# Drum Pad Machine vs Drum

The clearest difference is price: Drum Pad Machine at Free against Drum's $14.99. Drum Pad Machine also leads on ratings volume (674K vs 5) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). Drum's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 63%) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On device support there is nothing between them.

Drum Pad Machine is free to download; Drum costs $14.99 up front. Drum Pad Machine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Drum asks for nothing beyond the download.

Drum holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Pad Machine has 674K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Drum Pad Machine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Drum's.

Drum Pad Machine ships an update every 3 months, Drum every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Pad Machine | Drum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (674K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-pad-machine-beat-maker/id1057968965/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-80/id6444686683/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **674K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#196** | — |
| Size | 230 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Easybrain Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190815537) | [Genuine Soundware](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560880481) |

## What reviewers say

### Drum Pad Machine

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

**Currently charting:** #196 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


### Drum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-80/id6444686683)

This app recreates the distinctive sound of early 1980s electronic drum modules combined with sampled real cymbal sounds. It offers a virtual analog engine for drum synthesis and a separate engine for realistic cymbal playback, providing a unique sonic palette for music production.

**Highlights:** Virtual analog engine for 80s drum sounds, Sampled real cymbal sounds, Dual sound engines for drums and cymbals, Multiple output options, Built-in effects (limiter, delay, reverb), Unlimited program storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Pad Machine free?

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

### Is Drum free?

Drum costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Drum is rated higher. Drum Pad Machine averages 4.6 out of 5 from 674K ratings, while Drum averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

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

Drum Pad Machine shows ads; Drum does not.

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

Drum Pad Machine ships an update every 3 months, and Drum every 7 months. Most recently, Drum Pad Machine was updated on September 25, 2026 and Drum on August 26, 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.*