Finale vs Sibelius

[ainmpiano]

I am trying to decide between Finale SongWriter (can't afford full version) and Sibelius First (can't afford full version).

I just want to be able to compose short songs/tunes for myself and my son, and to import and manipulate found sheet music, etc.

I have tried both.  Sibelius seems to be easier to use at first, but then it seems to be much harder to control some features that are very easy to manage in Finale.

Sibelius' forum is open only to owners of the product (so I have no way to asses its usefulness), whereas the Finale forums are available to all, and full of helpful folks.

The Sibelius Help system is definitely not as good as Finale's.

What are folks' thoughts on these?  Is there another product that is better than these?

best,
Mac

[anima55]

I use Sibelius so don't know too much about Finale although I'm aware it is also considered to be a good programme.

Have you heard of Musescore?  www.musescore.org

This is a free programme which you can download from the net and although it isn't as good as the full Sibelius and Finale programmes, the chances of it doing what you would like to do are quite high.

[coda_colossale]

Totally MuseScore. Easier to use and free. I own a registered Sibelius but I seldom use it. Only if I'm going to compose orchestral music.  By the way, you can't save your scores after the trial period. You could also try Guitar pro, which is pretty goosd with RSE.

[gore234]

I love Finale Notepad,  I have a 2007 and 2008 version which are very basic and were free downloads along time ago.

[kalirren]

I use lilypond.  I haven't tried to use some of its more advanced features, but the basic functionality is really, really great.

[ainmpiano]

Thanks, folks.

I will try musescore.

But I will keep the trial copies of Finale SongWriter and Sibelius First on my mac, just in case...

Mac

[quantum]

I'd second the Musescore and Lilypond suggestions above. 

Personally, I am a Finale user.  I tried out Sibelius a long time ago but there were certain workflow features that turned me off.  IMO if one is going to use a computer to input a score, one should take full advantage of that tool.  At the time (probably 2002) Sibelius was too much geared to a paper and quill approach.  It just felt too cumbersome to be dealing with a digital representation of paper approach, along with the inefficiencies that come with it.  If I want to use a paper workflow, why not just use paper and do away with the exorbitant software cost. 

I must agree Finale has a very high initial learning curve.  However, when one has attained that skill, the rewards are numerous.  What I like about Finale is the ability to design a score exactly the way I envision it.  No matter how complex or unusual the subject matter, there are tools in Finale to accomplish the task with precision.  One does not have to worry that a certain score element is non-standard or out of the norm because there are tools to get the job done.  There are numerous note entry methods available to suit various workflow styles.  If one takes the time to learn one of the more advanced note entry methods, work can be done very quickly and efficiently. 

* I am not associated in any way with either commercial entity, these are just the opinions of an end user. 

By the way, there is student pricing available for Finale and Sibelius.  You might want to look into that.   

[quantum]

Just got wind of this from a friend.  Did some googling.  Regardless what camp you belong to, this should concern all musicians using notation software. 

https://www.screenlight.tv/blog/2013/03/05/will-avids-accounting-woes-spark-big-change-or-an-acquisition/

https://www.sibeliususers.org/