# Beat Station vs CR

The clearest difference is price: Beat Station at Free against CR's $1.99. Beat Station also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (500 vs 10). CR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Beat Station is free to download; CR costs $1.99 up front. Beat Station sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. CR asks for nothing beyond the download.

CR holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beat Station has 500 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Beat Station's written reviews are positive against 75% of CR's.

Beat Station ships an update every 5 weeks, CR every 8 months. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beat Station | CR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (500 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-station-drum-machine/id1207156644/reviews) | **[4.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cr-5000/id1442843535/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **500** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Size | 209 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sonar Multimedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/992774946) | [David Rochaix](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441966350) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### CR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cr-5000/id1442843535)

This app transforms your device into a pocket beat-making companion, inspired by the simplicity and raw heritage of eighties analog drum machines. It offers a pure interface with high-quality samples, combinable patterns, and various arranger variations for creating rhythms.

**Highlights:** 12 Original high quality double-samples, 24 Combinable preset patterns, 8 Preset fill-ins, 7 Arranger variations, Shuffle mode (3/4 signature), Background audio playback, Audiobus V3 and InterApp audio support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beat Station free?

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

### Is CR free?

CR costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Beat Station or CR?

CR is rated higher. Beat Station averages 4.5 out of 5 from 500 ratings, while CR averages 4.9 from 10 ratings.

### Do Beat Station or CR have ads?

Neither Beat Station nor CR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Beat Station or CR?

Beat Station ships an update every 5 weeks, and CR every 8 months. Most recently, Beat Station was updated on November 11, 2026 and CR on November 11, 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.*