# Bongos! vs Rhythm Pad

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Rhythm Pad at 316 against Bongos!'s 60. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Bongos! against 4.5 for Rhythm Pad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rhythm Pad has 316 ratings behind it against 60, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Bongos!'s written reviews are positive against 75% of Rhythm Pad's.

Bongos! ships an update every 3 months, Rhythm Pad every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bongos! | Rhythm Pad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bongos/id483719120/reviews) | **[4.5 (316 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rhythm-pad/id504321020/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 60 | **316** |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | **75.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 34 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +9 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drum Starz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299477766) | [Bijoy Thangaraj](https://appshunter.io/developer/453056920) |

## What reviewers say

### Bongos!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bongos/id483719120)

Experience the thrill of playing bongos and congas on your mobile device. This app offers high-quality sounds, realistic drumming experiences, and the ability to play along with your own music. Share and export your creations to sound like a pro.

**Highlights:** High-quality 16-bit stereo sounds, Realistic 3D visual effects, Play along to your music, Metronome with 43 sounds, 67 Pocket Beats and Loops, Share and export recordings

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bongos! Upgrade | $0.99 | one-time |
| Exporting | $0.99 | one-time |


### Rhythm Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rhythm-pad/id504321020)

Create and record drum beats with high-quality sampled sounds. Utilize a sequencer to build patterns, play along with your music library, and export your creations as audio files. Customize drum kits and apply effects for professional-sounding results.

**Highlights:** High-quality stereo sampled drum sounds, Sequencer for creating drum patterns, Live performance recording, Export recordings as audio files (AAC/WAVE), Built-in reverb and compression effects, Customizable drum kits, Play along with music library

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Pro Version | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🥁 Great drum samples
- 👍 Responsive and easy to use
- 🎶 Ability to play along with music
- 🎮 Fun and enjoyable experience
- 📝 Good for practice and recording

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Aggressive ads and notifications
- 🔇 Sound issues (disappearing sound, low volume)
- 🐛 Bugs and performance problems
- 🔌 Latency issues

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup after purchasing the pro version
- Ads still show up even after purchasing the pro version
- Music playback issues when using the app

**Requested features**

- Ability to import custom drum samples
- More drum kits and sound options
- Support for additional time signatures
- Improved recording and overdubbing features
- Option to adjust individual pad volumes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bongos! free?

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

### Is Rhythm Pad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bongos! or Rhythm Pad?

Rhythm Pad is rated higher. Bongos! averages 4.4 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while Rhythm Pad averages 4.5 from 316 ratings.

### Do Bongos! or Rhythm Pad have ads?

Both Bongos! and Rhythm Pad show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bongos! or Rhythm Pad?

Bongos! ships an update every 3 months, and Rhythm Pad every 2 months. Most recently, Bongos! was updated on September 13, 2026 and Rhythm Pad on September 22, 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.*