# Shaker Box vs Beat Station

The clearest difference is rating: Beat Station at 4.5 against Shaker Box's 2.5. Beat Station also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 23%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 18 months). Shaker Box's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shaker Box sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Beat Station sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Beat Station holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beat Station has 498 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Shaker Box's written reviews are positive against 64% of Beat Station's.

Shaker Box ships an update every 18 months, Beat Station every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shaker Box | Beat Station |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaker-box/id667486112/reviews) | **[4.5 (498 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-station-drum-machine/id1207156644/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **498** |
| Positive reviews | 22.7% of reviews | **63.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 8 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steven Barnegren](https://appshunter.io/developer/632311869) | [Sonar Multimedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/992774946) |

## What reviewers say

### Shaker Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaker-box/id667486112)

This app transforms your iPhone into a musical instrument, offering a variety of shaker sounds. Explore different playing modes, including shake, tap, and loop, to create rhythms and beats.

**Highlights:** Playable music shakers, Shake, tap, and loop modes, Professionally recorded sounds, Precise shaking recognition, Support for 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Shakers | $1.99 | one-time |


### Beat Station

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-station-drum-machine/id1207156644)

This app provides a versatile drum machine for musicians, offering realistic drum sets and extensive loop libraries. It allows for real-time control of song sections and hands-free operation via a Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard, enhancing practice, production, and live performance.

**Highlights:** Realistic drum sets, Extensive drum loop library, Multiple control modes (Loop, Pedal, Song), Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard support, Inter-App Audio and background audio, Export songs as audio files, MIDI implementation and DAW integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beat Station Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Beat Station Pro (Yearly) | $22.99 | per year |
| Beat Station Pro (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Versatile beat options
- 🎸 Great for guitarists and musicians
- 🎧 Realistic drum sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription-only model
- 🔒 Lack of one-time purchase option
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 💸 Perceived as overpriced

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues (unable to restore purchases)
- App freezing or closing unexpectedly
- Blank tutorial screens
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between beats

**Requested features**

- More beat variety (Latin, jazz, waltz, etc.)
- Ability to import custom drum samples
- Tempo and style changes within a song
- Midi export option
- Better tutorial and customer support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shaker Box free?

Shaker Box is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Beat Station free?

Beat Station is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shaker Box or Beat Station?

Beat Station is rated higher. Shaker Box averages 2.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Beat Station averages 4.5 from 498 ratings.

### Do Shaker Box or Beat Station have ads?

Neither Shaker Box nor Beat Station shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shaker Box or Beat Station?

Shaker Box ships an update every 18 months, and Beat Station every 5 weeks. Most recently, Shaker Box was updated on October 14, 2026 and Beat Station on October 21, 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.*