# Bongos vs Hand Drums

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bongos at 66% against Hand Drums's 10%. Bongos also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Hand Drums's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.3). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bongos sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hand Drums sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hand Drums holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Bongos's written reviews are positive against 10% of Hand Drums'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, Hand Drums every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bongos | Hand Drums |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bongos-dynamic-bongo-drums/id411722855/reviews) | **[4.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hand-drums/id476913839/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **24** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **65.7% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 39 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Skunk Brothers GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/405250614) | [Drum Starz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299477766) |

## 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


### Hand Drums

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hand-drums/id476913839)

Explore a collection of 25 professionally recorded hand drums, including bongos, congas, and djembes. Play along to a metronome, custom beats, or your own music library. Record and share your drumming creations.

**Highlights:** 25 professionally recorded hand drums, Play along to metronome, beats, and loops, Record and share drumming sessions, Pitch and roll controls, Play along with iPod music, Visual 3D effects

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hand Drums Upgrade | $0.99 | one-time |
| Exporting | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bongos free?

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

### Is Hand Drums free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bongos or Hand Drums?

Hand Drums is rated higher. Bongos averages 3.3 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Hand Drums averages 4.0 from 11 ratings.

### Do Bongos or Hand Drums have ads?

Both Bongos and Hand Drums show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bongos or Hand Drums?

Bongos ships an update every 2 months, and Hand Drums every 3 months. Most recently, Bongos was updated on October 17, 2026 and Hand Drums on October 8, 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.*