A full notation and tab editor 4,5 | Notes it is unsure of are flagged for you to correct 7 |
| Export | PDF; MIDI and MusicXML with Pro | MIDI and MusicXML (MusicXML needs a Professional subscription) 2,3 | Print and export on paid plans 6 | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF and MP3 7,9 |
| Teaching | Teacher codes give students 30 days of Pro | Not stated on its site | Teacher plan: private courses, sharing with students, feedback 6 | Not stated on its site |
| How you pay | No account needed. Free to try. Pro: $39.99 a year with a 14-day trial, or $89.99 once. A $4.99 monthly plan is rolling out | Free app; paid subscriptions add features 3 | Free plan; paid Plus, Teacher and Licensing plans 6 | No subscription: you buy page credits 7,9 |
Swipe the table sideways to see all four.
Checked on 30 September 2026 against each company's own site. “Not stated” means we didn't find it there, not that it is missing. Products change: if something here is out of date, write to hello@scorelens.app.
ScoreLens and Sheetly
Sheetly is a newer iPhone and iPad app that also photographs printed music and plays it back.
| Feature | ScoreLens | Sheetly |
|---|---|---|
| Transposing instruments | Pick your instrument once: B♭, E♭ and F parts play at the pitch they sound | Switching instruments: “Same notes, same octaves, different voice. If you want the part moved for a transposing instrument, that is a different job.” 11 |
| Change the key | Any key, for your voice or your instrument; a free PDF printed in it | Not stated on its site. Its own comparison suggests Halbestunde “if you need to transpose a piece into another key” 13 |
| Free | Your first pages, with full playback, tempo and key | Its included scores; your first pages while you set up, then one page a month; three coach questions per score 10 |
| Subscription | $39.99 a year with a 14-day free trial. A $4.99 monthly plan is rolling out | US$11.99 a month or US$39.99 a year; the yearly plan starts with a 14-day free trial 10 |
| Lifetime purchase | Yes: $89.99 once | No: “No lifetime tier” 10 |
| Ask about the score | No | A coach that has read your scanned page answers by bar number 12 |
| Record yourself | No | Record a take and hear it against the score 12 |
| Runs on | iPhone and Android | iPhone and iPad; Android in development 10 |
Swipe the table sideways to see Sheetly.
Checked on 4 October 2026 against Sheetly's own site.
When another app fits better
- PlayScore 2Reads piano, organ, SATB and chamber scores, and auto-transposes a whole ensemble. Also on Windows.
- SoundsliceA full notation and tab editor, notation synced with video, and Teacher plans for courses and students.
- OpuscanExports MusicXML, MIDI, PDF and MP3, runs on Mac and Windows too, and has no subscription.
- SheetlyA coach you can ask about the page you scanned, recording your own take, and an iPad app.
What ScoreLens doesn't do
- Two voices on one staff, as in hymnals and SATB scores
- Handwritten music or tablature
- Full notation editing
Where it fits
You have a printed part for one instrument and a phone. You want to hear it at your tempo, loop the hard bars, hear a B♭ or E♭ part at the pitch it sounds, and print it in your key. How that works.
Questions
What is a good alternative to PlayScore 2?
It depends on the music. For piano, organ or choir scores, PlayScore 2 is the stronger choice. If you play one line, such as a band or orchestra part, ScoreLens reads it from a photo and plays it on your instrument's sound, at your tempo and in your key.
What is the difference between ScoreLens and Sheetly?
Both photograph printed music and play it back. Sheetly says switching instruments keeps the same notes and octaves, so a B♭ or E♭ part plays at written pitch; ScoreLens plays it at the pitch it sounds and can change the key. Sheetly has a coach you can ask about the page and records your take. Sheetly Pro is US$11.99 a month or US$39.99 a year with no lifetime tier; ScoreLens Pro is $39.99 a year or $89.99 once.
Which sheet music scanner can I edit the notes in?
Soundslice has a full notation and tab editor, and Opuscan flags notes it is unsure of for you to correct. ScoreLens lets you fix a single wrong note by tapping it, but has no full editor.
Which one works without a subscription?
Opuscan sells page credits and has no subscription. ScoreLens has a free plan and a one-time Lifetime purchase, as well as a yearly plan. PlayScore 2 and Soundslice have free versions with paid subscriptions.
Can any of them read handwritten music?
Soundslice says it might work if the handwriting is nice and clear. Opuscan says handwritten music is not supported. ScoreLens doesn't read handwriting.
Sources
- PlayScore 2, home page: www.playscore.co/
- PlayScore 2, features: www.playscore.co/features/
- PlayScore, FAQ: www.playscore.co/faq/
- Soundslice, home page: www.soundslice.com/
- Soundslice, sheet music scanner: www.soundslice.com/sheet-music-scanner/
- Soundslice, plans: www.soundslice.com/plans/
- Opuscan, music OCR: www.opuscan.com/use-cases/music-ocr/
- Opuscan, photo to sheet music: www.opuscan.com/use-cases/scan-sheet-music/
- Flat (Opuscan's maker), Opuscan for Android: blog.flat.io/clef-scan-android-launch/
- Sheetly, FAQ: www.trysheetly.com/faq
- Sheetly, hear your part on a different instrument: www.trysheetly.com/guides/hear-your-part-on-a-different-instrument
- Sheetly, home page: www.trysheetly.com/
- Sheetly, Sheetly vs Halbestunde: www.trysheetly.com/compare/sheetly-vs-halbestunde
Try ScoreLens on your own part.
Free to try, no account.
