When comparing MuseScore vs Lilypond, the Slant community recommends MuseScore for most people. In the question“What is the best music notation software?” MuseScore is ranked 1st while Lilypond is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose MuseScore is:
Contrary to most of its commercial counterparts, MuseScore is lightweight (less than 100MB) and can run acceptably on aging computers.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Lightweight
Contrary to most of its commercial counterparts, MuseScore is lightweight (less than 100MB) and can run acceptably on aging computers.
Pro Free and open source
The pricing means you can dump it on any computer you like, without having to empty your wallet for a license. It also means you have a chance to use this program as a starting point for your own engraving software program, if you are also a programmer.
Pro MusicXML import and export ensures a degree of compatibility with other programs
If you are submitting files to a publisher, MusicXML format can be read by the big engraving programs: Sibelius, Finale, MuseScore, etc. Often there are some display issues that will need to be tweaked when using MusicXML between different programs, but publishers will spend a lot of time tweaking the file anyhow.
Pro Easy inscription
The newest version of MuseScore added collision detection for elements - so unless you're importing something really wonky, you shouldn't have text and notes overlapping or hitting each other. You can save your favorite spacing and size preferences to a file and have MuseScore automatically load it when you start a new project, or load it manually from the file.
Pro Polished GUI
Looks on par with Apple software. Better than almost all FOSS software.
Pro Automatic part generation
MuseScore can automatically generate scores for individual parts which 'link' to the main score - you can change things on the score and see that change appear in the relevant part, and vice versa.
Pro Great sheet sharing web page
So you composed a new score! Now what? Well, you can start by putting it on the muse score sheet music sharing web page where others will be able to enjoy it and comment on it. Or maybe you're just looking for a score from an old video game: in that case, you should probably search the page for it, and download one of the many available formats (pdf, muse score format, mp3, xml, etc).
Pro Bugs quickly fixed
The fact that Musescore is open source and relies on a huge community of volunteers, combined with a strraightforward issue tracker ensure the rapid development of musescore.
Pro Easy to add new sounds
If you're not happy with the default sounds (a good, but aging set from Roland), you can import any .sf2 and .sf3 soundfonts and easily use them. You can even have multiple soundfonts running simultaneously.
Pro Decent tutorial
Walks your through all the features.
Pro Available on Mobile
Android and iOS.
Pro Ultimate Guitar Merger gives hope for professional improvements
With Ultimate Guitar merger, hopefully, needed improvements will be done in a timely fashion and a lot fewer workarounds.
Pro Customisable in every detail
Lilypond is easily the most powerful free/libre engraver, and arguably even more powerful than the commercial heavyweights Sibelius and Finale, mostly because it is set up as a Turing-complete programming language: it can be extended for any notation task whatsoever. For most common tasks this is of course not necessary (Lilypond has them built in), but whenever some feature doesn't exist yet, the user can just add it.
Pro Best Typographical placement of musical elements, most readable engraving
Although there is a learning curve, the output of Lilypond is superior in every way. Very little after engraving adjustment is needed and the typography is both beautiful and very readable.
Pro Free and open source, much effective for mass engraving
Lilypond is free, and open source.
Lilypond community is active and helpful.
Lilypond is much effective for mass engraving, by typing text instead of 1-button mouse clicking.
Pro Imports various sound files formats
There are converters that could convert from midi, encore (.enc), ABC music (.abc), MusicXML(*. mxml), etc.
Pro Very very lightweight
Even more lightweight than MuseScore, just need the binary, some libraries (that come preinstalled with almost all systems), and a text editor (even ed will do).
Pro Most stable software & files
Lilypond is quite stable as a software. As files are text files they're virtually incorruptible, the files could be edited with any text editor.
Cons
Con No real-time transcription tool
If you are looking to play your MIDI keyboard and have the computer attempt to transcribe and print out your latest masterwork as you play, MuseScore is not the tool for you. It does, however, have a "semi-realtime" note input mode, which is kind of the same thing as a transcription tool.
Con Cannot copy and paste time signature changes
Copying a section of music with multiple time changes not possible. Muse developers talk of this as an enhancement rather than a basic need.
Con Cymbal rolls sound bad
There is no easy way to add good-sounding cymbal rolls.
Con Bad sounds
Although its ok for basic composing, the default sounds can sound inferior to other more polished sounds. In fact, it will remind you of old mario games with midi music; because that is pretty much what it is.
Con Bad support for microtonal music
Although Musescore does offer in addition to the Western 𝄫/♭/♮/♯/𝄪 accidentals also nonstandard ones, but they are essentially just glyphs; MuseScore does not know how to resolve them or use them in key signatures, let alone offer proper tuning of the playback pitches. (Playback pitch can be set manually in cents, but this is very cumbersome and error-prone.)
Con There's a big learning curve at first
Con Even for fans of text-based languages, Lilypond is not easy to use
Lilypond's syntax is influenced by both LaTeX and Lisp, and one might argue that it combines the disadvantages of both: it is both inconsistent and verbose. For simple tasks, ABCjs is more convenient to write, whereas for big projects a proper AST layout would be desirable.