Comparison

Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine vs Drum Charter

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine

This app provides a metronome with realistic drum beats instead of a simple click. It's designed to improve timing, aid in songwriting, and facilitate live jamming and performance. Users can access a large library of pre-made beats across various genres and customize their practice sessions.

Highlights
  • Realistic drum beats, not a click
  • 100+ pre-made beats in various genres
  • Adjustable tempo without pitch change
  • Personalize and favorite beats
  • Improve timing with Bar Break beats
  • Connect to other music apps via Inter-app Audio
  • Jam via Bluetooth or AirPlay
Features
Read full description

You found it! Drum Beats+ is the metronome app that improves your timing using great sounding drum beats, not a boring click. But that’s not all. It can also help you write songs, jam with friends, or even perform live. It's a learning, jamming and performing tool that keeps getting better, just like you. "No more annoying metronome ticks or digital click tempos!" ~ AnthonyVilla "Awesome sounding and authentically grooving drum loops…but also a great practice tool for timing." ~ Ets5017 "Sorry drummers...but I use this on live gigs." ~ RBJ555 "A proper replacement for your deadbeat drummer." ~ Rolling Stone Magazine - - - FEATURES Cheaper than a metronome, simpler than a drum machine. • SUPER SIMPLE DESIGN - spend more time playing, less time learning the app • NO WORK REQUIRED - Standard Library comes with 100+ PRE-MADE great sounding beats in a variety of genres (Add 250+ with the Pro Library) • VERSATILE 45 to 200 Tempo Range -- play all the songs you want • ADJUSTABLE - Play any beat at any speed WITHOUT CHANGING THE PITCH • FAVORITE beats have their own tab. Play and practice faster. • LOCK THE TEMPO to save time during practice (tap the padlock button on tempo screen) • PERSONALIZE - Tap edit to RENAME the beats (e.g. "My Hit Song") - - - As you advance as a player, you’ll grow into the app’s advanced features. • Improve your timing with Bar Break beats that rest for entire bars or more • Refine your ear with beats that alternate between swing and straight feels, loud and soft volumes and beats per bar • Connect to GarageBand and other music apps using Inter-app Audio • Jam loud by using BlueTooth or AirPlay to play beats through your stereo or Apple TV • Hit the randomizer button to challenge yourself with beats you might not choose - - - So many drummers, so little time. Drum Beats+ includes four style packs and four training packs—100+ beats in all—with tons more in our Pro Library. • Break Beats. 16 bumping beats of classic funk and soul breaks • Hit Songs I. 16 beats based on popular songs every musician should know • Pop Rock I. 24 beats spanning funk, straight ahead rock, shuffles and more • R&B Essentials I: 16 excellent modern and vintage-sound electronic beats • Rhythm, Timing, & Dynamics Packs. 41 practice beats that alternate grooves, volumes, beats per bar and rests • Every beat features different sounds—booming rock bass drums, snappy soul snares and more. All digitally mastered to make practicing a pleasure - - - Enjoy this powerful, yet easy-to-use tool to get the best music experience! No need to replace the app with a complicated drum machine, or even a drummer. Just add more beats with our Pro Library. Preview everything inside the app. Drum Beats+ Pro Drum Beats+ Pro Subscription allows you unlock all sounds and features. Choose from different subscription options. Our standard subscription options are: - 1 year subscription with 7-day free trial - 1 year subscription - Lifetime subscription Payment will be charged to iTunes 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 iTunes Account Settings. For more information please visit the link https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. Unused portion of a free-trial period will be forfeited when a user decides to subscribe. Privacy Policy: https://ninebuzz.com/privacypolicy_en/ Terms of Service: https://ninebuzz.com/terms_en/

