Comparison

Rhythm Machine vs Little Drum Machine

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Rhythm Machine

Features
Read full description

“Rhythm Machine” is a really helpful assistant for rehearsing music. Much better than a simple metronome, a drum machine plays complex rhythms you want to learn or delivers the perfect groove for your session: - With a few simple clicks you can program complex drum rhythms. - All time signatures from 6/8 to 6/4 are possible and combinable. - You can use four different patterns to make a song arrangement. These patterns can run one after the other or at the same time! - Arrangements can be loaded, saved and sent or imported via email! This is a really perfect tool for every music teacher. - High-quality audio samples produce a really authentic drum sound. (Best to use with earplugs or a hi-fi system) - A short video tutorial is included! The "Lite Version“ is free: Download now, try it and have fun!

About

Little Drum Machine

Create beats quickly with a 16-step grid, velocity control, and genre presets. Load your own samples, shape sounds with envelopes and effects, and arrange patterns into full songs. Supports MIDI out and AUv3 hosting.

Highlights
  • 16-step drum grid with velocity
  • Load custom samples
  • Shape samples with envelopes
  • Delay, reverb, and drive effects
  • Polyrhythms and polymeters
  • MIDI out and AUv3 support
  • Genre presets and randomization
Features
Read full description

Little Drum Machine is what the name says: a drum machine for your iPad. Easy to use, with all the necessary bits to give you fast results. We wanted something fast and simple to work with in our own studio, without the complexity other tools often bring, so we built it. Now we want to share it with you, for free. Tap a beat into the 16-step grid, drag up or down for velocity, add a little swing, and you have a groove. Start from one of 31 genre presets, or hit Randomize when you'd rather not face a blank grid. Make sound your way: use the built-in kits, load your own samples, or send MIDI and let your favourite synths and drum apps do the talking. Features: • 16-step drum grid with 8 lanes and per-step velocity for accents and ghost notes • 32 samples across 8 drums included: four variants each, swappable per lane or even per step • Load your own samples and build your own kits • Shape every sample: pitch, fine tune, volume, and a start/attack/length/decay envelope • Delay, reverb and drive effects with per-drum sends: 4 delay modes, 7 reverb modes, 5 drive characters • Give any lane its own step count and loop length for polyrhythms and polymeters • Musical Randomize for instant grooves; Mutate to create variations of your patterns • 16 scenes per preset, chained into full arrangements in the Arranger • Built-in mixer with per-lane EQ, panning, mute and solo • Master EQ and a glue compressor with attack, release, ratio and parallel mix • Swing to get groovy • MIDI out to trigger external synths and drum apps • 31 genre presets: Techno, House, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Jazz, and more • Save and manage your own presets • Light and dark themes • Little Drum Machine runs on its own or as an AUv3 instrument in any suitable host. Free, no strings attached.

Screenshots

Rhythm Machine4 screens
Little Drum Machine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Little Drum Machine at none against Rhythm Machine's 1. Little Drum Machine also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). Rhythm Machine's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Rhythm Machine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Little Drum Machine asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rhythm Machine ships an update every 4 months, Little Drum Machine weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Rhythm Machine versus Little Drum Machine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRhythm MachineLittle Drum Machine
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—8 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoachim SendelbachSnorkel Audio, Inh. Michael Kaisser

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Rhythm Machine

One-time1
  • Rhythm Machine Pro$2.99
None

Little Drum Machine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Rhythm Machine free?
Rhythm Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Little Drum Machine free?
Little Drum Machine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Rhythm Machine or Little Drum Machine have ads?
Neither Rhythm Machine nor Little Drum Machine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Rhythm Machine or Little Drum Machine?
Rhythm Machine ships an update every 4 months, and Little Drum Machine weekly. Most recently, Rhythm Machine was updated on October 26, 2026 and Little Drum Machine on October 25, 2026.

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