# Bongos vs Pocket Drums

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Drums at 4.0 against Bongos's 3.3. Pocket Drums also leads on ratings volume (289 vs 24). Bongos's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bongos sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pocket Drums sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pocket Drums holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Drums has 289 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Bongos's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pocket Drums's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bongos | Pocket Drums |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bongos-dynamic-bongo-drums/id411722855/reviews) | **[4.0 (289 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-drums/id522215628/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **289** |
| Positive reviews | **64.1% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 39 MB | 84 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

**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


### Pocket Drums

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-drums/id522215628)

Experience realistic drumming with a virtual drum kit that fits in your pocket. This app offers responsive touch controls, high-fidelity drum sets, and various beats to help you play along. Learn rudiments with included videos and customize your sound with adjustable pitch, volume, and effects.

**Highlights:** Realistic touch-sensitive drum response, 15 high-fidelity recorded drum kits, 16 PlayAlong Beats and 20 music/drum beats, Basic drum rudiment videos, Adjustable pitch, sensitivity, volume, reverb, and delay, Multi-track recording and sharing capabilities

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Exporting | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kit Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wraps | $0.99 | one-time |
| Snares | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full - Unlock everything | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Realistic drum sounds and quality audio
- 👍 Great for drum practice and learning
- 🎯 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎸 Multiple drum kits and sound options
- 💰 Free app with useful features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- 🔊 Occasional loud glitching sounds
- ⏱️ Timing issues and lag during fast playing
- 🎵 Poor drum sound quality in some kits

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when playing drums rapidly
- Glitching audio that stutters and repeats loudly
- App freezes when recording multiple times
- Screen stretches and becomes unresponsive
- App fails to open after updates

**Requested features**

- Double bass pedal for metal songs
- Reggae drum tones
- Splash and china cymbals
- Mix and match custom drum sets
- Built-in drumming lessons


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bongos free?

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

### Is Pocket Drums free?

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

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

Pocket Drums is rated higher. Bongos averages 3.3 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Pocket Drums averages 4.0 from 289 ratings.

### Do Bongos or Pocket Drums have ads?

Both Bongos and Pocket Drums show ads.

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

Bongos ships an update every 2 months, and Pocket Drums every 2 months. Most recently, Bongos was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pocket Drums on September 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*