# Drum Notes vs Simmons Drums 2

The clearest difference is rating: Drum Notes at 4.6 against Simmons Drums 2's 3.1. Drum Notes also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 30%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Simmons Drums 2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drum Notes sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Simmons Drums 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Drum Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Notes has 208 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Drum Notes's written reviews are positive against 30% of Simmons Drums 2's.

Drum Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Simmons Drums 2 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Notes | Simmons Drums 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (208 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notes-beats-and-notation/id1493160348/reviews)** | [3.1 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simmons-drums-2/id1626424275/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **208** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | **56.3% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 133 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UPBEAT STUDIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1755215567) | [Simmons Innovations Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1236886059) |

## 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 |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for writing ideas
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Good for exercises
- 👍 Useful for drummers
- 👍 Good for students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Unstable on iPad
- 🐛 Accents not working
- 🐛 Subscription cost too high
- 🐛 Limited free version

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes constantly
- App crashes on iPad
- Accents don't work after saving
- Beta score writing features don't work
- App freezes on loading screen

**Requested features**

- Add whole note bass drum roll
- Increase save space
- Add MIDI export
- Add feature to play individual instruments by tapping
- Improve marching percussion sounds


### Simmons Drums 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simmons-drums-2/id1626424275)

Control your Simmons electronic drum kit with an expanded interface. Adjust sounds, effects, and mix settings. Learn new beats with a play-along tool, metronome, and practice features.

**Highlights:** Expanded drum module settings display, Kit selection and sound/effect customization, Mix and trigger setting adjustments, Play-along tool with music library integration, Tempo control and looping for practice, Metronome, Titan-series Practice tool control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Notes free?

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

### Is Simmons Drums 2 free?

Simmons Drums 2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drum Notes or Simmons Drums 2?

Drum Notes is rated higher. Drum Notes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 208 ratings, while Simmons Drums 2 averages 3.1 from 33 ratings.

### Do Drum Notes or Simmons Drums 2 have ads?

Drum Notes shows ads; Simmons Drums 2 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drum Notes or Simmons Drums 2?

Drum Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Simmons Drums 2 every 2 months. Most recently, Drum Notes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Simmons Drums 2 on October 21, 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.*