About

Drum Charter

Features
Read full description

Drum Charter is a professional drum notation app for creating, editing, and playing drum charts using an intuitive text-based format. Perfect for drummers, music teachers, and composers who need a fast, distraction-free way to write drum patterns. KEY FEATURES * Text-Based Notation Simple ASCII symbols represent drums: 'x' for hi-hat, 'o' for snare, 'Q' for kick. Triplet notation with the ³ symbol for advanced rhythms. Fast to type, easy to read. * Staff Notation Read the same chart as real drum notation on a five-line staff: noteheads per instrument, beams, rests, triplets, flams, ghost notes, repeat signs and rehearsal marks. Switch per song with [notation: staff] or live in Concert Mode. * Smart Symbol Palette Context-aware buttons show only relevant symbols by cursor position. * Real-Time Audio Playback High-quality drum sounds powered by FluidR3_GM soundfont. Hear patterns instantly with professional MIDI-based playback. * Flam & Ghost Notes Two expressive symbols for snare: Flam for quick grace notes before the main hit, Ghost for subtle quiet notes. Perfect for Jazz, Funk, and dynamic playing. * Lyrics Mode Create charts without drum notation - just lyrics, chords, and cues. Perfect for multi-instrumentalists with mixed setlists. Section headers in teal, cue lines in gray. Embedded drum bars automatically detected. Chord symbols highlighted in blue. * PDF Export Export as PDF — as the character grid, or as engraved staff notation on A4. Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. * MusicXML Export Export to MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale and more — with triplets, repeats, flams, ghost notes and rehearsal marks. * MIDI File Export Export as Standard MIDI Files with two-voice layout. Configurable stem grouping. Import into any DAW. * Practice Mode A full-screen practice room for your e-drums. Loop any range of bars, with an optional count-in. Every hit you play appears on the notation, colour-coded by accuracy, with missed notes marked. A calm readout shows whether you rush or drag and how even you are - the two things that actually help. Output latency is compensated automatically. Repeat counts are honoured, so you practise the phrase as written. * Concert Mode with Playback Controls Full-screen performance view with large custom font (10-40pt). Beat grouping with adjustable opacity. Metronome click. Playlist with folder navigation. Play, skip, and navigate with on-screen controls and keyboard shortcuts. Native macOS fullscreen. Multi-column lyrics with [columns: N]. * Multi-Time Signature Support Full support for 4/4, 3/4 (Waltz), and 6/8 (Compound Time). UI picker for quick time signature changes. * Swing & Shuffle Support Authentic Jazz/Blues feel with standard swing notation. Write "Shuffle" for classic 67% swing, or specify 50-75%. UI button with 5 presets. * BPM Control via Metadata Set tempo in the chart with [140 BPM], 60-200 BPM. * Smart Bar Management Auto-numbering up to 999 bars. Repeat notation (4x) for efficient charting. Move bars up/down. Section headers for song structure. * Combination Symbols Three symbols for simultaneous Snare+Tom hits: p (Snare+Tom1), d (Snare+Tom2), g (Snare+FloorTom). Perfect for complex fills. * Multi-Column Export Export in 2, 4, 6, or 8 bars per line format. Optional "Replace rests with spaces" for LogicPro compatibility. * Universal App - iPhone, iPad, Mac Native experience on all devices with seamless iCloud sync. Start on iPhone, continue on iPad or Mac. WHO IS THIS FOR? - Drummers learning new songs - Music teachers creating lesson materials - Composers sketching drum parts - Multi-instrumentalists with mixed setlists - Anyone who prefers text over complex notation software PLATFORM SUPPORT - iPhone (iOS 15.0 or later) - iPad (iPadOS 15.0 or later) - Mac (macOS 12.0 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel) - Optimized for all screen sizes Perfect for drummers who want professional results without complexity.

Screenshots

Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine4 screens
Drum Charter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Drum Charter at none against Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine's 13. Drum Charter also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Drum Charter asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine ships an update monthly, Drum Charter every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine versus Drum Charter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrum Beats+ Rhythm MachineDrum Charter
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (4.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.5K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size773 MB147 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNinebuzz Software LLCRalf Brauchler

Bugs and requests

Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Mutes after three loops
  • Sounds are OK, AirPlay doesn't work
  • NOT a metronome app - and a big problem with tempo
  • I don't have an Airturn
  • Sounds are poor
Show 1 more
  • Depletes battery in the background

Requested features

11 requests
  • Visual cue could be an improvement
  • Tap tempo
  • Ability to save customizations
  • Finer tempo adjustment
  • Ability to create own beats, sounds, and patterns
Show 6 more
  • More ballroom rhythms like Tango, Foxtrot, Cha Cha
  • Ability to rename favorite beats
  • Ability to record and export beats
  • Bluetooth pedal support for start, end, fill, next, previous
  • Indicators for bar start and rate
  • More reggae, waltz, and odd meter patterns

Drum Charter

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine

Subscriptions6
  • Drum Beats+ Pro (1 Month)3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Drum Beats+ Pro (1 Month)3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Annual Subscription$19.991 Year
  • DB+ Pro 1 Year (3-days Free)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Drum Beats+ Pro Unlimited3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time5
  • Jazz 1$4.99
  • Heavy Metal 1$4.99
  • Blues 1$4.99
Show 2 more
  • Country 1$4.99
  • Blues 2$4.99
None

Drum Charter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine free?
Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drum Charter free?
Drum Charter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine or Drum Charter have ads?
Neither Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine nor Drum Charter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine or Drum Charter?
Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine ships an update monthly, and Drum Charter every 9 days. Most recently, Drum Beats+ Rhythm Machine was updated on October 22, 2026 and Drum Charter on October 11, 2026.

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