# Blue Devils vs Ensemble Composer

The clearest difference is price: Blue Devils at Free against Ensemble Composer's $14.99. Blue Devils also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). Ensemble Composer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and chart position (#182 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Blue Devils is free to download; Ensemble Composer costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Blue Devils against 4.6 for Ensemble Composer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ensemble Composer has 275 ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 78% and 77% positive.

Blue Devils ships an update every 5 months, Ensemble Composer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blue Devils | Ensemble Composer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-devils/id370569272/reviews) | **[4.6 (275 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 55 | **275** |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 77.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#182** |
| Size | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BD Performing Arts](https://appshunter.io/developer/370569275) | [N. Wheeler](https://appshunter.io/developer/312350021) |

## What reviewers say

### Blue Devils

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-devils/id370569272)

Access exclusive media content, including over 1500 videos and 350 audio tracks, from a renowned drum and bugle corps. Stay updated on event schedules with integrated maps and calendar saving. Explore historical data, connect with members, and view competition scores.

**Highlights:** Watch 1500+ videos, Listen to 350+ audio tracks, View 85,000+ photos, Submit user content, Event maps and calendar integration, Full season information (1971-present), View DCI scores

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Access to extensive music library
- 🏆 Great content for Blue Devils fans
- 📱 User-friendly interface
- 🌟 High-quality videos and audio
- 🆓 Free content available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- ⚠️ Inconsistent performance
- 💰 Some content requires payment
- 🔄 Outdated content in some areas
- 🚫 Cannot save photos

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when clicking on dates under schedule tab
- App crashes when attempting to save a photo
- App requires update even after updating
- App crashes when opening roster
- App crashes when hitting Videos

**Requested features**

- Make the app Android compatible
- Add playlist functionality
- Include DCI and DCP news
- Optimize for newer iPhone versions
- Add Airplay support


### Ensemble Composer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960)

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Create custom drumline music with realistic recorded sounds. Compose street beats, stand jams, or entire musical books. Play along, practice, share, and edit your compositions.

**Highlights:** Compose drumline music, Realistic recorded drum sounds, Play along and practice, Share and edit compositions, Support for any time signature, Customizable rhythms

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Authentic drum sounds and audio quality (older versions)
- ✍️ Intuitive composition interface for writing cadences
- 📱 All-in-one drumline app combining multiple sections
- 💾 Export functionality to sheet music and audio formats
- 🎯 Useful for educators and students to practice rhythms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Severe audio quality degradation after recent update
- 🐛 Choppy scrolling and laggy performance
- 🐛 Audio stuttering and cutting off during playback
- 🐛 Files not saving or disappearing after updates
- 🐛 Backward compatibility issues with legacy files

**Reported bugs**

- New update prevents opening older files
- Audio stutters and cuts off in faster rhythms
- Triplet rolls don't sound even
- Bass drum subdivisions not working
- Tenor section drums moved to incorrect positions

**Requested features**

- Revert snare sounds to pre-update quality
- Multiple sound option choices for drums
- Hi-hat option for cymbals
- Single tenor drum section option
- Separate tempos within drum sections


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blue Devils free?

Blue Devils is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ensemble Composer free?

Ensemble Composer costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Blue Devils or Ensemble Composer?

Ensemble Composer is rated higher. Blue Devils averages 4.6 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Ensemble Composer averages 4.6 from 275 ratings.

### Do Blue Devils or Ensemble Composer have ads?

Neither Blue Devils nor Ensemble Composer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blue Devils or Ensemble Composer?

Blue Devils ships an update every 5 months, and Ensemble Composer every 2 months. Most recently, Blue Devils was updated on October 3, 2026 and Ensemble Composer on October 12, 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.*