Comparison

Ephemeral vs Real Pads

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

Head to head
About

Ephemeral

Explore a collection of digital musical instruments playable in augmented reality. Unleash your creativity anytime and anywhere with immersive sound experiences.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality instruments
  • Digital music creation
  • Playable anywhere
  • Creative sound experiences
Features
Read full description

Ephemeral is a playful music maker for iPhone and iPad. Tap out a beat, record your own samples, build a melody, and turn a small idea into a song!

About

Real Pads

Create electronic music beats and mix tracks on your smartphone or tablet. This app offers a virtual launchpad with numerous sound packs, allowing you to play drums, record samples, and design custom kits. Share your creations and performances with others.

Highlights
  • Create electronic music beats
  • Virtual launchpad with 30 drum pads
  • Variety of sound packs and customizable kits
  • Record your own samples and melodies
  • Studio-quality audio
  • Share creations on social media
  • Export recordings to MP3
Features
Read full description

Real Pads provides all the tools you need to be a music beat maker DJ on your smartphone or tablet. Now, you can effortlessly create any song, anywhere! Perfect for those who have a passion for making music! Learn the basics of music creation and mix music beats! With Real Pads you can be a beat maker, mixing loops, play drums, create mixtapes and record samples with your own melodies. Play on a launchpad by tapping the super pads! Don't have access to a sampler, drum machine or drum pads? No problem! Real Pads offers a variety of sound packs with high-quality sounds, empowering you to create any music you desire! Additionally, you can create your own kit, allowing you to choose your own sounds and record your own samples. Make beats like a professional music producer! Design your own beats and share them, as well as videos of your performances, with your friends and on social media! You don't need a physical sampler, drum machine or drum pads! Real Pads is an excellent choice for making beats quietly, without causing disruptions or needing ample space. Enjoy the freedom to produce music wherever you please! Real Pads is a complete music studio! Real Pads enables children to make music while having fun and enhance their cognitive abilities. This app will nurture your musical talents! With Real Pads you can make music beats like: - Hip-Hop - Rap - Electronic Music - House - Techno - EDM - Dance - Dubstep - R&B - Experimental - Dancehall - Reggae - Dub - Jazz - Soul Music - Alternative - and more! So, what are you waiting for to become a music producer? Start making music with Real Pads today! Download now and unleash your creativity! Explore the features of Real Pads: - More than 200 kits to create music - Customize your kits: upload your sounds and record your samplers - Wide array of tools to create beats - New kits introduced weekly - 30 drum pads - Studio-quality audio - Recording mode - Share your recordings and customized drum kits on social media - Export your recordings to MP3 format - Compatible with all screen resolutions – Phones and Tablets (HD Images) - Free application - MIDI support - Multitouch capability The app contains the following subscription: - Premium Version (Remove ads and Unlock all Kits) - 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 The app is free but you can remove the ads and get the premium version by purchasing a license. Designed for DJ's, music producers, beat makers, professional musicians, enthusiasts, and beginners alike! From the same creator of Real Drum! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for tips on utilizing the app: @kolbapps Kolb Apps: Touch & Play!

Screenshots

Ephemeral4 screens
Real Pads4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Real Pads at 4.6 against Ephemeral's 3.5. Real Pads also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 50%) and ratings volume (475 vs 2). Ephemeral's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price, 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. Real Pads sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Ephemeral asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Real Pads holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Real Pads has 475 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Ephemeral's written reviews are positive against 77% of Real Pads's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ephemeral ships an update every 5 days, Real Pads every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Ephemeral versus Real Pads: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEphemeralReal Pads
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (2 ratings)4.6 (475 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews76.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2475 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB90 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperphelgoKOLB SISTEMAS - EIRELI

Customer experience

Ephemeral

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Real Pads

All ratings466 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral10.2%
Negative13.3%

In-app purchases

None

Ephemeral

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Real Pads

Subscriptions9
  • Premium Version$1.991 Month
  • Premium Version - 3 Days Free3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium Version1 Month trial$2.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Premium Version$3.991 Month
  • Premium Version3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium Version$6.997 Days
  • Premium Version: 6 Months$9.996 Months
  • Yearly$12.991 Year
  • Premium Version3 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads$99.99

Questions

Is Ephemeral free?
Ephemeral is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Real Pads free?
Real Pads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ephemeral or Real Pads?
Real Pads is rated higher. Ephemeral averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Real Pads averages 4.6 from 475 ratings.
Do Ephemeral or Real Pads have ads?
Real Pads shows ads; Ephemeral does not.
Which is updated more often, Ephemeral or Real Pads?
Ephemeral ships an update every 5 days, and Real Pads every 5 weeks. Most recently, Ephemeral was updated on November 6, 2026 and Real Pads on November 11, 2026.

Other comparisons