Comparison

Drumstik 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

Drumstik

Record musical ideas directly from your electronic drum kit and automatically generate transcriptions. Edit, share, and analyze your performance with a unique coaching mode. Access an online platform for lessons and practice materials to improve your drumming skills.

Highlights
  • Automatic transcription from electronic drums
  • Score editing and sharing
  • Online content platform for lessons
  • Performance analysis with 'coach' mode
  • Progress tracking and history
  • Practice with provided working documents
Features
Read full description

TRANSCRIPTION, EDITING AND SHARING Drumstik is an application that allows you to create scores while playing directly on your electronic drum kit! You have an idea ? Need to quickly lay down your inspiration? Launch Drumstik, play your groove to generate your transcription automatically! Rework it as much as you want from the Score Editor, then share it with those who need it. CONTENT PLATFORM You want to develop your playing techniques? You are looking for exciting new challenges? Drumstik gives you access to online content platform to become a better drummer. The lessons are accessible to everyone: whatever your level! The working documents are provided with the sessions so that you can practice directly with the software. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS All scores edited with Drumstik (or available on our online platform) are compatible with our unique functionality: "coach" mode! You want to achieve the perfect performance? You want to know if you are playing over time? Load the partition you want to train on in the software, play over it and that’s it! Drumstik analyzes your game, and provides you with a performance history to view your progress!

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

Drumstik4 screens
Drum Notation by Beat Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Drum Notation by Beat Note at Free against Drumstik's $13.99. Drum Notation by Beat Note also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.0) and review sentiment (83% vs 53%). Drumstik's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ads 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

Drum Notation by Beat Note is free to download; Drumstik costs $13.99 up front. Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month. Drumstik asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drum Notation by Beat Note holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Notation by Beat Note has 83 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Drumstik's written reviews are positive against 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drumstik ships an update every 6 weeks, Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on August 17, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Drumstik versus Drum Notation by Beat Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrumstikDrum Notation by Beat Note
Price$13.99Free — better
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.7 (83 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.3% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings183 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size238 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerjulien juraKick Snare Hat Apps, LLC

Customer experience

Drumstik

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive53.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative40.0%

Drum Notation by Beat Note

All ratings83 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative9.2%

Bugs and requests

Drumstik

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

None

Drumstik

No in-app purchases

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 Drumstik free?
Drumstik costs $13.99, with no in-app purchases.
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, Drumstik or Drum Notation by Beat Note?
Drum Notation by Beat Note is rated higher. Drumstik averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Drum Notation by Beat Note averages 4.7 from 83 ratings.
Do Drumstik or Drum Notation by Beat Note have ads?
Neither Drumstik nor Drum Notation by Beat Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drumstik or Drum Notation by Beat Note?
Drumstik ships an update every 6 weeks, and Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. Most recently, Drumstik was updated on August 17, 2026 and Drum Notation by Beat Note on September 23, 2026.

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