# iAmDrums vs Drum Pad Machine

The clearest difference is ads: iAmDrums at none against Drum Pad Machine's shown. Drum Pad Machine's advantage is ratings volume (674K vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iAmDrums sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Drum Pad Machine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for iAmDrums against 4.6 for Drum Pad Machine. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Pad Machine has 674K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of iAmDrums's written reviews are positive against 63% of Drum Pad Machine's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iAmDrums | Drum Pad Machine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iamdrums/id383799018/reviews)** | [4.6 (674K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-pad-machine-beat-maker/id1057968965/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **674K** |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | **63.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#165** | #174 |
| Size | 50 MB | 230 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rubotic, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569518836) | [Easybrain Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190815537) |

## What reviewers say

### iAmDrums

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iamdrums/id383799018)

**Currently charting:** #165 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Create and play drum beats anytime, anywhere with a variety of drum kits. Features a loop maker for sequencing custom grooves and realistic drum feel with velocity and expression controls.

**Highlights:** Loop Maker Mode, Create and sequence custom grooves, Save grooves to KickStart library, 20 diverse drum kits, Velocity and expression controls, Realistic drum feel

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Kits | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 High-quality, realistic drum sounds
- 👍 User-friendly interface design
- 🎨 Visually appealing graphics
- ⚡ Responsive drum pads
- 🎛️ Variety of drum kits available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Invisible/rendering drum kits (especially Trip Hop)
- ⏱️ Significant latency issues
- 🔇 No sound on some devices
- 🎯 Single-touch limitation (no multitouch)
- 🔧 Poor restore purchases functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Trip Hop drum kit invisible but audio plays
- Drums not loading on download
- Black screen on iPhone 11 Pro
- Restore purchases button non-functional
- Purchased kits becoming locked after update

**Requested features**

- Left-handed drum kit option
- Extended bar/measure support (beyond 32 steps)
- Higher BPM limit (above 160)
- Additional cymbal types (China, Stack, Splash)
- Custom drum kit creation


### Drum Pad Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-pad-machine-beat-maker/id1057968965)

**Currently charting:** #174 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Create professional-quality music and unique tracks with a variety of styles and sound packs. Utilize instruments, FX, and sequencing for creative sound design. Learn through beat school lessons and share your creations instantly.

**Highlights:** Multiple music styles (Hip-hop, Trap, House, etc.), Professional sound packs, Drum and Piano instruments, Sequencing with tempo and EQ, Beat School lessons, Quick music sharing

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drum Pad Machine Pro - Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Music Beat Maker Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Drum Pad Machine Pro - Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Beatmaker Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Drum Pad Machine Pro - Annual | $46.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Incredible music-making experience
- 👍 Easy to learn and use
- 🎶 Wide variety of music genres and beats
- 🎓 Helpful tutorials and lessons
- 🎧 High-quality sound samples

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and repetitive ads
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 🤔 Limited customization options
- ⏱️ Lessons and tutorials move too fast

**Reported bugs**

- Recordings sometimes stop unexpectedly
- Difficulty registering multiple button presses simultaneously
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add a search function to find specific beats
- Allow users to create and share their own custom beats
- Implement a pause/resume feature for recordings
- Provide more granular control over tempo and timing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iAmDrums free?

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

### Is Drum Pad Machine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iAmDrums or Drum Pad Machine?

iAmDrums is rated higher. iAmDrums averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Drum Pad Machine averages 4.6 from 674K ratings.

### Do iAmDrums or Drum Pad Machine have ads?

Drum Pad Machine shows ads; iAmDrums does not.

### Which is updated more often, iAmDrums or Drum Pad Machine?

iAmDrums ships an update every 3 months, and Drum Pad Machine every 3 months. Most recently, iAmDrums was updated on September 24, 2026 and Drum Pad Machine on September 27, 2026.

### Which is more popular, iAmDrums or Drum Pad Machine?

iAmDrums currently peaks at #165 in the App Store charts, and Drum Pad Machine at #174. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*