Comparison

Rhythm Pad vs Bongo Beats

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

Head to head
About

Rhythm Pad

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
Read full description

Note: This free version is supported by ads. To remove advertisements, either use the in-app purchase or buy Rhythm Pad Pro from the App Store. Play drums and compose beats using high-quality, professionally sampled drum kits with Rhythm Pad. Create drum recordings by tapping on the pads or using the sequencer and export them as audio files. Play drums along with the songs from your Media Library and Apple Music. Rhythm Pad is the smartest way to play drums on your mobile device. Introducing the Sequencer Quickly put together drum patterns of up to 8 bars using the sequencer. You can also record your live performance directly on to the sequencer and edit your sequence to your liking. Save your sequences and export them as audio files. Top features of Rhythm Pad • High-quality stereo sampled sounds with maximum polyphony. • Realistic Open and Closed Hi-Hats function. • Recording feature - Record by playing on the pads or create new patterns using the sequencer. • Quantization - Fix imprecisions during recording by enabling the quantization feature. • Export your recordings as audio files (AAC or WAVE) and use it in other audio applications. • Apply built-in reverb and compression effects to process the drum sounds. • Custom drum kits - Create new drum kits with sounds from other factory drum kits. • Smart Levels - Pads sound louder at the center and softer at the edges. • Optimized layout for maximum playability on iOS devices. • Precise metronome powered by the Metronome M1 engine. • Configure the volume level of individual pads. • Rearrange pad positions to your preference. Follow Rhythm Pad on Twitter for updates: @JSplashApps (https://twitter.com/jsplashapps) Like Rhythm Pad page on Facebook: https://facebook.com/rhythmpad

About

Bongo Beats

Create your own music with realistic bongo drum sounds. Record, loop, and play back your beats with fun accompaniment options. Optimized for a high-quality audio experience.

Highlights
  • High-quality bongo drum sounds
  • Retina display optimized drums
  • Record and playback beats
  • Looping feature
  • Four fun accompaniment sounds
Features
Read full description

Treat yourself to the beautiful sounds of a RETINA display ready HD quality Bongo! A large and small drum pair with hi-quality sounds to come up with your own tune or do a nice jam with a friend! App also gives you unique features of recording your beats ,looping them and playing them back at regular or fast forward speeds! *****FEATURES***************** *HI-QUALITY BONGO SOUNDS: Enjoy pure, studio quality Bongo drum sounds for your enjoyment! These drums can be best enjoyed with a pair of headphones. *BEAUTIFUL BONGO DRUMS: You will enjoy the user-friendliness of playing these large RETINA display optimized bongo drums with either one or both hands. *RECORDING AND PLAYBACK: Enjoy recording your favorite beats in the Bongo Beats App! You can then play back your creations at regular or fast forward speeds. Also included is a feature to loop your beats for a continuous rhythm! *FOUR FUN ACCOMPANIMENT SOUNDS Try clicking the corners of your Bongo Beats app for other fun instrument sounds that you can record and play along with your bongo! Please don't forget to review if you like it!

Screenshots

Rhythm Pad4 screens
Bongo Beats1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Rhythm Pad at 4.5 against Bongo Beats's 3.9. Rhythm Pad also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 56%) and ratings volume (316 vs 15). Bongo Beats's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rhythm Pad holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rhythm Pad has 316 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Rhythm Pad's written reviews are positive against 56% of Bongo Beats's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rhythm Pad ships an update every 2 months, Bongo Beats every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Rhythm Pad versus Bongo Beats: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRhythm PadBongo Beats
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (316 ratings) — better3.9 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews75.3% of reviews — better55.6% of reviews
Number of ratings316 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.03.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBijoy ThangarajSoftware-Kitchen

Customer experience

Rhythm Pad

All ratings316 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral5.1%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews356 reviews
Positive75.3%
Neutral11.2%
Negative13.5%

Bongo Beats

All ratings15 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative44.4%

Bugs and requests

Rhythm Pad

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Bongo Beats

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Rhythm Pad

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Pro Version$9.99
1 purchases

Bongo Beats

One-time1
  • Bongo Beats - No Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Rhythm Pad free?
Rhythm Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bongo Beats free?
Bongo Beats is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Rhythm Pad or Bongo Beats?
Rhythm Pad is rated higher. Rhythm Pad averages 4.5 out of 5 from 316 ratings, while Bongo Beats averages 3.9 from 15 ratings.
Do Rhythm Pad or Bongo Beats have ads?
Rhythm Pad shows ads; Bongo Beats does not.
Which is updated more often, Rhythm Pad or Bongo Beats?
Rhythm Pad ships an update every 2 months, and Bongo Beats every 9 days. Most recently, Rhythm Pad was updated on October 2, 2026 and Bongo Beats on August 13, 2026.

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