Comparison

Bongos vs Rassel

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

Head to head
About

Bongos

Experience realistic bongo drumming with professionally recorded sounds that change based on where you strike the drums. This app offers high-quality samples, additional percussion, and low latency for an immersive musical experience on your iPhone or iPad.

Highlights
  • 18 high-quality bongo samples
  • Cowbell and sticks percussion
  • Professionally recorded & mastered sounds
  • No latency for precise playing
  • Multitasking support for playing along with music
  • Universal app for iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

The ultimate Bongos for your iPhone and iPad 18 with professionally recorded and mastered sounds: Depending where you hit the bongos sounds varies! It doesn’t matter if you are a professional musician, want to become a bongocero or just want to drum for fun - you should get this app! Features: ⇒ 18 high quality bongo samples ⇒ More percussion: Cowbell and sticks ⇒ Professionally recorded & mastered sounds ⇒ No latency for fast and exact playing! ⇒ Optimized for iPhone / iPad speakers, headphones and external speakers ⇒ Supports multitasking: Play along with your own music ⇒ HD Retina Graphics for iPhone, iPod touch and the new iPad ⇒ 2 Apps in 1: Universal App for iPhone AND iPad To play along with your own music, start the music on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and start the app. Important: If you can't hear anything on your device, please make sure, you turned up the ringtone volume and enabled application sounds in the iPhone settings menu. --------- Make sure to leave a comment with ideas and wishes for future versions in your review!

About

Rassel

Turn your iPhone into a shaken percussion instrument with realistic sound and handling. Choose from four different instruments and adjust their settings for a lifelike experience.

Highlights
  • Four percussion instruments: Egg, Shaker, Tambourine, Bells
  • Realistic audio rendering engine
  • Gyroscope-based velocity control
  • Adjustable instrument tightness (loose, normal, tight)
  • Loudness boost option
Features
Read full description

Rassel – Pocket Shaker transforms your iPhone to a shaken percussion instrument. Just pick up the device and shake it. This initial version comes with four different instruments: Egg, Shaker, Tambourine and Bells. Just swipe the screen to change between them. Unlike similar apps, Rassel is based on a unique audio rendering engine that accounts for continuous velocity changes based on how the sampled instruments are agitated. The device’s gyroscope is directly mapped to this velocity which makes any movement sound the way a real instrument would. We’ve tried to fine-tune the app to be as lifelike as possible, both in sound and handling response. We think we got pretty close. Features: - Instruments: Egg, Shaker, Tambourine and Bells - Choose between loose, normal or tight setting - Loudness boost option

Screenshots

Bongos2 screens
Rassel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bongos at Free against Rassel's $0.99. Rassel's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On device support and iOS requirement 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

Bongos is free to download; Rassel costs $0.99 up front. Bongos sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Rassel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rassel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 78 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Bongos's written reviews are positive against 80% of Rassel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bongos ships an update every 2 months, Rassel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Bongos versus Rassel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBongosRassel
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.3 (24 ratings)4.7 (78 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.7% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2478 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSkunk Brothers GmbHKlevgrand Produkter AB

Customer experience

Bongos

All ratings24 ratings
Positive54.2%
Neutral8.3%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews849 reviews
Positive65.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative20.0%

Rassel

All ratings78 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral1.3%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral8.9%
Negative10.7%

User reviews

Bongos

From 24 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Realistic bongo sounds
  • 🎶 Encourages musical creativity
  • 🤗 Fun for all ages
  • 💻 Works well on mobile devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🙄 Repetitive after a while
  • 📢 Intrusive ads
  • 🔊 Could use louder/better sound

Rassel

From 78 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Realistic sound and feel
  • 👍 Intuitive and simple UI
  • 💰 Free to use
  • 🚀 Responsive accelerometer
  • 💡 Innovative concept

Room to improve

  • 🔉 Too quiet volume
  • 🔇 No sound for some users
  • 🎚️ Limited sound variations
  • 🎚️ Some sounds too closed/dull

Bugs and requests

Bongos

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Sound not working on some devices
  • Rotation issues on certain phones
  • Ads covering up playing area

Requested features

4 requests
  • Record and playback feature
  • More instrument options
  • Ability to tune/adjust bongos
  • Integration with music apps

Rassel

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on load
  • No sound output
  • Cannot exit 'about' screen
  • App does not open
  • Screen lock stops sound

Requested features

13 requests
  • AUv3 support
  • Inter-App Audio support
  • More percussion sounds
  • More instrument variations
  • Haptic feedback
Show 8 more
  • MIDI support
  • Ability to use while screen is locked
  • Louder volume option
  • Voiceover accessibility
  • Custom sample import
  • Vibration for realism
  • Tambourine accent function
  • More dynamic sound options for tambourine

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bongos

One-time1
  • Bongos Ad-Free$1.99
None

Rassel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bongos free?
Bongos is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rassel free?
Rassel costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bongos or Rassel?
Rassel is rated higher. Bongos averages 3.3 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Rassel averages 4.7 from 78 ratings.
Do Bongos or Rassel have ads?
Bongos shows ads; Rassel does not.
Which is updated more often, Bongos or Rassel?
Bongos ships an update every 2 months, and Rassel every 4 days. Most recently, Bongos was updated on November 1, 2026 and Rassel on November 11, 2026.

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