# Drum Pad Machine vs Ableton Note

The clearest difference is price: Drum Pad Machine at Free against Ableton Note's $6.99. Drum Pad Machine also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (674K vs 676). Ableton Note's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#7 vs #200). On in-app purchases, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Drum Pad Machine is free to download; Ableton Note costs $6.99 up front. Drum Pad Machine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Ableton Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drum Pad Machine holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Pad Machine has 674K ratings behind it against 676, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Drum Pad Machine's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ableton Note's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Drum Pad Machine ships an update every 3 months, Ableton Note monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Pad Machine | Ableton Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $6.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (674K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-pad-machine-beat-maker/id1057968965/reviews)** | [4.2 (676 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ableton-note/id1633243177/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **674K** | 676 |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews | **72.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #200 | **#7** |
| Size | 230 MB | 1007 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Easybrain Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190815537) | [Ableton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1228664884) |

## What reviewers say

### Drum Pad Machine

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

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Free · Music, #200 Top Grossing · 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


### Ableton Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ableton-note/id1633243177)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Paid · Music, #118 Top Paid (US App Store)

Create musical ideas with curated sounds and effects. Build beats, melodies, and sample your surroundings. Seamlessly transfer your projects to Ableton Live for further development.

**Highlights:** Create beats and melodies, Sample sounds with phone microphone, MIDI Editor for sequencing, Transfer projects to Ableton Live, 76 Drum Sampler kits, 317 synth sounds

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drift In-App Purchase | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive workflow
- 🎨 Great sound quality
- 🤝 Seamless Ableton Live integration
- 💰 Affordable price
- 🔥 Inspiring for creativity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 No audio track support
- 🎹 Limited note editing capabilities
- ⏱️ Bluetooth latency issues
- 🔢 Restricted to 4/4 time signature
- 🔧 Lacking some advanced features

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional loss of unsaved work
- Freezing issues when editing clips

**Requested features**

- Audio track support
- Expanded note editing tools
- Midi controller support
- More effects and synth options
- Time signature flexibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Pad Machine free?

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

### Is Ableton Note free?

Ableton Note costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drum Pad Machine or Ableton Note?

Drum Pad Machine is rated higher. Drum Pad Machine averages 4.6 out of 5 from 674K ratings, while Ableton Note averages 4.2 from 676 ratings.

### Do Drum Pad Machine or Ableton Note have ads?

Drum Pad Machine shows ads; Ableton Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drum Pad Machine or Ableton Note?

Drum Pad Machine ships an update every 3 months, and Ableton Note monthly. Most recently, Drum Pad Machine was updated on September 25, 2026 and Ableton Note on September 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Drum Pad Machine or Ableton Note?

Drum Pad Machine currently peaks at #200 in the App Store charts, and Ableton Note at #7. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*