Comparison

Drum Notes vs Beat Blocks

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

Head to head
About

Drum Notes

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
Read full description

* Grammy Academy awarded: app to support percussive music preservation. Write, share, and practice drum music like never before. Join over 200,000 drummers and percussionists in 180 countries who have already created 400,000+ scores with Drum Notes, a simple app to create and share drum beats, music scores, drum lessons, drum loops, drum tabs and rhythms. Ideal for beginners and pros alike. Drum Notes features an intuitive score creator, perfect for drumset and percussive genres like Samba, Marching Bands, Drumlines, Cuban percussion, and Drum grooves. Think of it as a more accessible version of Musescore, Flat or Finale, tailored for drummers. Like a drum machine or drum sequencer with real drum scores. FOR DRUMMERS - ALL LEVELS Intuitive Music Score Editor: Effortlessly create percussive sheet music with a user-friendly music writing editor, for drum set or any percussion instrument. Explore Beats: Learn drums by discovering thousands of beats, loops, and percussion samples from our drumming community. Practice Tools: Adjust your own pro metronome, customize grooves, and use the drum score editor as a rhythm trainer. Organize Your Notes: Keep rhythms, arrangements, recordings, and exercises neatly organized. FOR TEACHERS - ENHANCE YOUR INSTRUCTION Drum Exercises: Create, share, and manage exercises with ease. Student-Teacher Groups: Maintain shared spaces for class materials and track progress. Public Library: Access and share a wealth of exercises and materials. FOR BANDS - PERFECT FOR BATUCADAS Arrange and Share: Organize complex patterns and rhythms, and export them in audio or image formats. Private Groups: Create groups for sharing compositions and performance notes. Explore Percussion Rhythms: Discover diverse samples and beats to inspire and enhance your band’s sound. FOR CONTENT CREATORS - SHARE PROFESSIONAL CONTENT Export Options: Share drum grooves as high-quality audio or images. Perfect for showcasing your work on social media. Diverse Library: Use an extensive collection of beats and samples for creating stunning content. FOR MUSICIANS - EXPAND YOUR PLAYBACK OPTIONS Playback Tool: Use Drum Notes to playback loops and samples for various instruments. Versatile Use: Ideal for enhancing rhythm and practice sessions with authentic beats. ADDITIONAL FEATURES Diverse percussion instruments: Drum Set Electronic Drum Kit Cajon Rumba Instruments: Congas, Clave, Cowbell, Shaker, etc. Samba Instruments: Surdos, Repique, Caixa, Agogos, Rebolo, Pandeiro, etc. Samba Reggae Instruments: Timbal, Bacurinha, etc. Marching Band / Drumline Instruments: Quads, Snare Drums, Bass Drum, Cymbals. Capoeira Instruments: Berimbau Viola, Berimbau Berra Boi, Berimbau Medio, Agogo, Pandeiro, Atabaque And many more… Percussion Library: Rock, Jazz, Samba, Marching Band, Capoeira, and many more. Customizable Settings: Adjust metronome BPM, sound accents, and more. Global Community: Connect with percussionists and drummers worldwide. PREMIUM FEATURES Unlock unlimited compositions, percussive instruments per score, and private groups. Support our mission to improve musical knowledge. JOIN THE DRUM NOTES COMMUNITY Developed by a team dedicated to empowering drummers and percussionists. Drum Coach App: Explore our app for developing practice habits with exercises, scores, and audio instructions. We wish you great grooves! #drum, #drums, #drumline, #samba, #percussion * if you are looking for the app Drumap (drum app; drum map), this is it! Now we are called Drum Notes. upbeat.studio https://upbeat.studio/privacy-policy-drum-notes/ https://upbeat.studio/terms-and-conditions-drum-notes/

About

Beat Blocks

Master your musical timing with this interactive rhythm trainer. Create endless custom drills, receive real-time feedback, and practice with immersive musical notation. Ideal for musicians of all skill levels looking to improve their rhythm.

