Comparison

Djembe! vs Darbuka

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

Head to head
About

Djembe!

Experience the authentic sound of African drums on your mobile device. Explore various drum types, play along to beats, or jam with your own music. Features include realistic graphics, high-quality audio, and recording capabilities.

Highlights
  • Multiple African drum types
  • Professionally recorded sounds
  • Play along to beats and loops
  • Integrates with iPod music
  • Recording and sharing options
  • Realistic 3D visual effects
  • Metronome with adjustable tempo
Features
Read full description

Have you always wanted to play an African drum? Now you can, anytime, anywhere, with Djembe! Featuring professionally recorded sounds and high quality graphics, Djembe! is the ultimate African drumming app for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. You can play a large Djembe, small Djembe, or even play intricate beats like a pro with 2 different Djembe jams. Play alone, to the metronome with 43 different sounds, or to over 80 unique Pocket Beats and Loops. You can even play along to your favorite music on your iPod right from within Djembe!. With features including amazing 3D effect when hitting the drums, low latency 16-bit stereo sounds, slide 'n play, pitch control, ability to share and export your recordings (optional in-app purchase), drum rolls, and more, you'll sound like a pro from the moment you start playing! FEATURES: • 7 different layouts: Large Djembe, Small Djembe, Djembe Jam 1, Djembe Jam 2, African Drum, Bata Drum, and Talking Drum • 4 Unique Playing Zones on each drum create a realistic sounding drum • Share your recordings through email, Facebook, and Twitter • Export your recordings to your computer (optional in-app purchase) • Visual 3D effect when drums are hit maximizes the drumming experience • Metronome with 43 sounds to choose from and variable speed switch (BPM) • 63 Pocket Beats and Loops to play along to • PlayAlong Beats: 16 new loops with basic bass drum, hi-hat or snare beats, to play along for added rhythmic expression! • Slide your finger between the drums • Shake your device to play sounds to your favorite music • Play drum heads simultaneously • Play along with your favorite music by easily accessing your iPod music right from within Djembe! • Volume controls for both the drum sounds and music • Pitch control allows for unlimited drum sounds • Rolls on drums with variable speed adjustment (BPM) • Using headphones will allow you to fully enjoy the high quality sounds of Djembe! Free PRIVACY POLICY: http://codyrotwein.com/privacy.html

About

Darbuka

This app provides realistic finger darbuka pads for practicing along with songs. It offers high-quality sounds, customizable pad positions, and includes a metronome and recording features for jam sessions and lessons.

Highlights
  • Realistic finger darbuka pads
  • Practice along with songs
  • High-quality sound selection
  • Customizable pad positions
  • Built-in metronome
  • Recording and loop functions
Features
Read full description

***** This App is a Real Finger Darbuka Pads. ***** You can practice according to the Song. ***** Ideal for Jam Sessions with other Instruments. ***** Suitable for Jam Sessions and Lessons. ***** Real High Quality Sound. [Simple Darbuka] * Simple Darbuka Pads with No Delay. [Sound Selection & Custom Darbuka Positions] * Long Press to Select and set Sound. (After selecting the sound, push the selected Darbuka again, it will be changed) * Available in All Darbuka Positions. [Color] * Abundant Color Variations. [Metronome] * BPM(30〜300) [Rec] * Includes Recording, Loop and Metronome functions. * Suitable for Jam Sessions and Lessons. [List of Darbuka Sounds] * Real High Quality Sound. [Darbuka 1,Darbuka 2,Darbuka 3,Darbuka 4,Darbuka 5,Darbuka 6,Darbuka 7,Darbuka 8,Darbuka 9,Darbuka 10,Darbuka 11,Darbuka 12,Darbuka 13,Darbuka 14,Darbuka 15,Darbuka 16,Darbuka 17,Darbuka 18,Darbuka 19,Darbuka 20,Darbuka 21,Darbuka 22,Darbuka 23,Darbuka 24,WoodStick,Dog]

Screenshots

Djembe!4 screens
Darbuka4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Djembe! at 50% against Darbuka's 0%. Djembe! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1). Darbuka's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Djembe! sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Darbuka asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Djembe! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 137 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Djembe!'s written reviews are positive against 0% of Darbuka's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Djembe! versus Darbuka: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDjembe!Darbuka
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (46 ratings) — better4.1 (137 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings46137 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB702 MB
Age rating9++4
DeveloperDrum StarzSatomi Uchida

Customer experience

Djembe!

All ratings46 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral5.6%
Negative44.4%

Darbuka

All ratings134 ratings
Positive73.9%
Neutral8.2%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Djembe!

One-time2
  • Djembe! Upgrade$0.99
  • Exporting$0.99
None

Darbuka

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Djembe! free?
Djembe! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Darbuka free?
Darbuka is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Djembe! or Darbuka?
Djembe! is rated higher. Djembe! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Darbuka averages 4.1 from 137 ratings.
Do Djembe! or Darbuka have ads?
Both Djembe! and Darbuka show ads.
Which is updated more often, Djembe! or Darbuka?
Djembe! ships an update every 3 months, and Darbuka every 3 months. Most recently, Djembe! was updated on November 5, 2026 and Darbuka on November 7, 2026.

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