# Samba Pad vs Staff Notebooks

The clearest difference is price: Staff Notebooks at Free against Samba Pad's $19.99. Staff Notebooks also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and rating (4.4 vs 4.0). Samba Pad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Staff Notebooks is free to download; Samba Pad costs $19.99 up front. Staff Notebooks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Samba Pad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Staff Notebooks holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Staff Notebooks has 47 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Samba Pad ships an update every 2 months, Staff Notebooks weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Samba Pad | Staff Notebooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samba-pad/id1145175563/reviews) | **[4.4 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staff-notebooks/id6469093353/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **47** |
| Positive reviews | — | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 63 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eduardo Sallada](https://appshunter.io/developer/895510583) | [Jumpei Adachi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1516414955) |

## What reviewers say

### Samba Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samba-pad/id1145175563)

This app provides a collection of 36 authentic Brazilian and Latin drum beats for music production and live performance. It features independent track control, tempo adjustment, and intro/ending options for creative mixing.

**Highlights:** 36 Brazilian and Latin beats, 8 independent instrument tracks, Independent pan and volume control, Intro and ending playback, Mute track function, Adjustable BPM slider

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Staff Notebooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staff-notebooks/id6469093353)

Create and manage handwritten music sheets digitally. This app allows musicians to compose, edit, and organize their musical ideas with ease. Perfect for songwriters and composers on the go.

**Highlights:** Handwritten music sheet creation, Digital composition, Editing tools, Organization of musical ideas, Mobile composing

**Features:** Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paid Version | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Samba Pad free?

Samba Pad costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Staff Notebooks free?

Staff Notebooks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Samba Pad or Staff Notebooks?

Staff Notebooks is rated higher. Samba Pad averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Staff Notebooks averages 4.4 from 47 ratings.

### Do Samba Pad or Staff Notebooks have ads?

Neither Samba Pad nor Staff Notebooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Samba Pad or Staff Notebooks?

Samba Pad ships an update every 2 months, and Staff Notebooks weekly. Most recently, Samba Pad was updated on November 2, 2026 and Staff Notebooks on November 7, 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.*