Frescobaldi vs Finale

Struggling to choose between Frescobaldi and Finale? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Frescobaldi is a Audio & Music solution with tags like lilypond, notation, sheet-music, composition, editing.

It boasts features such as WYSIWYG music score editor, Automatic PDF preview, Syntax highlighting and autocompletion for LilyPond markup, Music view with note input, MIDI playback and metronome, Text view for editing LilyPond source code directly, Music score wizard for quick start, Support for multiple open scores, Customizable keyboard shortcuts, Plugin system for extending functionality and pros including Free and open source, Simple and intuitive interface, Powerful text editing capabilities, Tight integration with LilyPond, Active development and user community.

On the other hand, Finale is a Audio & Music product tagged with notation, composition, publishing, engraving.

Its standout features include Notation editing, Score layout and printing, Playback and audio export, VST and AU plugin support, Music scanning and OMR, Publishing and sharing, and it shines with pros like Powerful engraving and layout tools, Intuitive interface, Support for complex notation, Integrates with DAWs and VSTs, Built-in audio engine, Available educational pricing.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Frescobaldi

Frescobaldi

Frescobaldi is an open source music notation program designed for editing LilyPond files. It provides a simple but powerful graphical interface for writing sheet music with advanced text editing capabilities for LilyPond markup language.

Categories:
lilypond notation sheet-music composition editing

Frescobaldi Features

  1. WYSIWYG music score editor
  2. Automatic PDF preview
  3. Syntax highlighting and autocompletion for LilyPond markup
  4. Music view with note input, MIDI playback and metronome
  5. Text view for editing LilyPond source code directly
  6. Music score wizard for quick start
  7. Support for multiple open scores
  8. Customizable keyboard shortcuts
  9. Plugin system for extending functionality

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Simple and intuitive interface

Powerful text editing capabilities

Tight integration with LilyPond

Active development and user community

Cons

Limited to LilyPond format only

Less features than commercial notation software

Steep learning curve for LilyPond markup


Finale

Finale

Finale is a music notation program used by composers, arrangers, musicians, and publishers to create, edit, audition, print, and publish musical scores. It offers advanced engraving capabilities and integrates with other audio and video production software.

Categories:
notation composition publishing engraving

Finale Features

  1. Notation editing
  2. Score layout and printing
  3. Playback and audio export
  4. VST and AU plugin support
  5. Music scanning and OMR
  6. Publishing and sharing

Pricing

  • Subscription
  • Educational discount

Pros

Powerful engraving and layout tools

Intuitive interface

Support for complex notation

Integrates with DAWs and VSTs

Built-in audio engine

Available educational pricing

Cons

Steep learning curve

Expensive for casual users

Limited MIDI implementation

No Linux version