Comparison

Drum Notation by Beat Note vs Drum Chart Builder

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

Head to head
About

Drum Notation by Beat Note

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
Read full description

Beat Note — Drum Notation for Drummers, Teachers, and Content Creators The fastest way to write, hear, practice, and share drum notation. Built by a drummer, for drummers. FOR DRUMMERS — FROM YOUR HEAD TO THE PAGE IN SECONDS You have a groove idea. Beat Note gets it down before you lose it. Tap the sequencer grid to build beats. Watch them turn into clean, professional drum notation in real time. Hit play and hear exactly what you wrote — at any tempo, with a click track, on loop. - Transcribe songs to check your ear and lock in what you hear - Compose your own grooves, fills, and exercises from scratch - Count in with a visual on-screen "1, 2, 3, 4" so your eyes and ears are ready together - Use Beat Note as your in-ear metronome during rehearsals — your beats, not just clicks "Been waiting a long time for an app like this. Clearly built by a drummer." — App Store review FOR TEACHERS — WRITE IT, PLAY IT, SEND IT What used to take 30 minutes in a desktop notation program now takes 2 minutes on your phone or iPad. Write exercises on the fly — during the lesson, not after it. Play back the notation so students hear exactly how it should sound. Share a link so they can listen at home. Export a PDF they can print and bring to the kit. - Use the sequencer as a live music whiteboard, in person or online - Build a library of exercises organized by tag, ready for any student - Send a shareable link or export a high-quality PDF in one tap "What would normally take 30 minutes on a computer has become 2 minutes from my mobile device. My students love it." — App Store review FOR CONTENT CREATORS — PROFESSIONAL NOTATION VIDEOS, IN MINUTES Export your beat as an animated MP4 — portrait for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, or landscape for YouTube and Vimeo. Choose 720p, 1080p, or 4K. Pick a color theme. Preview before you export. PDF, PNG, WAV or AAC audio, shareable link, and animated MP4 — all from one app. NOTATION THAT LOOKS RIGHT Professional drum notation, consistent across every format you export. What you see on screen is what your students get in the PDF, what your followers see in the video, and what you hear in playback. - All standard drums, cymbals, and articulations - Subdivisions from 8th notes to 32nd notes, plus triplets, quintuplets (5s), and septuplets (7s) - Common and compound time signatures, including 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8 - Linear, split hands/feet, or split drums/cymbals voicing - Sticking annotations (R, L) - Single-measure repeat symbol (%) — renders automatically when measures repeat ORGANIZE AND DISCOVER - Tags, search, and sort to manage your beat library - Discover tab: curated educational beats for all skill levels - Beat templates to get started fast - Customize tempo, click track, count-in, and timer MADE BY A DRUMMER, SHAPED BY THE COMMUNITY Beat Note was built by me — an independent developer with 35+ years behind the kit. But the direction comes from the community. Every major feature on the roadmap has been voted on, requested, and refined by drummers, teachers, and creators just like you. Join the conversation at roadmap.beat-note.app — vote on upcoming features, share ideas, and see what's coming next. I'm here to make sure it all comes together into something that actually works. Premium subscription required for full access. Educator and Creator tiers available. Free trial included. Payment is charged through your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period via iTunes Account Settings. Terms and Privacy Policy: https://www.beat-note.app/privacy-and-terms

About

Drum Chart Builder

Create professional drum charts and setlists quickly for gigs, sessions, and practice. Organize your music with a searchable library and access a playable drum pattern library. Offers a free trial of premium features.

Highlights
  • Build one-page drum charts
  • Create and edit setlists
  • Playable drum pattern library
  • Export charts as PDFs
  • Organized dashboard
  • Metronome and tempo click
  • Dark and light modes
Features
Read full description

