Comparison

Rhythm Pad vs Real Percussion

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

Real Percussion

Learn to play a wide variety of percussion instruments on your smartphone or tablet. This app offers video lessons, loops, and realistic sounds to help you master drumming and develop musical skills. Practice quietly anywhere, anytime, and share your performances with others.

Highlights
  • Over 100 drum lessons
  • Realistic 3D percussion kits
  • Wide variety of instruments
  • Studio-quality audio
  • Export recordings to MP3
  • Share performances on social media
  • MIDI support
Features
Read full description

The Real Percussion provides all the tools necessary to master the art of playing percussion musical instruments on your smartphone or tablet. Now you can easily play any music, anywhere! Experience the sensation of your fingers transforming into drumsticks and feel like part of a real band! What is percussion? A percussion instrument is an object designed to produce sound through shaking, scraping, or striking with the aid of drumsticks or hands. Why haven't you started learning to play percussion yet? The Real Percussion offers various video lessons to assist you, along with a variety of loops to play along with. Don't have access to real percussion instrument or drum set? No problem! The Real Percussion offers a diverse range of percussion musical instruments and drum sets with high-quality sounds, allowing you to play any music you desire! You don't need an acoustic or electronic percussion to learn to play! The Real Percussion is an excellent choice for practicing or playing drums quietly, without causing disruptions or requiring much space. Enjoy the freedom to play percussion wherever you like! Show your friends how good you are at playing percussion! Share videos of your performances with friends and on social media! The Real Percussion app allows children and adults to learn drumming while having fun, enhancing their cognitive and motor skills. This drum game will stimulate your musical talent, making it easy to learn beats as if using a real percussion kit. With Real Percussion, you can play instruments like: - Xylophone - Marimba - Maracas - Tambourine - Timpani - Guiro - Agogo - Vibraphone - Castanets - Cajon - Hang drum - Cabasa - Vibraslap - Bongos - Conga - Drum - Cymbal - and more! So what are you waiting for to become a percussionist? Explore Real Percussion features: - Over 100 drum lessons to learn drumming - Various percussion kits, including realistic 3D sets - Wide variety of drums, cymbals, tambourines, and other percussion instruments - Loops for playing along - Studio-quality audio - Export your recordings to MP3 format - Share your recordings on social media - New percussion sets, lessons, and loops introduced weekly - Compatible with all screen resolutions - Phones and Tablets (HD images) - MIDI support - Free app The app contains the following subscription: - Premium Version (Remove ads; Unlock all loops; Unlock all lessons and Unlock Metronome) - Monthly payment ($3,90). - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - The subscription is automatically renewed unless cancelled 24 hours before the renewal. - The subsequent monthly subscriptions are automatically renewed unless cancelled 24 hours before the next renewal (considering the day of the effective monthly subscription). - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of use and Privacy Policy: http://www.kolbapps.com/privacy_policy_and_terms.pdf Terms of use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Designed for drummers, percussionists, professional musicians, enthusiasts, and beginners! Download the Real Percussion app and turn your fingers into drumsticks right now! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for tips on using the app: @kolbapps Kolb Apps: Touch & Play!

Screenshots

Rhythm Pad4 screens
Real Percussion4 screens

Verdict

The call

Rhythm Pad and Real Percussion both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Rhythm Pad's written reviews are positive against 53% of Real Percussion's. Rhythm Pad also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Real Percussion's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 321). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Real Percussion sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Rhythm Pad against 4.4 for Real Percussion. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Real Percussion has 1.7K ratings behind it against 321, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Rhythm Pad's written reviews are positive against 53% of Real Percussion's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rhythm Pad ships an update every 2 months, Real Percussion every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Rhythm Pad versus Real Percussion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRhythm PadReal Percussion
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (321 ratings) — better4.4 (1.7K ratings)
Positive reviews75.3% of reviews — better53.3% of reviews
Number of ratings3211.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB85 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBijoy ThangarajKOLB SISTEMAS - EIRELI

Customer experience

Rhythm Pad

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

Real Percussion

All ratings1,698 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral6.3%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews60 reviews
Positive53.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative30.0%

User reviews

Rhythm Pad

From 321 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Real Percussion

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎉 Fun and enjoyable to use
  • 🎨 Wide variety of instruments
  • 👍 Easy to play
  • 🎶 Helps with music creation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Tuning issues with certain instruments (e.g. tenors, timbales)
  • 🔊 Some sounds not realistic or off-beat
  • 💰 Too many ads, subscription required to remove them
  • 🔌 Compatibility issues with other apps (e.g. GarageBand)

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

Real Percussion

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect positioning of tenor drums
  • Latency issues when playing
  • Glitches causing incorrect drum sounds to play

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more instrument options (e.g. timpani, buffalo drum)
  • Implement MIDI support for integration with other apps
  • Add loop/pattern recording functionality
  • Improve tuning and realism of drum sounds

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Rhythm Pad

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

Real Percussion

Subscriptions9
  • Premium Version$1.991 Month
  • Premium Version - 3 Days Free$2.991 Month
  • Premium Version1 Month trial$2.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Premium Version3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium Version$3.991 Month
  • Premium Version$6.997 Days
  • Premium Version (6 months)$9.996 Months
  • Premium Version (1 year)$12.991 Year
  • Premium Version3 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads$99.99

Questions

Is Rhythm Pad free?
Rhythm Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Real Percussion free?
Real Percussion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Rhythm Pad or Real Percussion?
Rhythm Pad is rated higher. Rhythm Pad averages 4.5 out of 5 from 321 ratings, while Real Percussion averages 4.4 from 1.7K ratings.
Do Rhythm Pad or Real Percussion have ads?
Both Rhythm Pad and Real Percussion show ads.
Which is updated more often, Rhythm Pad or Real Percussion?
Rhythm Pad ships an update every 2 months, and Real Percussion every 3 weeks. Most recently, Rhythm Pad was updated on November 6, 2026 and Real Percussion on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons