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LilyPond vs Sibelius: catalog facts
LilyPond	Sibelius
Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence.	Paid Artist from $99 a year, Ultimate from $199 a year, or an $899 perpetual bundle.
Windows	Windows, macOS, iOS
High-quality engraved output Plain-text input that works with version control	Automatic layout and part generation Video sync and timecode support in Ultimate
Text-based input has a learning curve No built-in graphical score editor	Subscription pricing for most tiers Artist tier capped at 24 staves per score
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0-or-later	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

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