# Pocket Drums vs Drum Sets

The clearest difference is rating: Drum Sets at 4.4 against Pocket Drums's 4.0. Drum Sets also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Pocket Drums's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (289 vs 18). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Drums sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Drum Sets sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drum Sets holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Drums has 289 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 50% and 50% positive.

Pocket Drums ships an update every 2 months, Drum Sets every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Drums | Drum Sets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (289 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-drums/id522215628/reviews) | **[4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-sets/id1190635747/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **289** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 92 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) | [Edgeway Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/642669303) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Drums

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-drums/id522215628)

Experience realistic drumming with a virtual drum kit that fits in your pocket. This app offers responsive touch controls, high-fidelity drum sets, and various beats to help you play along. Learn rudiments with included videos and customize your sound with adjustable pitch, volume, and effects.

**Highlights:** Realistic touch-sensitive drum response, 15 high-fidelity recorded drum kits, 16 PlayAlong Beats and 20 music/drum beats, Basic drum rudiment videos, Adjustable pitch, sensitivity, volume, reverb, and delay, Multi-track recording and sharing capabilities

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Exporting | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kit Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wraps | $0.99 | one-time |
| Snares | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full - Unlock everything | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Realistic drum sounds and quality audio
- 👍 Great for drum practice and learning
- 🎯 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎸 Multiple drum kits and sound options
- 💰 Free app with useful features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- 🔊 Occasional loud glitching sounds
- ⏱️ Timing issues and lag during fast playing
- 🎵 Poor drum sound quality in some kits

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when playing drums rapidly
- Glitching audio that stutters and repeats loudly
- App freezes when recording multiple times
- Screen stretches and becomes unresponsive
- App fails to open after updates

**Requested features**

- Double bass pedal for metal songs
- Reggae drum tones
- Splash and china cymbals
- Mix and match custom drum sets
- Built-in drumming lessons


### Drum Sets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-sets/id1190635747)

Experience realistic drumming with multiple genre-specific kits. Use your fingers to play, with options for intense finger movements for dynamic drumming. Optimized for external speakers or headphones for the best audio quality.

**Highlights:** Realistic drum sounds, Rock, Jazz, and Metal kits, Finger drumming controls, Dynamic drumming movement, High-quality 44100 kHz audio

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Drums | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Drums free?

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

### Is Drum Sets free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Drums or Drum Sets?

Drum Sets is rated higher. Pocket Drums averages 4.0 out of 5 from 289 ratings, while Drum Sets averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.

### Do Pocket Drums or Drum Sets have ads?

Both Pocket Drums and Drum Sets show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Drums or Drum Sets?

Pocket Drums ships an update every 2 months, and Drum Sets every 6 months. Most recently, Pocket Drums was updated on September 21, 2026 and Drum Sets on August 26, 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.*