Build drum charts in minutes—not hours.
Create clean, simple drum charts for gigs, rehearsals, and sessions fast—no complex notation required. Drum Chart Builder helps drummers stay organized, show up prepared, and play with confidence every time they sit behind the kit. Drum Chart Builder helps you quickly map song form, grooves, and hits so you can walk into any rehearsal or gig prepared and confident. * Works on all devices. * All your drum charts and setlists stay perfectly in sync across every device. * Works online and offline no matter where you are. * Create your charts on your computer and take your iPad to your gig. This app was designed by professional drummer Liz Ficalora the author of How to Write a Fast and Easy Drum Chart. She took her book and made it into an app. * Build a full chart in under 20 minutes * Simple, one-page charting template * Quickly map out song sections and structure * Organize setlists for live gigs * Use ready-made drum patterns (or create your own) * No advanced drum notation needed * View charts one by one from your setlist. * Export clean, one-page charts pdf’s Made for Real-World Playing * Use charts during gigs and rehearsals * Stay locked in with your setlist * See what’s coming next in every song * Reduce stress and play with confidence Stay Organized * Keep all your drum charts in one place * Instantly search your song library * Manage setlists for performances * Access charts anytime on phone or tablet Powerful Drum Tools * Built-in drum pattern library * Create and save custom patterns * Insert figure library to add fills, hits, and cues * Export charts as PDFs * Share charts with your band Perfect For * Gigging drummers * Worship musicians * Session players * Music Educators * Pit musicians * Studio Players * Drum students PRICING Enjoy a 7-day free trial!
Try all premium features free for 7 days—no commitment required. What happens after the trial?
 Once your 7-day trial ends, you can choose what’s best for you: * Stay free: Continue using the app with limited features at no cost. * Go Standard or Professional: Unlock full access with a subscription plan. Your subscription will automatically begin unless canceled at least 24 hours before the trial ends. The payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the selected subscription rate. * You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your App Store account settings. FREE PLAN - Includes a Sample Chart and Setlist
 You can Receive Shared Charts For Viewing Only STANDARD - Create & Edit Charts and Setlists. 
 You Can Receive Shared Charts and Edit $8.99 Per Month $49.99 Per Year PROFESSIONAL - Create & Edit Charts and Setlists. You Can Share and Receive Shared Charts and Edit $12.99 Per Month $69.99 Per Year SKILL LEVEL Beginner to Professional Drummers and Musicians If you can count out the measures in a song, this method is for you. Beginners, count out the song form so you can make a map of the song. Pro's, map out the song and add simple one and two bar patterns for the groove. Save time, keep organized and build a simple drum chart in 20 minutes. CONTACT https://drumchartbuilder.com/contact HOW TO VIDEOS Youtube https://www.youtube.com/drumchartbuilder Support Page https://new.drumchartbuilder.com/support/ CONNECT WITH US Website: https://drumchartbuilder.com
 Drum Chart Store: https://easydrumchart.com Follow for tips, updates, and tutorials:
 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@drumchartbuilder
 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drumchartbuilder
 Facebook: https://facebook.com/drumchartbuilder TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizficalora Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Visit https://www.drumchartbuilder.com for more info.

Screenshots

Drum Notation by Beat Note4 screens
Drum Chart Builder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Drum Notation by Beat Note at 4.7 against Drum Chart Builder's 3.9. Drum Notation by Beat Note also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 67%) and ratings volume (83 vs 7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month and Drum Chart Builder sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drum Notation by Beat Note holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Notation by Beat Note has 83 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's written reviews are positive against 67% of Drum Chart Builder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drum Notation by Beat Note ships an update every 9 days, Drum Chart Builder fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 19, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Drum Notation by Beat Note versus Drum Chart Builder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrum Notation by Beat NoteDrum Chart Builder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (83 ratings) — better3.9 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings83 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKick Snare Hat Apps, LLCElizabeth Ficalora

Customer experience

Drum Notation by Beat Note

All ratings83 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative9.2%

Drum Chart Builder

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Drum Notation by Beat Note

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • 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
Show 3 more
  • iCloud data sync issues for subscription confirmation
  • Not stable in loopings, slow delay on first note
  • Measure lines on PDFs too thick and close

Requested features

27 requests
  • 7/8 time signature support
  • Syncing between devices
  • Web version
  • Native Mac/Windows apps
  • Add text or notes to notations
Show 22 more
  • Cowbell instrument
  • More drum samples and pitch control
  • Ability to work on spaces longer than a measure
  • Add 32nd notes
  • Duplicate multiple bars at once
  • Copy/paste large sections
  • Option to drag duplicated bars to the end
  • Add melody track
  • More instrument options
  • Ability to manage volumes of different instruments
  • Add quintuplets and sextuplets to a bar
  • Add repetition options for measures
  • Add text to music sheets
  • Improve loop stability and reduce delay
  • Allow monthly subscription option
  • More free beats/unlimited free version
  • Add sticking for grace notes
  • More advanced editing options for multiple bars
  • Improve PDF export readability
  • Add virtual drum kit for accessibility
  • AI-powered automatic notation
  • Auto-sync to track

Drum Chart Builder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Drum Notation by Beat Note

Subscriptions5
  • Educator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$6.691 Month
  • Creator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$13.491 Month
  • Educator Tier Annual (No Trial)$59.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Educator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Creator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$119.991 Year
4 purchases

Drum Chart Builder

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Std7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Monthly Pro7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Yearly Std7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Drum Notation by Beat Note free?
Drum Notation by Beat Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drum Chart Builder free?
Drum Chart Builder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Drum Notation by Beat Note or Drum Chart Builder?
Drum Notation by Beat Note is rated higher. Drum Notation by Beat Note averages 4.7 out of 5 from 83 ratings, while Drum Chart Builder averages 3.9 from 7 ratings.
Do Drum Notation by Beat Note or Drum Chart Builder have ads?
Neither Drum Notation by Beat Note nor Drum Chart Builder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drum Notation by Beat Note or Drum Chart Builder?
Drum Notation by Beat Note ships an update every 9 days, and Drum Chart Builder fortnightly. Most recently, Drum Notation by Beat Note was updated on September 19, 2026 and Drum Chart Builder on September 19, 2026.

Other comparisons