# Pocket Drums vs Drum Set

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pocket Drums at 49% against Drum Set's 0%. Pocket Drums also leads on ratings volume (290 vs 1). Drum Set's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Drum Set holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Drums has 290 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Pocket Drums's written reviews are positive against 0% of Drum Set's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pocket Drums ships an update every 2 months, Drum Set daily. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Drums | Drum Set |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (290 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-drums/id522215628/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-set-real-drum-simulator/id1568284841/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **290** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **49.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +9 | +4 |
| Developer | [Drum Starz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299477766) | [Kofi Austin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1495016623) |

## 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 Set

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-set-real-drum-simulator/id1568284841)

Experience drumming on your phone with this user-friendly electronic drum simulator. Turn your device into a finger drum kit, perfect for learning and practicing anywhere without needing a physical instrument.

**Highlights:** Real drum simulator experience, Finger drumming on phone, Clean drum interface, Multitouch support, High quality drum sounds

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Drums free?

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

### Is Drum Set free?

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

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

Drum Set is rated higher. Pocket Drums averages 4.0 out of 5 from 290 ratings, while Drum Set averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Both Pocket Drums and Drum Set show ads.

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

Pocket Drums ships an update every 2 months, and Drum Set daily. Most recently, Pocket Drums was updated on October 19, 2026 and Drum Set on October 19, 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.*