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.

Feature	Frescobaldi	Finale
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Audio & Music	Audio & Music

Product Overview

Frescobaldi

Description: 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.

Finale

Description: 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.

Key Features Comparison

Frescobaldi Features

• 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

Finale Features

• Notation editing
• Score layout and printing
• Playback and audio export
• VST and AU plugin support
• Music scanning and OMR
• Publishing and sharing

Pros & Cons Analysis

Frescobaldi

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

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

Pricing Comparison

Frescobaldi

• Open Source

Finale

• Subscription
• Educational discount