# S vs MACHINE DRUM

The clearest difference is price: MACHINE DRUM at Free against S's $2.99. MACHINE DRUM also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). S's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (11 vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

MACHINE DRUM is free to download; S costs $2.99 up front. MACHINE DRUM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. S asks for nothing beyond the download.

MACHINE DRUM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: S has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

S ships an update every 7 months, MACHINE DRUM monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | S | MACHINE DRUM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s-modular/id1291071549/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machine-drum-beat-maker-kit/id6801917704/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 31.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paul Betowski](https://appshunter.io/developer/538476580) | [Nathan Burazer](https://appshunter.io/developer/6788218630) |

## What reviewers say

### S

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s-modular/id1291071549)

This semi-modular synthesizer app for iPad offers a hands-on sound design experience with a single-screen interface for intuitive patching. It delivers a warm, vintage sound inspired by 1970s synthesizers, featuring dual oscillators, resonant filters, and multiple modulation sources.

**Highlights:** Single-screen interface, Fast, hands-on patching, Vintage 1970s synth sound, Dual oscillators, Resonant ladder filter, Multiple modulation sources

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### MACHINE DRUM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machine-drum-beat-maker-kit/id6801917704)

This app offers a minimalist drum machine and sound design lab for creating beats and audio. It features a tactile step sequencer, custom kick sound designer, and the ability to record and manipulate custom samples. Professional DSP effects and genre-inspired templates are also included to enhance creativity.

**Highlights:** Tactile 16-pad step sequencer, Custom kick sound designer with dual-oscillator engine, Record and manipulate custom samples, DSP effects including Delay, Reverb, and Bitcrusher, Frequency filters (LP, BP, HP), Hardware and genre-inspired presets

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MACHINE DRUM PRO | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is S free?

S costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MACHINE DRUM free?

MACHINE DRUM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, S or MACHINE DRUM?

MACHINE DRUM is rated higher. S averages 2.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while MACHINE DRUM averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do S or MACHINE DRUM have ads?

Neither S nor MACHINE DRUM shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, S or MACHINE DRUM?

S ships an update every 7 months, and MACHINE DRUM monthly. Most recently, S was updated on November 3, 2026 and MACHINE DRUM on October 25, 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.*