# Drum Session vs Soft Drummer

The clearest difference is price: Soft Drummer at Free against Drum Session's $9.99. Soft Drummer also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.3) and review sentiment (91% vs 58%). Drum Session's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 16). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Soft Drummer is free to download; Drum Session costs $9.99 up front. Soft Drummer sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Drum Session asks for nothing beyond the download.

Soft Drummer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Soft Drummer has 514 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Drum Session's written reviews are positive against 91% of Soft Drummer's.

Drum Session ships an update every 2 months, Soft Drummer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Session | Soft Drummer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.3 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-session/id1030319584/reviews) | **[4.7 (514 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soft-drummer-brush-sessions/id1120957633/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **514** |
| Positive reviews | 58.0% of reviews | **91.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 210 MB | 814 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ngo Minh Ngoc](https://appshunter.io/developer/817223411) | [Lumbeat](https://appshunter.io/developer/590278231) |

## What reviewers say

### Drum Session

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-session/id1030319584)

Create complete drum tracks quickly with a vast library of editable patterns and loops. Easily arrange beats on a timeline, record your own rhythms, and export your creations in various formats. Supports integration with other music apps and hardware.

**Highlights:** 3600 preset patterns, 36 acoustic drum sample sets, Record custom beats, Piano roll editing, MIDI in/out, Export MIDI or audio

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Soft Drummer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soft-drummer-brush-sessions/id1120957633)

This app provides natural acoustic drum sounds and improvises musically with warm grooves for various genres. It offers multi-track MIDI export, live pad performance, and synchronization with other apps. Create rhythmic structures for songs quickly and control parameters via MIDI.

**Highlights:** Natural acoustic drum sounds, Improvise musically, Multi-track MIDI export, Live performance pads, Ableton Link synchronization, MIDI control and output, Song mode for rhythmic structures

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Big & Low | $3.99 | one-time |
| Presence | $3.99 | one-time |
| Raw Brush | $3.99 | one-time |
| Tight Control | $3.99 | one-time |
| Clayton | $4.99 | one-time |
| Joe | $4.99 | one-time |
| Soft Drummer Full Access | $22.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Excellent sound quality
- 🎢 Realistic and natural-sounding rhythms
- 🎛️ Flexible and customizable features
- 🎶 Great for practicing, jamming, and composing
- 🎧 Authentic brush and mallet sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Unintuitive user interface
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Expensive for an iOS app
- 📚 Lack of documentation and tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- Song mode issues, including crashes and missing features
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions and devices

**Requested features**

- Add support for time signatures beyond 4/4
- Improve MIDI integration and control
- Implement audio/MIDI export options
- Provide preset management and organization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Session free?

Drum Session costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Soft Drummer free?

Soft Drummer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drum Session or Soft Drummer?

Soft Drummer is rated higher. Drum Session averages 3.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Soft Drummer averages 4.7 from 514 ratings.

### Do Drum Session or Soft Drummer have ads?

Neither Drum Session nor Soft Drummer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drum Session or Soft Drummer?

Drum Session ships an update every 2 months, and Soft Drummer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Drum Session was updated on October 21, 2026 and Soft Drummer on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*