# Hand Drums vs Darbuka

The clearest difference is rating: Hand Drums at 4.0 against Darbuka's 3.8. Darbuka's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Hand Drums holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 19 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hand Drums | Darbuka |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hand-drums/id476913839/reviews)** | [3.8 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darbuka/id6739781153/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **19** |
| Positive reviews | 10.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +9 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drum Starz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299477766) | [Alper Kahriman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1054578352) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Darbuka

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darbuka/id6739781153)

Explore the authentic sounds of the darbuka, a traditional percussion instrument. This app offers realistic tones, multiple play modes, and recording capabilities for musicians and enthusiasts. Immerse yourself in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean rhythms.

**Highlights:** Authentic darbuka sounds, Three dynamic play modes, Record performances, Share music easily, Intuitive design

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get Premium | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hand Drums free?

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

### Is Darbuka free?

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

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

Hand Drums is rated higher. Hand Drums averages 4.0 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Darbuka averages 3.8 from 19 ratings.

### Do Hand Drums or Darbuka have ads?

Both Hand Drums and Darbuka show ads.

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

Hand Drums ships an update every 3 months, and Darbuka every 3 months. Most recently, Hand Drums was updated on October 19, 2026 and Darbuka on October 12, 2026.

---

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