# Bongos vs Brass Up!

The clearest difference is rating: Bongos at 3.3 against Brass Up!'s 2.7. Bongos also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Brass Up!'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bongos sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Brass Up! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bongos holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 28 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Bongos's written reviews are positive against 70% of Brass Up!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bongos ships an update every 2 months, Brass Up! every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bongos | Brass Up! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.3 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bongos-dynamic-bongo-drums/id411722855/reviews)** | [2.7 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brass-up/id446654401/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **28** |
| Positive reviews | 65.7% of reviews | **70.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 39 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Skunk Brothers GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/405250614) | [IdeateGames](https://appshunter.io/developer/446654404) |

## What reviewers say

### Bongos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bongos-dynamic-bongo-drums/id411722855)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bongos Ad-Free | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Brass Up!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brass-up/id446654401)

Practice valve brass instruments with this fingering simulator. Choose from 12 keys, random notes, scales, or Arban-style exercises. Features learning and drill modes, plus a reference lookup for all notes and alternate fingerings.

**Highlights:** Fingering simulation for valve brass instruments, Support for 12 keys, Random notes, scales, and Arban exercises, Learn and drill modes, Note reference lookup, Alternate fingering support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bongos free?

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

### Is Brass Up! free?

Brass Up! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bongos or Brass Up!?

Bongos is rated higher. Bongos averages 3.3 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Brass Up! averages 2.7 from 28 ratings.

### Do Bongos or Brass Up! have ads?

Bongos shows ads; Brass Up! does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bongos or Brass Up!?

Bongos ships an update every 2 months, and Brass Up! every 3 months. Most recently, Bongos was updated on October 20, 2026 and Brass Up! on October 15, 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.*