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Dorico vs LilyPond: catalog facts
DoricoLilyPond
Paid

Commercial software from Steinberg; editions and prices are listed on the official site.

Free

Free and open source under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence.

Windows, macOS Windows
  • Dedicated notation and engraving tool rather than a DAW add-on
  • Made by Steinberg, the developer of Cubase
  • High-quality engraved output
  • Plain-text input that works with version control
  • Commercial software
  • Focused on notation rather than audio recording or mixing
  • Text-based input has a learning curve
  • No built-in graphical score editor
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Closed source Open source
License not stated License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Not stated if an account is needed No account needed
Not stated if it works offline Works offline

Checked October 1, 2026

Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.