Tool profile
Flat: cost, fit and limits
Flat is a browser-based music notation editor provided by Tutteo Limited that lets people write, share and collaborate on scores in real time, with MIDI transcription, PDF and photo import on credits, and a free Basic plan.
What to know first
Flat is the collaboration-first option in this group. The free Basic plan allows 15 scores and 30 instruments, with real-time sharing and MIDI transcription. Power lifts the score cap and adds 180-plus instruments, custom instruments and clean exports. PDF or photo import costs one credit per page, and packs of 30, 70 and 300 credits never expire. The pricing page shows no currency or amounts for paid items.
Flat at a glance
| Maker | Tutteo Limited, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Music Notation Software in 2026, rank 4 of 11 |
| Website | flat.io |
Who Flat is best for
Teachers running shared scores
Real-time sharing on every plan lets a teacher and several students open the same score and see edits as they happen.
Students on a budget
Basic costs nothing and includes MIDI transcription and offline composing, which covers a term of coursework as long as the library stays within the 15-score cap.
Occasional PDF importers
Credit packs that never expire suit someone who imports a few pages a year and does not want a subscription for it.
Flat plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Basic | Free | Up to 15 scores, 30 instruments, real-time sharing and collaboration, MIDI transcription, offline composing, MusicXML and MIDI import. |
| Power Monthly | Not published on the pages opened (shown as /month) | Unlimited scores, 180-plus instruments, custom instruments, MusicXML and MIDI export, exports without the Flat logo. |
| Power Yearly | Not published on the pages opened | The same features as Power Monthly, billed yearly, with unlimited scores, custom instruments and exports without the Flat logo. |
| Credit packs | Not published on the pages opened | Packs of 30, 70 or 300 credits spent on PDF or photo import at one credit per page; the credits never expire. |
Checked November 2026.
What Flat does
- Browser editor
- Scores are written and shared in the browser, and Power adds customizable layouts, notations and keyboard shortcuts for people who want to speed up input.
- PDF and photo import
- Any PDF or photo can become an editable score, and each imported page uses one credit. The vendor's pricing page does not label this as AI.
- Audio upload
- Power accepts audio from YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud and MP3 files, which helps a student who is learning a piece while working in the score and wants the recording beside it.
- Studio instruments
- Power adds HQ studio instruments and custom instruments for playback, beyond the 30 instruments on Basic, so a score can sound closer to the intended ensemble.
How Flat handles your data
The pricing page we opened does not state whether Flat uses uploaded scores or audio to train models, where data is hosted, how long it is retained, or whether any certification applies. It links to pages named AI in Flat and Data and infrastructure, which we did not open, so those answers may exist there. The help center policies page names Tutteo Limited as the legal entity that provides the Flat service.
Where Flat falls short in practice
- Capped free plan. Basic stops at 15 scores and 30 instruments, so a growing library or a larger ensemble pushes users toward Power, whose price was not visible on the page.
- Credits for import. PDF and photo import uses one credit for every page, and the monthly credits included with Power are not stated on the pages read, so heavy importers cannot plan.
- Education is separate. Flat for Education sits on its own page that we did not open, so classroom pricing, student data terms and school-specific limits are all unverified here.
Works with
Alternatives to Flat
Flat: common questions
Is Flat free to use?
Flat Basic is free and allows up to 15 scores, 30 instruments, real-time sharing and collaboration, MIDI transcription, offline composing and MusicXML and MIDI import. Power plans lift the limits. The pricing page we opened shows no amounts for Power or credit packs.
How does PDF import work in Flat?
You turn a PDF or photo into an editable score, and each imported page uses one credit. Credits come in packs of 30, 70 and 300, and they never expire. The page shows no prices, and it does not describe the import as AI.
Can several people edit one Flat score at the same time?
Yes. Real-time sharing and collaboration are listed on every plan, including free Basic. That makes Flat a common fit for classes, choirs and bands who want to revise one score together instead of emailing files back and forth, though the 15-score cap still applies.
What does Flat Power add over Basic?
Power lists unlimited scores, 180-plus instruments, custom instruments, MusicXML and MIDI export, exports without the Flat logo, audio upload from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud, and customizable layouts. Monthly and yearly billing exist, but no amounts were visible on the page.
Does Flat say whether it trains AI on my scores?
Not on the pricing page we read. It links to a page called AI in Flat, which we did not open, so the answer may be there. Read that page and the data and infrastructure page before uploading unpublished work.