# Drum Notes vs Drum Notation by Beat Note

The clearest difference is ads: Drum Notation by Beat Note at none against Drum Notes's shown. Drum Notation by Beat Note also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 57%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drum Notes sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Drum Notes against 4.7 for Drum Notation by Beat Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 204 and 83 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Drum Notes's written reviews are positive against 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's.

Drum Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Notes | Drum Notation by Beat Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (204 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notes-beats-and-notation/id1493160348/reviews) | **[4.7 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notation-by-beat-note/id1539132475/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **204** | 83 |
| Positive reviews | 57.4% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 133 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UPBEAT STUDIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1755215567) | [Kick Snare Hat Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/945994325) |

## What reviewers say

### Drum Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notes-beats-and-notation/id1493160348)

Create, share, and practice percussive music scores with an intuitive editor. Explore a global community of drummers and percussionists, access thousands of beats, and utilize practice tools. Ideal for musicians, teachers, and bands of all levels.

**Highlights:** Intuitive score editor for drum set and percussion, Explore and learn from community-shared beats and rhythms, Practice tools including metronome and rhythm trainer, Organize rhythms, arrangements, and exercises, Create and share drum exercises for students, Export scores as audio or image formats

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $42.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $42.99 | per year |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $44.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium yearly subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Drumap PRO Yearly Offer | $49.99 | per year |
| Samba on Drum set workshop | $5.99 | one-time |
| Music Capoeria Workshop | $6.99 | one-time |


### Drum Notation by Beat Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notation-by-beat-note/id1539132475)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Educator Tier Monthly (No Trial) | $6.69 | per month |
| Creator Tier Monthly (No Trial) | $13.49 | per month |
| Educator Tier Annual (No Trial) | $59.99 | per year |
| Educator Tier Annual + Free Trial | $59.99 | per year |
| Creator Tier Annual + Free Trial | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient notation
- 🎶 Great sound playback
- 💡 Excellent for teaching and learning
- ✍️ Simple to write exercises and ideas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 💸 High annual cost
- 🆓 Limited free version
- 🚫 No one-time purchase option
- 🤔 Subscription model makes little sense to some

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 7/8 time signature support
- Syncing between devices
- Web version
- Native Mac/Windows apps
- Add text or notes to notations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Notes free?

Drum Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### 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, Drum Notes or Drum Notation by Beat Note?

Drum Notation by Beat Note is rated higher. Drum Notes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 204 ratings, while Drum Notation by Beat Note averages 4.7 from 83 ratings.

### Do Drum Notes or Drum Notation by Beat Note have ads?

Drum Notes shows ads; Drum Notation by Beat Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drum Notes or Drum Notation by Beat Note?

Drum Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. Most recently, Drum Notes was updated on September 21, 2026 and Drum Notation by Beat Note on September 19, 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.*