# Drum Kits vs Pocket Drums

The clearest difference is ads: Drum Kits at none against Pocket Drums's shown. Drum Kits also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Pocket Drums's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 101 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drum Kits sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pocket Drums sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drum Kits ships an update every 101 months, Pocket Drums every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drum Kits | Pocket Drums |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.0 (289 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-drums/id522215628/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **289** |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 101 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Makayama.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/283812573) | [Drum Starz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299477766) |

## What reviewers say

### Drum Kits

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-kits/id337580386)

Transform your device into a portable drum machine and recording studio. Easily create beats, grooves, and song arrangements with intuitive controls and a wide variety of instrument sounds. Export your creations as high-quality audio files.

**Highlights:** Portable drum machine, Beat sequencer, Recording studio, 16 professional drum kits, Song arrangement tools, AIFF and AAC/M4A export, Real-time beat editing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Version | $3.99 | one-time |


### Pocket Drums

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-drums/id522215628)

Experience realistic drumming with a virtual drum kit that fits in your pocket. This app offers responsive touch controls, high-fidelity drum sets, and various beats to help you play along. Learn rudiments with included videos and customize your sound with adjustable pitch, volume, and effects.

**Highlights:** Realistic touch-sensitive drum response, 15 high-fidelity recorded drum kits, 16 PlayAlong Beats and 20 music/drum beats, Basic drum rudiment videos, Adjustable pitch, sensitivity, volume, reverb, and delay, Multi-track recording and sharing capabilities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Exporting | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kit Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wraps | $0.99 | one-time |
| Snares | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full - Unlock everything | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Realistic drum sounds and quality audio
- 👍 Great for drum practice and learning
- 🎯 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎸 Multiple drum kits and sound options
- 💰 Free app with useful features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- 🔊 Occasional loud glitching sounds
- ⏱️ Timing issues and lag during fast playing
- 🎵 Poor drum sound quality in some kits

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when playing drums rapidly
- Glitching audio that stutters and repeats loudly
- App freezes when recording multiple times
- Screen stretches and becomes unresponsive
- App fails to open after updates

**Requested features**

- Double bass pedal for metal songs
- Reggae drum tones
- Splash and china cymbals
- Mix and match custom drum sets
- Built-in drumming lessons


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drum Kits free?

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

### Is Pocket Drums free?

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

### Do Drum Kits or Pocket Drums have ads?

Pocket Drums shows ads; Drum Kits does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drum Kits or Pocket Drums?

Drum Kits ships an update every 101 months, and Pocket Drums every 2 months. Most recently, Drum Kits was updated on September 7, 2026 and Pocket Drums on September 25, 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.*