Comparison

Bodhrán Drum Loops vs Strum Machine

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

Head to head
About

Bodhrán Drum Loops

This app provides authentic bodhrán drum loops for musicians. Easily control tempo with a slider and integrate with other music software. Access tutorial videos for guidance.

Highlights
  • Intuitive bodhrán drum looper
  • Adjustable tempo slider
  • Stop button functionality
  • Tutorial video access
  • Audiobus and Ableton Link integration
  • Demo button for raw sound files
Features
Read full description

Ancient beats on modern technology. Single Serving Bodhran drum looper Designed to be intuitive but if you need instructions 1) Press any large button to play the bodhrán drum loop. 2) Move the slider toward the bunny to make the beat go faster 2 /b/ Move the slider toward the turtle the beat goes slower. 3) The Stop button stops the loop. 4)The web button takes you to a tutorial video Connect with Audiobus and Ableton Link for limitless music-making Demo button for tutorial and raw Bodhran sound files. Recorded in Odd time signatures BPM is rounded

About

Strum Machine

Generate realistic backing tracks for practice with real instrument audio. Customize chord progressions, keys, and tempo. Features a large song library, song editor, and band customization options. Works offline and syncs across devices.

Highlights
  • Realistic instrument audio backing tracks
  • Customizable chord progressions, keys, and tempo
  • Extensive song library
  • Simple song editor
  • Band and instrument customization
  • Cross-platform syncing and offline mode
Features
Currently charting
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Elevate your music practice with customizable backing tracks generated with audio from real instruments (guitar, mandolin, and standup bass). Strum Machine can play any chord progression, in any key, at any speed. It's the only backing-track app built specifically for players of bluegrass, old-time, fiddle tunes, and other such genres. (Although it works pretty good for some jazz/swing now, too!) Why musicians of all levels love Strum Machine: • Realistic Sound: Backing tracks are assembled in real time from studio-quality instrument recordings. • Quick Adjustments: Instantly adjust the speed/tempo, change the key, loop part of a song, etc. • Auto-Speedup: Gradually increase the BPM at the end of every repetition for training purposes. • Chord Reference: Clean, beautiful chord charts, which can be displayed in letters or numbers (i.e. "1-4-5"). • Extensive Library: Over 1,300 songs (mostly from bluegrass and old-time) ready to go, with thousands more posted on the community forum. • Simple Song Editor: Add your own songs (or edit existing ones) in minutes. Almost every chord you can play on a guitar is available for use. • Customize the Band: Choose from a variety of built-in band styles, then optionally customize each instrument individually – adjust the strumming pattern, add automatic bass runs, and more. • Organize & Share: Create song lists for practicing or even performing, and share them with your friends or on the community forum. • Cross-Platform: Sync your custom songs, lists, and preferences with any device you use Strum Machine on: phone, tablet, or computer. (It works offline, too!) • Responsive Support: If you run into any problems or have questions, write us an email or post a message on the forum and someone will get back to you within a few days! Strum Machine is under active development and we're always working on ways to make the app even more useful to our users... while keeping it uncluttered and intuitive first and foremost. Discover how Strum Machine can improve your music practice today! Download Strum Machine and play a handful of demo songs instantly, without signing up. For the full experience, including access to all built-in songs and the ability to create your own, start a free trial. Terms of Use: https://strummachine.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://strummachine.com/privacy

Screenshots

Bodhrán Drum Loops3 screens
Strum Machine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Strum Machine at Free against Bodhrán Drum Loops's $4.99. Strum Machine also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 45%) and rating (4.7 vs 3.7). Bodhrán Drum Loops's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.4). On 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

Strum Machine is free to download; Bodhrán Drum Loops costs $4.99 up front. Strum Machine sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Bodhrán Drum Loops asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Strum Machine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Strum Machine has 118 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Bodhrán Drum Loops's written reviews are positive against 89% of Strum Machine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bodhrán Drum Loops ships an update every 33 months, Strum Machine fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Bodhrán Drum Loops versus Strum Machine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBodhrán Drum LoopsStrum Machine
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (13 ratings)4.7 (118 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews88.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13118 — better
Update frequencyEvery 33 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#167 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.4
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB77 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbu Studio IncLuke Abbott LLC

Customer experience

Bodhrán Drum Loops

All ratings13 ratings
Positive61.5%
Neutral15.4%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative45.5%

Strum Machine

All ratings118 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive88.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative8.1%

In-app purchases

None

Bodhrán Drum Loops

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Strum Machine

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Bodhrán Drum Loops free?
Bodhrán Drum Loops costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Strum Machine free?
Strum Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bodhrán Drum Loops or Strum Machine?
Strum Machine is rated higher. Bodhrán Drum Loops averages 3.7 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Strum Machine averages 4.7 from 118 ratings.
Do Bodhrán Drum Loops or Strum Machine have ads?
Bodhrán Drum Loops shows ads; Strum Machine does not.
Which is updated more often, Bodhrán Drum Loops or Strum Machine?
Bodhrán Drum Loops ships an update every 33 months, and Strum Machine fortnightly. Most recently, Bodhrán Drum Loops was updated on October 11, 2026 and Strum Machine on October 20, 2026.

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