# Play Drums! vs DrumSet Live

The clearest difference is rating: DrumSet Live at 4.4 against Play Drums!'s 3.7. DrumSet Live also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 40%) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Play Drums! sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. DrumSet Live asks for nothing beyond the download.

DrumSet Live holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DrumSet Live has 262 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Play Drums!'s written reviews are positive against 81% of DrumSet Live's.

Play Drums! ships an update every 4 months, DrumSet Live every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play Drums! | DrumSet Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-drums/id668258736/reviews) | **[4.4 (262 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumset-live/id683934123/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **262** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **81.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 84 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.3** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drum Starz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299477766) | [CREATELEX LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/542282279) |

## What reviewers say

### Play Drums!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-drums/id668258736)

Experience a futuristic rhythm game inspired by 80s electronic drum kits and EDM. Tap colorful hexagons in time with the music to score points and improve your rhythmic abilities. Choose from various difficulty levels, songs, and drum kits.

**Highlights:** Rhythm game with EDM music, Beginner and advanced difficulty levels, Multiple drum kits and songs, Professionally recorded stereo sounds, Hi-resolution graphics, Lefty mode for reversed layout

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| London House | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rocket | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cephalopod | $0.99 | one-time |
| Blue Scorpion | $0.99 | one-time |


### DrumSet Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumset-live/id683934123)

Learn to play the drums with realistic sound kits. Create custom drum kits and sample sounds for music production. Offers real-time feedback and high-quality audio.

**Highlights:** Learn to play drums, Real drum sound kits, Custom drum kits, Sample sounds, Text feedback on tap, High-quality audio

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Realistic and high-quality drum sounds
- 👍 User-friendly and simple interface
- 🚀 Responsive and fast app performance
- 💰 Free to download and use
- 🎯 Accurate drum simulation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🐛 Black screen and app freezing issues
- ⏱️ Audio delay between tap and sound
- 🔇 Sound quality issues or missing audio

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup
- Black screen and forced exit
- No sound playback
- Full-screen ads interrupt gameplay
- Audio delay between tap and sound output

**Requested features**

- Recording functionality
- Multitouch support for complex rhythms
- Ad removal or reduced ad frequency
- Different drum sound variations
- Landscape orientation support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play Drums! free?

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

### Is DrumSet Live free?

DrumSet Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Play Drums! or DrumSet Live?

DrumSet Live is rated higher. Play Drums! averages 3.7 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while DrumSet Live averages 4.4 from 262 ratings.

### Do Play Drums! or DrumSet Live have ads?

Play Drums! shows ads; DrumSet Live does not.

### Which is updated more often, Play Drums! or DrumSet Live?

Play Drums! ships an update every 4 months, and DrumSet Live every 3 weeks. Most recently, Play Drums! was updated on September 28, 2026 and DrumSet Live on September 23, 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.*