# Drum Pad Machine vs Beat Station

The clearest difference is monetization model: Drum Pad Machine at freemium against Beat Station's subscription. Drum Pad Machine also leads on ratings volume (675K vs 498) and chart position (#185 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.

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 675K ratings behind it against 498, 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 October 28, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Pad Machine | Beat Station |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (675K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-pad-machine-beat-maker/id1057968965/reviews)** | [4.5 (498 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-station-drum-machine/id1207156644/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **675K** | 498 |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews | **63.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#185** | — |
| Size | 230 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Easybrain Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190815537) | [Sonar Multimedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/992774946) |

## What reviewers say

### Drum Pad Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-pad-machine-beat-maker/id1057968965)

**Currently charting:** #185 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drum Pad Machine Pro - Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Music Beat Maker Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Drum Pad Machine Pro - Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Beatmaker Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Drum Pad Machine Pro - Annual | $46.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Incredible music-making experience
- 👍 Easy to learn and use
- 🎶 Wide variety of music genres and beats
- 🎓 Helpful tutorials and lessons
- 🎧 High-quality sound samples

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and repetitive ads
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 🤔 Limited customization options
- ⏱️ Lessons and tutorials move too fast

**Reported bugs**

- Recordings sometimes stop unexpectedly
- Difficulty registering multiple button presses simultaneously
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-station-drum-machine/id1207156644)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beat Station Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Beat Station Pro (Yearly) | $22.99 | per year |
| Beat Station Pro (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Versatile beat options
- 🎸 Great for guitarists and musicians
- 🎧 Realistic drum sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription-only model
- 🔒 Lack of one-time purchase option
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 💸 Perceived as overpriced

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues (unable to restore purchases)
- App freezing or closing unexpectedly
- Blank tutorial screens
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between beats

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Pad Machine free?

Drum Pad Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Beat Station free?

Beat Station is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drum Pad Machine or Beat Station?

Drum Pad Machine is rated higher. Drum Pad Machine averages 4.6 out of 5 from 675K ratings, while Beat Station averages 4.5 from 498 ratings.

### Do Drum Pad Machine or Beat Station have ads?

Drum Pad Machine shows ads; Beat Station does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drum Pad Machine or Beat Station?

Drum Pad Machine ships an update every 3 months, and Beat Station every 5 weeks. Most recently, Drum Pad Machine was updated on October 28, 2026 and Beat Station on October 21, 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.*