# Drumline vs Play Drums!

The clearest difference is price: Play Drums! at Free against Drumline's $4.99. Play Drums! also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). Drumline's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.1 vs 3.7). On review sentiment, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Play Drums! is free to download; Drumline costs $4.99 up front. Drumline sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Play Drums! sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drumline holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drumline has 1.2K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 39% and 40% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drumline | Play Drums! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumline/id357815924/reviews)** | [3.7 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-drums/id668258736/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 39.2% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#45** | — |
| Size | 171 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +9 |
| Developer | [John Ostler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279335874) | [Drum Starz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299477766) |

## What reviewers say

### Drumline

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumline/id357815924)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

This app offers a comprehensive virtual drumline experience with realistic sounds and instruments. It includes practice tools, tuning features, and engaging games to hone drumming skills. Designed for serious percussionists, it provides a professional marching experience on your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Realistic snare, tenor, bass, and cymbal sounds, Xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone instruments, Adjustable metronome with various modes, Drumhead tuning functionality, Memory and speed challenge games, Practice pad tools

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Memory Game | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for practicing percussion
- 👍 Realistic drum and cymbal sounds
- 🥁 Variety of percussion instruments (snare, tenors, bass)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unresponsive or inaccurate hit detection on drums
- 🔧 Bugs with certain drum sounds (e.g. buzzing tenors, incorrect bass pitches)
- 📱 Compatibility issues on newer phones
- 🤔 Confusing in-app purchase model

**Reported bugs**

- Drums not registering hits correctly
- Tenors and bass drums not playing proper pitches
- Cymbals not functioning as expected
- App crashing or not producing any sound

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode for better playability
- Allow customization of drum tuning and sound
- Implement a metronome and ability to play along with music
- Add more advanced drumming techniques (rolls, diddles, etc.)


### Play Drums!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-drums/id668258736)

Experience a futuristic rhythm game inspired by 80s electronic drum kits and EDM. Tap colorful hexagons in time with the music to score points and improve your rhythmic abilities. Choose from various difficulty levels, songs, and drum kits.

**Highlights:** Rhythm game with EDM music, Beginner and advanced difficulty levels, Multiple drum kits and songs, Professionally recorded stereo sounds, Hi-resolution graphics, Lefty mode for reversed layout

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| London House | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rocket | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cephalopod | $0.99 | one-time |
| Blue Scorpion | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drumline free?

Drumline costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Play Drums! free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drumline or Play Drums!?

Drumline is rated higher. Drumline averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Play Drums! averages 3.7 from 13 ratings.

### Do Drumline or Play Drums! have ads?

Play Drums! shows ads; Drumline does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drumline or Play Drums!?

Drumline ships an update every 4 months, and Play Drums! every 4 months. Most recently, Drumline was updated on September 24, 2026 and Play Drums! on September 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.*