# Drum Notation by Beat Note vs InstaDrum

The clearest difference is update cadence: Drum Notation by Beat Note at every 9 days against InstaDrum's every 2 months. Drum Notation by Beat Note also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 63%). InstaDrum's advantage is ratings volume (1.9K vs 88). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month and InstaDrum sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 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 Notation by Beat Note against 4.7 for InstaDrum. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: InstaDrum has 1.9K ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's written reviews are positive against 63% of InstaDrum's.

Drum Notation by Beat Note ships an update every 9 days, InstaDrum every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Notation by Beat Note | InstaDrum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notation-by-beat-note/id1539132475/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instadrum-play-to-learn-drums/id1589890234/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 88 | **1.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **82.8% of reviews** | 62.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 83 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kick Snare Hat Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/945994325) | [Xiaoyezi Beijing Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1271694597) |

## What reviewers say

### Drum Notation by Beat Note

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

Quickly create, hear, and share drum notation. Ideal for drummers, teachers, and content creators, it transforms ideas into professional scores and shareable videos. Organize your beats with tags and discover new exercises.

**Highlights:** Real-time notation generation, Audio playback at any tempo, Export to PDF, MP4, PNG, WAV, Organize beats with tags, Create animated notation videos, In-ear metronome functionality

**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


### InstaDrum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instadrum-play-to-learn-drums/id1589890234)

Learn to play drums with interactive lessons and popular songs. This app offers step-by-step guidance, instant feedback, and game-like challenges for all skill levels. Play on screen or with electronic drums, and build your rhythm and coordination.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step drum lessons, Instant feedback on playing, Play along with popular songs, Game-like practice challenges, Learn with on-screen or electronic drums, Progress tracking and performance scores, Standard drum notation support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month | $19.99 | per month |
| 3 Months | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 Months | $74.99 | per 6 months |
| 12 Months | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great fun and effective self learning app
- 🚀 Friendly for drum beginners
- 🚀 Awesome!
- 🚀 Fantastic - Auto Adjusts to your speed!!!
- 👍 Love this app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🐛 Connectivity issue
- 🔒 No beat and no songs, useless.
- 💰 I want to play without pay
- 🐛 Average

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't work
- Connectivity issue
- Cannot map hi hat
- Paid for plan but app doesnt work with all edrums
- Need help with hi hat

**Requested features**

- More songs pls
- Needs more songs
- there needs to be a way to slow down the tempo with the play alongs so someone can learn a new technique & get the muscle memory down, then can speed it back up
- Needs more free music


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Notation by Beat Note free?

Drum Notation by Beat Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is InstaDrum free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drum Notation by Beat Note or InstaDrum?

InstaDrum is rated higher. Drum Notation by Beat Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while InstaDrum averages 4.7 from 1.9K ratings.

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

Neither Drum Notation by Beat Note nor InstaDrum shows ads.

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

Drum Notation by Beat Note ships an update every 9 days, and InstaDrum every 2 months. Most recently, Drum Notation by Beat Note was updated on November 11, 2026 and InstaDrum on November 11, 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.*