BeatMaker 2 vs Drum Pad Machine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BeatMaker 2
Create professional-quality music on your mobile device. Build virtual studios, compose songs with a variety of instruments and effects, and record your ideas. Import your own sounds or use the extensive library to bring your musical vision to life.
- Virtual home-studio creation
- Multiple instrument types
- Full range of audio effects
- Sound library and import options
- MIDI accessory compatibility
- Multi-track sequencer
- Piano-roll interface
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*** BEATMAKER 3 IS AVAILABLE NOW ! *** BeatMaker 2: Advanced mobile music workstation. Combining music production tools that were behind the success of countless artists, BeatMaker 2 is a powerful, easy-to-use composition interface for amateurs and professionals alike. Build your own virtual home-studio, create multiple instruments and connect them to a full-range of audio effects. Compose, record, arrange and transform your ideas into complete songs, ready to be shared with others. Import your own sounds or use the sound library provided: more than 170 high-quality instrument and drum presets from synthesizers to realistic orchestral sounds. You can even import songs from your iPod library! Connect your MIDI accessories for an external control of BeatMaker's instruments, effects and mixer, ideal for home-studio productions and live performances. Compatible with audio interfaces with the Camera Kit (iPad only). Works on all iPhone, iPod and iPad models starting with third generation devices (iPhone3GS, iPod3G 32GB, iPhone 4/4S/5, all iPads). * STUDIO: - Create multiple instruments with Drum Machine, Keyboard Sampler, Audio Tracks - 11 effects: Reverb, Compressor, Filter, Delay, EQ, Flanger, Chorus, AutoPan, BitCrusher, Overdrive, 6-Band Parametric EQ - 3 effect slots for each instrument - CoreMIDI support: connect your MIDI accessories to control instruments, effects and mixer. * DRUM MACHINE: - 128 trigger pads: 16 pads over 8 banks - Chop Lab: Slice audio loops to automatically create new sound presets - Control sound parameters on individual pad: volume, pan, mute, output bus, semitone, fine tune, reverse and autoscaling - Low/high pass filter per pad - Pad trigger modes: one-shot, hold & loop - ADSR Envelope ADSR control for each pad - Exclusive groups and polyphony management - "Live" modes: trigger, mute, reverse, velocity and tune spreading. - Pad copy & paste * KEYBOARD SAMPLER - 128-key keyboard with pitch wheel, double keyboard mode, note display and zoom controls - Easily create your own instruments from any sample combination with the keygroup editor - Volume and filter ADSR envelopes - Low/high pass filter with key tracking - 2 LFOs to control volume, pitch and filter parameters - Polyphony control, up to 32 voices - Legato play mode with glide - Velocity layers * AUDIO TRACKS: - Add audio tracks for recording and sample playback directly on the sequencer - Record multiple audio tracks simultaneously - Gain and noise gate on audio inputs - Support for disk streaming to load samples without consuming RAM * MULTI-TRACK SEQUENCER - Create unlimited instrument, audio and FX tracks - Automations: Record, edit and replay instrument and effect parameters - Record, draw, arrange and resize patterns along the timeline to build your song - Compose and modify patterns with a piano-roll interface. Edit notes, parameters and automations. - Instrument and effect recording options: Quantize, take or partial undo, pre-roll, Overdub, note erasing. * WAVE EDITOR - Full-fledged wave editor with intuitive interface for manipulating samples - Basic edition tools: trim, cut, copy, paste, with undo/redo - High quality time-stretching and pitch-shifting algorithms - Audio tools: normalize, silence, reverse, fade in and out, cross-fade - Record new samples from microphone or instruments - Loop points and tempo/signature editor * MIXER CONSOLE - Realistic multi-track mixer with level meters - Edit volume, pan, solo, mute and bus routing features for each track - Four sends available for each instrument/audio tracks * LARGE SOUND BANK INCLUDED * SHARING & GLOBAL OPTIONS - MIDI files import/export - MIDI Out, Sync, Thru support - Virtual MIDI support - Korg's WIST support - Transfer files from/to your computer via iTunes or FTP - Import songs from your iPod library to create new remixes - Upload songs to your SoundCloud account - DropBox support - Share audio content via iOS pasteboard
Drum Pad Machine
Create professional-quality music and unique tracks with a variety of styles and sound packs. Utilize instruments, FX, and sequencing for creative sound design. Learn through beat school lessons and share your creations instantly.
