Comparison

BPM vs liveBPM

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

Head to head
About

BPM

Measure music tempo by tapping along to the beat. It can also retrieve and display information about currently playing songs from your music library. Share your tempo and song data easily with others.

Highlights
  • Tempo measurement by tapping
  • Average or individual tap tempo display
  • Lock/unlock tempo display
  • Retrieve song information
  • Share tempo and song data
  • Ad removal purchase
Features
Read full description

"BPM" is an application that measures tempo (BPM) by tapping a button. - Tempo Measurement By tapping the "TAP!" button in time with the tempo of the music (once per beat), it measures the tempo (BPM). Turning on the "Average mode" displays the average tempo of the taps, while turning it off shows the tempo for each individual tap. If you don't tap for more than 3 seconds, the tempo will be reset. Tapping the text "BPM" will lock the tempo, preventing automatic updates to the tempo and song information. Tapping it again will unlock it. Additionally, tapping the numerical value of BPM will reset the tempo. - Song Information Retrieval It displays song information for music playing in the iPhone/iPad Music app (this feature is not available in third-party apps like Spotify or AWA). Turning on "Shazam mode" retrieves and displays information about the currently playing music, which may take a few seconds to obtain. - Sharing Tempo Information Pressing the "Action" button allows you to copy the song information and BPM as text or share them with other apps. - Advertising Advertisements are displayed, but you can remove them by tapping the "Remove Ad" button to purchase the "Ad Removal Feature". Ads are automatically hidden while measuring the tempo.

About

liveBPM

This app monitors tempo by detecting music and beats through your device's microphone. It continuously displays the current beats per minute (BPM) and helps musicians maintain a steady rhythm. It offers advanced features like tempo curve visualization and audio spectrum analysis for professional use.

Highlights
  • Real-time BPM detection
  • Tempo curve visualization
  • Audio spectrum analysis
  • Multiple zoom modes
  • Low battery consumption
  • Accurate beat detection engine
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Sharpen your sense of time! liveBPM is the tempo monitoring tool for drummers, bands and DJs. It detects music and beats via the microphone and continuously displays the current tempo in beats per minute (BPM). It is easy to use and delivers high-quality results while being energy efficient. === What users said about liveBPM === John Walden, freelance musician and music technology journalist at musicappblog.com: "There are three obvious applications for the app. First, it would make a brilliant practice tool for a drummer, allowing them to monitor just how good they are at keeping a steady tempo without the aid of a click track to guide them. Second, sat beside your kit during a performance, it would allow you to judge just how well you are hitting the ideal tempo for each song in your set. It’s not just drummers that can benefit for liveBPM as the third use is in mapping the tempo – and any tempo changes – in commercial recordings. While this is useful for drummers, it is instructional for almost any musician." JonLong: "I used this at my last band practice and wasn't expecting it to work. I couldn't believe how quickly and accurately it started tracking the bpm, even despite the very loud volume of our music." PocketDrummer82: "I am a professional drummer and I have been looking for something like this for years! Unless your playing with backing tracks or recording, Playing with a Click is too Mechanical. This app allows the tempo to breathe, and its like a little angel on your shoulder telling you the band is speeding up or slowing down. It is totally worth the money." Chris Walther: "I have used this about five gigs now and have quit using my previous tempo meter. I used both for a few gigs to test the accuracy. Dead on. Thanks! Every drummer should use this." magrec: "This has been very helpful for recording. thanks!" === Detailed Description === This is a tool designed for professional use: - Well-tested beat detection engine guarantees trustworthiness - Can handle most genres - Produces results accurate to within 0.1 BPM under the following conditions: -- The tempo is constant or almost constant -- Strong impulses are defining the beat (drums, accentuated rhythm instruments like bass/guitar, etc.) Further features: - Tempo curve shows the development of tempo over time - Multiple zoom modes to show last 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes - Advanced audio spectrum analysis via FFT - More accessible and usually more accurate than BPM counters that function through tapping - Low battery drain thanks to high performance code and efficient algorithms Using it as a musician: - Use it as an objective tempo reference like a metronome - It actually has several advantages over a metronome: -- You are not tied to a click, giving you more flexibility -- Helps you use tempo changes to enhance your musical expression -- With blind tests, it can massively improve your timing confidence, which is especially important if you are in a tempo leading role (e.g. drummer) - Discover how/whether your favorite artists use tempo changes - Measure and improve your time-keeping skills - Identify slowdowns and speedups while practicing your instrument - Always be in control of the tempo during your live gigs and rehearsals Controls: - Power Button: For freezing the tempo curve and minimizing battery drain - Clear Button: Clears the tempo curve - Slider: Adjusts the target tempo range (i.e. 80-160 BPM) - Zoom Buttons: Switch between zoom modes for the tempo curve. (2-30 minutes) Note: - You can check and improve the detection by clapping loud to the beat. Also, results can be improved by plugging in a suitable external microphone. - You can support my work by rating it on the App Store. If you have questions and/or suggestions, feel free to contact me via e-mail or facebook.

Screenshots

BPM1 screens
liveBPM3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: BPM at Free against liveBPM's $3.99. BPM also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 11 months). liveBPM's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment and device support 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

BPM is free to download; liveBPM costs $3.99 up front. BPM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. liveBPM asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

liveBPM holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33 and 115 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of BPM's written reviews are positive against 69% of liveBPM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BPM ships an update every 4 months, liveBPM every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
BPM versus liveBPM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBPMliveBPM
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating3.2 (33 ratings)4.1 (115 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews — better68.7% of reviews
Number of ratings33115 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#56 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.67.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMotokazu SekineDaniel Bach

Customer experience

BPM

All ratings33 ratings
Positive51.5%
Neutral12.1%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral7.5%
Negative15.9%

liveBPM

All ratings115 ratings
Positive74.8%
Neutral8.7%
Negative16.5%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive68.7%
Neutral10.4%
Negative20.9%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

BPM

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
None

liveBPM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BPM free?
BPM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is liveBPM free?
liveBPM costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BPM or liveBPM?
liveBPM is rated higher. BPM averages 3.2 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while liveBPM averages 4.1 from 115 ratings.
Do BPM or liveBPM have ads?
BPM shows ads; liveBPM does not.
Which is updated more often, BPM or liveBPM?
BPM ships an update every 4 months, and liveBPM every 11 months. Most recently, BPM was updated on September 4, 2026 and liveBPM on September 23, 2026.

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