Drum Pad Machine vs Beat Station
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Drum Pad Machine
Create professional-quality music and unique tracks with a variety of styles and sound packs. Utilize instruments, FX, and sequencing for creative sound design. Learn through beat school lessons and share your creations instantly.
- Multiple music styles (Hip-hop, Trap, House, etc.)
- Professional sound packs
- Drum and Piano instruments
- Sequencing with tempo and EQ
- Beat School lessons
- Quick music sharing
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Make your own music like a pro. Create sick beats, perfect and perform unique tracks! Features: • Great variety of music styles: Hip-hop, Drum & Bass, Trap, Dubstep, House, and many others; • Unique sound packs. Get access to professional-quality audio samples created by professional musicians and DJs; • Instruments & FX. Use Drum & Piano for creative sound designs; • Sequencing. Get studio effects including Tempo Regulation and EQ; • Beat School. Try the lessons for each sound pack to improvise freely; • Quick sharing. Share your music with the world. Enjoy this powerful, yet easy-to-use tool to get the best music experience! Drum Pad Machine Premium Drum Pad Machine Premium Subscription allows you to unlock all the sound packs, get new releases, and remove ads. Choose from different subscription options. Payment will be charged to Apple ID Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by you and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Apple ID Account Settings. For more information please visit the link https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039. Unused portion of a free-trial period will be forfeited when a user decides to subscribe. EULA: https://easybrain.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://easybrain.com/policy.html
Beat Station
This app provides a versatile drum machine for musicians, offering realistic drum sets and extensive loop libraries. It allows for real-time control of song sections and hands-free operation via a Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard, enhancing practice, production, and live performance.
- Realistic drum sets
- Extensive drum loop library
- Multiple control modes (Loop, Pedal, Song)
- Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard support
- Inter-App Audio and background audio
- Export songs as audio files
- MIDI implementation and DAW integration
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The Beat Station is a rhythm machine for practicing guitar, bass, keyboard, or any type of instrument, and also brings to production and live performance the ease of not requiring live drums and a drummer. You can control verse, chorus, transition, fill, intro, and outro sections using different modes of operation. Connect Bluetooth MIDI Pedalboard lets you control all sections hands-free. When you hear the rhythm patterns and start to control them live, it is truly like a versatile drummer playing along with you. LOOP MODE Easily play rhythm patterns with loop pads. Each rhythm style includes 12 rhythm patterns: intro, verse, chorus, six fills, two transitions, and outro. You can switch rhythm patterns in real-time as needed during your performance. PEDAL MODE You can use the Pedal mode to play rhythm patterns with four footswitches. By using a Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard, you can perform operational tasks without having to take your hands off of your instrument. SONG MODE You can connect rhythm patterns to create a complete drum track that's appropriate for your own song, and play it automatically. Features • 6 ultra-realistic drum sets • Over 1700 drum loops, 136 rhythm styles in 15 genres • Easily play rhythm patterns with three modes • Inter-App Audio support • Audio background mode • Export your songs as audio files • Full MIDI implementation • MIDI Controller support • MIDI Learn • Send MIDI to DAW or other apps • Ableton Link integration • Keep your projects up to date across all devices using iCloud -------- Beat Station Pro Subscription - Get All Genres of Rhythm (Over 1700 Drum Loops) - Unlimited Projects - Export Audio - MIDI Output • $2.99(USD)/Month • $22.99(USD)/Year Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. PRIVACY POLICY: https://sonarmusic.app/beatstation/privacy/ TERMS OF USE: https://sonarmusic.app/beatstation/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Drum Pad Machine at freemium against Beat Station's subscription. Drum Pad Machine also leads on ratings volume (674K vs 496) and chart position (#168 vs unranked). Beat Station's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Drum Pad Machine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Beat Station sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Drum Pad Machine against 4.5 for Beat Station. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Pad Machine has 674K ratings behind it against 496, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 63% and 64% positive.
Drum Pad Machine ships an update every 3 months, Beat Station every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Drum Pad Machine | Beat Station |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (674K ratings) — better | 4.5 (496 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews | 63.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 674K — better | 496 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #168 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 230 MB | 209 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Easybrain Ltd | Sonar Multimedia |
Customer experience
Drum Pad Machine
Beat Station
User reviews
Drum Pad Machine
From 674K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Incredible music-making experience
- 👍 Easy to learn and use
- 🎶 Wide variety of music genres and beats
- 🎓 Helpful tutorials and lessons
- 🎧 High-quality sound samples
Room to improve
- 🤬 Excessive and repetitive ads
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 🤔 Limited customization options
- ⏱️ Lessons and tutorials move too fast
Beat Station
From 496 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Versatile beat options
- 🎸 Great for guitarists and musicians
- 🎧 Realistic drum sounds
Room to improve
- 🔒 Subscription-only model
- 🔒 Lack of one-time purchase option
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 💸 Perceived as overpriced
Bugs and requests
Drum Pad Machine
Reported bugs
3 issues- Recordings sometimes stop unexpectedly
- Difficulty registering multiple button presses simultaneously
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add a search function to find specific beats
- Allow users to create and share their own custom beats
- Implement a pause/resume feature for recordings
- Provide more granular control over tempo and timing
Beat Station
Reported bugs
4 issues- Subscription issues (unable to restore purchases)
- App freezing or closing unexpectedly
- Blank tutorial screens
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between beats
Requested features
5 requests- More beat variety (Latin, jazz, waltz, etc.)
- Ability to import custom drum samples
- Tempo and style changes within a song
- Midi export option
- Better tutorial and customer support
In-app purchases
Drum Pad Machine
- Drum Pad Machine Pro - Weekly3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Music Beat Maker Premium7 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Drum Pad Machine Pro - Monthly$14.991 Month
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- Beatmaker Premium7 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Drum Pad Machine Pro - Annual$46.991 Year
Beat Station
- Beat Station Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Beat Station Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$22.991 Year
- Beat Station Pro (Lifetime)$59.99
Questions
Is Drum Pad Machine free?
Is Beat Station free?
Which has better reviews, Drum Pad Machine or Beat Station?
Do Drum Pad Machine or Beat Station have ads?
Which is updated more often, Drum Pad Machine or Beat Station?
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