Highlights
  • Infinite rhythm drill creation
  • Custom beat editor
  • Real-time accuracy feedback
  • Immersive musical notation
  • Advanced mode for complex rhythms
  • Customizable themes and sound kits
Features
Read full description

Master Rhythm with Beat Blocks! Transform the way you practice with Beat Blocks, the interactive rhythm trainer designed for musicians of all levels. Whether you’re a beginner picking up your first instrument or a pro sharpening your timing, Beat Blocks turns drills into a fun, gamified experience. Key Features: - Infinite Creation: No limits, no boundaries. Create endless rhythm drills tailored to your specific goals. - Custom Beat Editor: Build any pattern in seconds. Our intuitive editor lets you adjust tempo and notes easily. - Real-Time Feedback: Play the notes directly in the app and receive instant accuracy judgments. See exactly how close you are to the perfect beat! - Immersive Musical Notation: Bridge the gap between playing and reading. Toggle Notation Mode to see drills in standard sheet music format to master sight-reading naturally. - Advanced Mode: Push your limits with complex subdivisions, syncopation, and sustained notes (halves, wholes, and dotted quarters). - Fully Customizable: Make the practice space yours. Customize colors, themes, and sound kits to stay engaged and focused. Rhythm is the foundation of all music. Beat Blocks provides a visual, tactile system that makes timing feel like second nature. Download Beat Blocks today and level up your musicality!

Screenshots

Drum Notes4 screens
Beat Blocks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Drum Notes at Free against Beat Blocks's $1.99. Drum Notes also leads on ratings volume (207 vs 8) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Beat Blocks's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement 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 Notes is free to download; Beat Blocks costs $1.99 up front. Drum Notes sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Beat Blocks asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Beat Blocks holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Notes has 207 ratings behind it against 8, 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 83% of Beat Blocks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drum Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Beat Blocks every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Drum Notes versus Beat Blocks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrum NotesBeat Blocks
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.6 (207 ratings)4.9 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.3% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings207 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size133 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUPBEAT STUDIOCharles Sekel

Customer experience

Drum Notes

All ratings207 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.4%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive56.3%
Neutral18.8%
Negative25.0%

Beat Blocks

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

Drum Notes

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • 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
Show 16 more
  • App crashes when trying to access saved rhythms
  • Previously created playlists don't show up
  • Unable to listen to playlists
  • App closes out several times a minute
  • App deleted created content
  • Sounds lag, creating flam type sounds
  • Agogo bell sounds reversed
  • Loss of content after account creation
  • Loss of content after app name change
  • Unexplained charges and card locking
  • App not opening arrangements or showing instruments
  • App crashes after 15 minutes
  • Inability to share on iPad
  • Inability to save as image on iPad
  • Unresponsive beta features
  • App crashes and closes unexpectedly

Requested features

19 requests
  • Add whole note bass drum roll
  • Increase save space
  • Add MIDI export
  • Add feature to play individual instruments by tapping
  • Improve marching percussion sounds
Show 14 more
  • Add dark mode
  • Add 8th note/1 time division option
  • Allow export of sheet to image on free version
  • Fix accent bug
  • Make accented beats easier to create
  • Add BPM configuration
  • Improve sound quality of marching percussion
  • Add feature to play different instruments instead of editing
  • Make score layout better for longer scores
  • Fix iPad specific sharing issues
  • Fix beta score writing features
  • Offer a one-time purchase option
  • Fix issues with previously created playlists not showing up
  • Fix issues with not being able to listen to playlists

Beat Blocks

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Drum Notes

Subscriptions8
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$42.991 Year
Show 5 more
  • Premium Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$42.991 Year
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$44.996 Months
  • Premium yearly Subscription$49.991 Year
  • Premium yearly subscription14 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Drumap PRO Yearly Offer1 Year trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Samba on Drum set workshop$5.99
  • Music Capoeria Workshop$6.99
None

Beat Blocks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drum Notes free?
Drum Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Beat Blocks free?
Beat Blocks costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Drum Notes or Beat Blocks?
Beat Blocks is rated higher. Drum Notes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 207 ratings, while Beat Blocks averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.
Do Drum Notes or Beat Blocks have ads?
Drum Notes shows ads; Beat Blocks does not.
Which is updated more often, Drum Notes or Beat Blocks?
Drum Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Beat Blocks every 5 weeks. Most recently, Drum Notes was updated on October 14, 2026 and Beat Blocks on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons