Comparison

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro vs Drum Notation by Beat Note

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

Head to head
About

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro

Create music and perform beats with a virtual drum machine. Access over 200 sound packs, learn beat-making through interactive lessons, and share your creations. Suitable for both beginners and experienced producers.

Highlights
  • 200+ sound packs
  • Interactive beat-making lessons
  • Advanced mode for experienced users
  • Loop creation and recording
  • Music and voice recording
  • High-quality samples
Features
Read full description

Beat Maker Go is the ultimate drum pad machine app. With Beat Maker Go, you can perform beats easily and create amazing music tracks with 200+ sound packs from our library. Share your music with friends and other people on social media or anywhere you like. This app is for beginners and PRO beat makers. If you are just getting started with music, our easy lessons will help you learn how to get into beat making the right way. Get a new cool hobby with Beat Maker Go. But it’s not just for beginners. Experienced beat makers will love our "Advanced mode". Practice skills and grow with 2,000+ lessons. Listen and repeat the beats, create your own loops, record and share them. Use loops, blend them, and record your performance in a fun way. Use the pads to create top-notch mixtapes or music sets. Play while you are on the move. The presets library offers the most recent sound packs in various genres: Hip-Hop Trap House EDM Dubstep Techno Rock Synthwave This app is ideal if you would like to create music like an established producer. High-quality samples are made by professional sound producers and dedicated musicians. This partnership helps us keep the app up-to-date and provides you with even better stuff on a regular basis! ACADEMY: Learn how to make beats like a pro with the academy. Lessons in 70+ packs. Learn how to make beats like a pro. Upgrade your skills. FEATURES: - High-quality samples (uncompressed 16-bit, 44.1 KHz). - 32 pads in two banks. - Predefined beat loops in every sound preset. - Overdub feature to add sounds to recorded loops. - Music recording and sharing. - Voice recording. Follow our interactive tutorial and go through every step of beat making right now! The app contains the following subscription options: - Pro Version weekly 5.99 with 3-days free. - Pro Version yearly 29.99 with 7-days trial. - Music One weekly 9.99 with 3-days trial. - Music One Promo weekly 9.99 with 14-days trial. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. - The account is charged for renewal within 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Subscriptions can be managed by the user and auto-renewal can be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. - The cost of renewal is equal to the value that “Apple’s App Store Matrix” determines as the equivalent of the subscription price in $USD. - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to the publication. - You can subscribe for unlimited access to our Premium features: * All sound packs unlocked * Recording a track * A video course on beat making * Advanced mode with loops * No ads Privacy Policy: https://gismart.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Service: https://gismart.com/terms-of-service/

About

Drum Notation by Beat Note

Create, practice, and share drum music notation with ease. This app transforms sequenced beats into professional sheet music, offering tools for composition, transcription, and interactive teaching. Enhance your drumming journey with customizable practice sessions and high-quality export options.

Highlights
  • Sequencer to notation conversion
  • Compose and transcribe drum beats
  • Customizable practice sessions
  • Interactive teaching tools
  • High-quality PDF and image export
  • Multiple notation voicing options
Features
Read full description

Beat Note — Drum Notation for Drummers, Teachers, and Content Creators The fastest way to write, hear, practice, and share drum notation. Built by a drummer, for drummers. FOR DRUMMERS — FROM YOUR HEAD TO THE PAGE IN SECONDS You have a groove idea. Beat Note gets it down before you lose it. Tap the sequencer grid to build beats. Watch them turn into clean, professional drum notation in real time. Hit play and hear exactly what you wrote — at any tempo, with a click track, on loop. - Transcribe songs to check your ear and lock in what you hear - Compose your own grooves, fills, and exercises from scratch - Count in with a visual on-screen "1, 2, 3, 4" so your eyes and ears are ready together - Use Beat Note as your in-ear metronome during rehearsals — your beats, not just clicks "Been waiting a long time for an app like this. Clearly built by a drummer." — App Store review FOR TEACHERS — WRITE IT, PLAY IT, SEND IT What used to take 30 minutes in a desktop notation program now takes 2 minutes on your phone or iPad. Write exercises on the fly — during the lesson, not after it. Play back the notation so students hear exactly how it should sound. Share a link so they can listen at home. Export a PDF they can print and bring to the kit. - Use the sequencer as a live music whiteboard, in person or online - Build a library of exercises organized by tag, ready for any student - Send a shareable link or export a high-quality PDF in one tap "What would normally take 30 minutes on a computer has become 2 minutes from my mobile device. My students love it." — App Store review FOR CONTENT CREATORS — PROFESSIONAL NOTATION VIDEOS, IN MINUTES Export your beat as an animated MP4 — portrait for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, or landscape for YouTube and Vimeo. Choose 720p, 1080p, or 4K. Pick a color theme. Preview before you export. PDF, PNG, WAV or AAC audio, shareable link, and animated MP4 — all from one app. NOTATION THAT LOOKS RIGHT Professional drum notation, consistent across every format you export. What you see on screen is what your students get in the PDF, what your followers see in the video, and what you hear in playback. - All standard drums, cymbals, and articulations - Subdivisions from 8th notes to 32nd notes, plus triplets, quintuplets (5s), and septuplets (7s) - Common and compound time signatures, including 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8 - Linear, split hands/feet, or split drums/cymbals voicing - Sticking annotations (R, L) - Single-measure repeat symbol (%) — renders automatically when measures repeat ORGANIZE AND DISCOVER - Tags, search, and sort to manage your beat library - Discover tab: curated educational beats for all skill levels - Beat templates to get started fast - Customize tempo, click track, count-in, and timer MADE BY A DRUMMER, SHAPED BY THE COMMUNITY Beat Note was built by me — an independent developer with 35+ years behind the kit. But the direction comes from the community. Every major feature on the roadmap has been voted on, requested, and refined by drummers, teachers, and creators just like you. Join the conversation at roadmap.beat-note.app — vote on upcoming features, share ideas, and see what's coming next. I'm here to make sure it all comes together into something that actually works. Premium subscription required for full access. Educator and Creator tiers available. Free trial included. Payment is charged through your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period via iTunes Account Settings. Terms and Privacy Policy: https://www.beat-note.app/privacy-and-terms

Screenshots

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro4 screens
Drum Notation by Beat Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Drum Notation by Beat Note at none against Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro's shown. Drum Notation by Beat Note also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 55%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro's advantage is ratings volume (94K vs 88). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drum Notation by Beat Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro has 94K ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro's written reviews are positive against 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro ships an update monthly, Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro versus Drum Notation by Beat Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads ProDrum Notation by Beat Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (94K ratings)4.6 (88 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews82.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings94K — better88
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size423 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGismart LimitedKick Snare Hat Apps, LLC

Customer experience

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro

All ratings94,145 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral4.9%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews1,806 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral6.4%
Negative38.3%

Drum Notation by Beat Note

All ratings87 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral4.6%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive82.8%
Neutral7.4%
Negative9.8%

User reviews

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro

From 94K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for making music
  • 👍 Lots of creative options
  • ⭐ Fun and engaging
  • 🎨 Awesome sound quality

Room to improve

  • 💰 Too many paid features
  • 🔍 Difficult to find free content
  • 🔁 Repetitive ads
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs

Drum Notation by Beat Note

From 88 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🚀 Quick and efficient notation
  • 🎶 Great sound playback
  • 💡 Excellent for teaching and learning
  • ✍️ Simple to write exercises and ideas

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 💸 High annual cost
  • 🆓 Limited free version
  • 🚫 No one-time purchase option
  • 🤔 Subscription model makes little sense to some

Bugs and requests

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues with recorded beats
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Compatibility problems on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more free sound packs
  • Allow custom beat creation
  • Improve syncing and recording
  • Integrate with other music apps

Drum Notation by Beat Note

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Preview rarely matches notes on staff
  • Sometimes doesn't play any notes
  • Sounds not always appropriate for instrument voicing
  • Editing measures is inconvenient
  • Free trial charged immediately
Show 3 more
  • iCloud data sync issues for subscription confirmation
  • Not stable in loopings, slow delay on first note
  • Measure lines on PDFs too thick and close

Requested features

27 requests
  • 7/8 time signature support
  • Syncing between devices
  • Web version
  • Native Mac/Windows apps
  • Add text or notes to notations
Show 22 more
  • Cowbell instrument
  • More drum samples and pitch control
  • Ability to work on spaces longer than a measure
  • Add 32nd notes
  • Duplicate multiple bars at once
  • Copy/paste large sections
  • Option to drag duplicated bars to the end
  • Add melody track
  • More instrument options
  • Ability to manage volumes of different instruments
  • Add quintuplets and sextuplets to a bar
  • Add repetition options for measures
  • Add text to music sheets
  • Improve loop stability and reduce delay
  • Allow monthly subscription option
  • More free beats/unlimited free version
  • Add sticking for grace notes
  • More advanced editing options for multiple bars
  • Improve PDF export readability
  • Add virtual drum kit for accessibility
  • AI-powered automatic notation
  • Auto-sync to track

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro

Subscriptions9
  • Premium$3.997 Days
  • Music One - Full Access14 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Music One - Full Access3 Days trial$9.997 Days
Show 6 more
  • Full Access to Pro Features3 Days trial$12.997 Days
  • Annual premium subscription$24.991 Year
  • Annual Premium Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium3 Days trial$29.996 Months
  • Annual premium subscription$49.991 Year
  • Annual premium subscription$69.991 Year
One-time3
  • Lifetime Premium$29.99
  • Lifetime Premium2 variants$39.99
  • Lifetime Premium$49.99
5 purchases

Drum Notation by Beat Note

Subscriptions5
  • Educator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$6.691 Month
  • Creator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$13.491 Month
  • Educator Tier Annual (No Trial)$59.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Educator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Creator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro free?
Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drum Notation by Beat Note free?
Drum Notation by Beat Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro or Drum Notation by Beat Note?
Drum Notation by Beat Note is rated higher. Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro averages 4.4 out of 5 from 94K ratings, while Drum Notation by Beat Note averages 4.6 from 88 ratings.
Do Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro or Drum Notation by Beat Note have ads?
Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro shows ads; Drum Notation by Beat Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro or Drum Notation by Beat Note?
Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro ships an update monthly, and Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. Most recently, Beat Maker Go:DJ Drum Pads Pro was updated on November 1, 2026 and Drum Notation by Beat Note on October 29, 2026.

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