App comparisons & alternatives
forScore vs StageMate
Both are PDF-based sheet music apps for Apple devices with annotation and setlists. The meaningful differences are in how you turn the page, how sharing works, and how the free tier is drawn.
Page turning
forScore is built around taps, swipes and pedals. StageMate adds on-device face-gesture turning — a held blink, nod or head shake — for players whose hands and feet are committed.
Ensemble use
StageMate Pro band sharing pushes the same annotated scores to every member's device via a scanned code, which is aimed at bands and worship teams rather than solo libraries.
Maturity, fairly stated
forScore has years more feature depth in areas like advanced score linking and hardware integrations. If you rely on those, it remains the stronger choice.
Try it on your own scores
Import PDF scores, add annotations, build setlists and turn pages hands-free. StageMate is available for Apple devices and Android. Features, cloud services and Pro purchases differ by platform; check the current plan before buying.
Download for Apple devicesDownload for AndroidQuestions people ask
- Which is cheaper?
- StageMate's core features are free; Pro is US$11.99/year or US$39.99 lifetime.
- Can I use a pedal in StageMate?
- Yes, any Bluetooth arrow-key pedal.
- Do both work on Mac?
- StageMate runs natively on Apple silicon Macs, plus iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro.