Comparison

Different Drummer vs polybeat

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

Head to head
About

Different Drummer

This app generates unique and complex rhythmic music patterns for any instrument, including drums. It offers extensive control over rhythm, harmony, and expression through wave-based synthesis. Explore endless possibilities for creating innovative beats and sequences.

Highlights
  • Rhythmic music generation for any instrument
  • Complex pattern and rhythm creation
  • MIDI controller and file creator
  • Wave-based control for expression
  • Multi-track music output
  • Audiobus 3 and Ableton Link 3 support
  • Progression Composer for arpeggios
Features
Read full description

"Different Drummer blows my mind and that's pretty hard to do."—Dave Taub, drummer for Billy Idol, John Lennon, Yes and many more. Don't let the name fool you. Different Drummer is a powerful rhythmic MUSIC generator for ANY instruments or samples (with harmonies) that happens to work Very Well for drums too. It's also an amazing Midi Controller and MIDI file creator. Create everything from simple or complex patterns, non-repeating music, straight or poly rhythms, human or robot feel, arpeggios, chord progressions, fills, sequences and much at your fingertips using this one-of-a-kind app. This may be the best music idea finder anywhere in the galaxy! This is an essential tool for those seeking new beats and sequences but our customers say it best: Most used app in the toolbox ***** "I have plenty of music apps...synths, DAWs, sequencers, beat boxes, effects, drum machines...you name it, but Different Drummer has been the MOST used of all of them." by Sattech27 This is your secret weapon in the quest for innovative beats and music that make sense yet defy the status quo. Different Drummer taps into the primal source of all rhythm—waves. DD puts out multi-track music which is lifelike and primal at times and out of this world at others. It's a rhythmic music synthesizer that uses waves to play any sound in astonishing ways that vary from electro to dubstep to tribal to classical. This software was created with music in mind—but in the spirit of discovering what is next in music, not just finding a new way to do the same thing like so many music apps do so well. If you are a pioneer or care about where music is going, this app is for you. Easy to start learning, always discovering more. Adjust note, rest, tie, panning, beat and dynamics waves for the ultimate range of expression. You will never exhaust the endless possibilities of Different Drummer and you are guaranteed to discover legit beats that no one has ever heard before. No matter how many apps you have...not having Different Drummer is a loss. To not possess this musical wonder is committing a Groove Crime in your studio or live setup! Features: • 8 Sampler Tracks + Jam-along track with 6-wave Cyclophone Controls plus 2 harmonies on each main track. • AudioBus 3 with State Saving, Remote Triggers and Inter-App audio out & background play • Stereo audio recording. Export via Audioshare, Dropbox or iTunes or AudioCopy or General Pasteboard (to GarageBand for example) • Ableton Link 3 enabled • Zenterface™ let's you work in a more simplified radial view and is just fun! • Progression Composer makes it easy to create guide tracks or multi-track arpeggios • Jammer panel to play along with the music • Jamlets panel lets you create endless action buttons for live jamming, saved with your presets • Control drum pitches, rests, ties, dynamics, panning and beat value using additive waves • Instant Capture in case you hear a killer beat you want saved on auto random • Save Wave Presets to Wave Library and share with other users in Community • 37 Preset Drum styles you can fully mess with (these are for fun, not the main purpose) • String Wave Sets together in saved Sequences and share in Community • Export Wave Sets or Sequences as MIDI Files (via iTunes, AudioShare, Email or Dropbox) • Over 190 drum and sound FX samples with more added every update • Add your own 24-bit samples via iTunes (WAV or CAF), AudioPaste or DropBox • Over 75 musical scales to assign drums or instruments to as well as key • Channel Volume, Filter, Distortion and Reverb Mixer • Set Key, Tempo, Swing and Time Signature • Automation for randomizing and morphing playback with snap-back option • MIDI Sync Out and In • Up to 8 Channels of MIDI Out • Dedicated Wave for any Midi CC with Learn • Core MIDI lets you play other synthesizers and drum machines on your iPad such as Animoog and NLog Pro or external hardware To hear Different Drummer in action and learn more please go to www.technemedia.com

About

polybeat

This advanced music production tool generates complex polyrhythmic and polymetric patterns. It offers extensive control over sequence length, step length, and step modulation for each drum voice. Requires an AUv3-compatible host or external sound source to produce audio.

Highlights
  • Configurable sequence and step length per drum voice
  • Modulation of sequencer steps (accent, ratchet, chance, offset)
  • Sample-accurate sequencing engine
  • Sequence transformation actions (shift, rotate, randomize)
  • AUv3 preset and state saving
  • Offline functionality
  • No ads or in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

polybeat is an advanced and extremely flexible drum and percussion sequencer able to generate complex polyrhythmic and polymetric rhythmic patterns. nb: polybeat does not make sound by itself, you will need to load it in an AUv3-compatible host (such as AUM, Audiobus, ApeMatrix, Nanostudio 2, etc.) or connect it to an external drum machine, synthesizer, computer or any other sound generating device. features: - independently configurable sequence length per drum voice (ranging from 1 to 32 steps) - independently configurable step length per drum voice (ranging from double whole notes to 64th notes, including tuplets and dotted notes) - every sequencer step can be modulated by the following attributes: - accent on/off - ratchet (note repeats) - skip (note every *n* loops) - chance - timing offset - sample-accurate sequencing engine - slick and responsive native UI - undo/redo - individual drum voices can be muted or solo'ed - sequences can be instantly transformed by the following actions: - shift left/right - rotate - randomize - mirror - reverse - double - bisect - full AUv3 preset- and state-saving - ability to copy and paste patterns between instances of the plugin - mapping presets for popular AUv3 drum apps and hardware drum machines - includes musical scale presets for polybeat to be used as a melodic sequencer - responds to MIDI input for switching and selecting patterns, as well as performing pattern transformations - works offline - no push notifications - no ads or in-app purchases - no third-party behavioural tracking tools ongoing development and support, many new features on the roadmap

Screenshots

Different Drummer4 screens
polybeat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Different Drummer at none against polybeat's 2. Different Drummer also leads on price ($2.99 vs $7.99) and review sentiment (81% vs 72%). polybeat's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On rating, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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

Different Drummer costs $2.99 and polybeat $7.99 up front. polybeat sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Different Drummer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Different Drummer against 4.5 for polybeat. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 20 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Different Drummer's written reviews are positive against 72% of polybeat's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Different Drummer ships an update monthly, polybeat fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Different Drummer versus polybeat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDifferent Drummerpolybeat
Price$2.99 — better$7.99
Rating4.5 (31 ratings)4.5 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews81.5% of reviews — better72.2% of reviews
Number of ratings31 — better20
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTechné MediaCorne Driesprong

Customer experience

Different Drummer

All ratings31 ratings
Positive83.9%
Neutral9.7%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive81.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative9.3%

polybeat

All ratings20 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive72.2%
Neutral22.2%
Negative5.6%

In-app purchases

None

Different Drummer

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

polybeat

One-time2
  • Small tip$1.99
  • Big tip$5.99

Questions

Is Different Drummer free?
Different Drummer costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is polybeat free?
polybeat costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Different Drummer or polybeat?
Different Drummer and polybeat are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 31 and 20 ratings respectively.
Do Different Drummer or polybeat have ads?
Neither Different Drummer nor polybeat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Different Drummer or polybeat?
Different Drummer ships an update monthly, and polybeat fortnightly. Most recently, Different Drummer was updated on August 28, 2026 and polybeat on September 25, 2026.

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