- Multiple music styles (Hip-hop, Trap, House, etc.)
- Professional sound packs
- Drum and Piano instruments
- Sequencing with tempo and EQ
- Beat School lessons
- Quick music sharing
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Make your own music like a pro. Create sick beats, perfect and perform unique tracks! Features: • Great variety of music styles: Hip-hop, Drum & Bass, Trap, Dubstep, House, and many others; • Unique sound packs. Get access to professional-quality audio samples created by professional musicians and DJs; • Instruments & FX. Use Drum & Piano for creative sound designs; • Sequencing. Get studio effects including Tempo Regulation and EQ; • Beat School. Try the lessons for each sound pack to improvise freely; • Quick sharing. Share your music with the world. Enjoy this powerful, yet easy-to-use tool to get the best music experience! Drum Pad Machine Premium Drum Pad Machine Premium Subscription allows you to unlock all the sound packs, get new releases, and remove ads. Choose from different subscription options. Payment will be charged to Apple ID Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by you and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Apple ID Account Settings. For more information please visit the link https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039. Unused portion of a free-trial period will be forfeited when a user decides to subscribe. EULA: https://easybrain.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://easybrain.com/policy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Drum Pad Machine at Free against BeatMaker 2's $11.99. Drum Pad Machine also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.4) and ratings volume (674K vs 232). BeatMaker 2's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On review sentiment, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Drum Pad Machine is free to download; BeatMaker 2 costs $11.99 up front. BeatMaker 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Drum Pad Machine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Drum Pad Machine holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Pad Machine has 674K ratings behind it against 232, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of BeatMaker 2's written reviews are positive against 63% of Drum Pad Machine's.
BeatMaker 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Drum Pad Machine every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BeatMaker 2 | Drum Pad Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $11.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.4 (232 ratings) | 4.6 (674K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.5% of reviews | 63.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 232 | 674K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | #190 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 745 MB | 230 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | INTUA | Easybrain Ltd |
Customer experience
BeatMaker 2
Drum Pad Machine
User reviews
BeatMaker 2
From 232 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful sampling and beat-making capabilities
- 👍 Intuitive and flexible workflow
- 🎨 Extensive sound library
- 💡 Ability to import custom samples and MIDI
- 🎹 Versatile keyboard and drum pad interfaces
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High memory usage and battery drain
- 📺 Poor iPad optimization and scaling
- 🔇 Lackluster built-in sounds and synths
- 🔍 Confusing and cluttered user interface
Drum Pad Machine
From 674K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Incredible music-making experience
- 👍 Easy to learn and use
- 🎶 Wide variety of music genres and beats
- 🎓 Helpful tutorials and lessons
- 🎧 High-quality sound samples
Room to improve
- 🤬 Excessive and repetitive ads
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 🤔 Limited customization options
- ⏱️ Lessons and tutorials move too fast
Bugs and requests
BeatMaker 2
Reported bugs
5 issues- Bluetooth connectivity problems
- Inability to restore in-app purchases
- Crashes when editing multiple pads or tracks
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Dropbox integration and file transfer not working
Requested features
5 requests- Improved Dropbox and file management integration
- Add MIDI output and external hardware support
- Implement a more streamlined and intuitive UI
- Include a wider range of high-quality built-in sounds
- Add real-time audio recording and export options
Drum Pad Machine
Reported bugs
3 issues- Recordings sometimes stop unexpectedly
- Difficulty registering multiple button presses simultaneously
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add a search function to find specific beats
- Allow users to create and share their own custom beats
- Implement a pause/resume feature for recordings
- Provide more granular control over tempo and timing
In-app purchases
BeatMaker 2
- Prime Loops - Dirty South Heroes$3.99
- Prime Loops - East Coast Hip Hop Volume 1$3.99
- Prime Loops - Midnight R&B Gold$3.99
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- Prime Loops - West Coast Anthology$3.99
- 9TH Street$4.99
- Essential Pack$5.99
- Emerge Audio Dubstep Destruction$5.99
- Southern Homie$6.99
- South Chiefs$7.99
- INTUA Future ATL$11.99
Drum Pad Machine
- Drum Pad Machine Pro - Weekly3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Music Beat Maker Premium7 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Drum Pad Machine Pro - Monthly$14.991 Month
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Beatmaker Premium7 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Drum Pad Machine Pro - Annual$46.991 Year








