# Bongos vs Real Drum

The clearest difference is rating: Real Drum at 4.5 against Bongos's 3.3. Real Drum also leads on ratings volume (49K vs 24) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Bongos's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bongos sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Real Drum sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Real Drum holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Real Drum has 49K 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 55% of Real Drum'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, Real Drum every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bongos | Real Drum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bongos-dynamic-bongo-drums/id411722855/reviews) | **[4.5 (49K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-drum-electronic-drum-set/id550920929/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **49K** |
| Positive reviews | **64.1% of reviews** | 55.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#90** |
| Size | 39 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Skunk Brothers GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/405250614) | [KOLB SISTEMAS - EIRELI](https://appshunter.io/developer/550920932) |

## 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


### Real Drum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-drum-electronic-drum-set/id550920929)

**Currently charting:** #90 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Learn to play drums on your smartphone or tablet with a realistic virtual drum set. Offers lessons, loops, and customizable kits for all skill levels. Practice quietly anywhere and share your performances.

**Highlights:** Over 100 drum lessons, Realistic 3D drum kits, Customizable drum set with custom images/sounds, Studio-quality audio, Export recordings to MP3, Share performances on social media, MIDI support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium version | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Version - 3 Days Free | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Version | $3.99 | per month |
| Subscription monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Version | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Version | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Version 12 months | $12.99 | per year |
| Version Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Premium Version 6/months | $17.99 | per 6 months |
| Remove Ads | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🥁 Great drum sounds
- 👍 Realistic drumming experience
- 💡 Ability to create custom drum kits
- 👍 Wide variety of drum kits
- 🥁 Useful for practicing and learning drums

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Delay issues when playing
- 🔋 Battery drain when app is running
- 💰 Paywall for some features
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Drum sounds cutting out
- Inability to change/save custom kits
- App freezing or becoming unresponsive
- Disappearance of purchased content

**Requested features**

- Add more drum kits from popular bands
- Implement a beat sequencer
- Allow adding own sound samples
- Improve ergonomics of drum layout
- Add dynamic playing capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bongos free?

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

### Is Real Drum free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bongos or Real Drum?

Real Drum is rated higher. Bongos averages 3.3 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Real Drum averages 4.5 from 49K ratings.

### Do Bongos or Real Drum have ads?

Both Bongos and Real Drum show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bongos or Real Drum?

Bongos ships an update every 2 months, and Real Drum every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bongos was updated on September 23, 2026 and Real Drum on September 24, 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.*