Comparison

PDC vs Drum Journal

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

Head to head
About

PDC

Features
Read full description

The PDC app is a free drumming practice companion built to help you learn, improve, and stay motivated — no matter your age, level, or background. Learn from professional drummers, follow guided courses, track your practice, and build real consistency with tools designed for drummers who want to get better. Learn from world-class drummers Watch exclusive lessons, interviews, and step-by-step courses taught by drummers who’ve toured internationally, recorded hit records, and shaped modern drumming. Build better habits with practice logging Log your sessions, add notes, review your progress, and stay consistent over time. Never wonder what to practice next — track everything in one place. Play in time with the built-in metronome Use a clean, responsive metronome designed for real practice: fast tempo changes, smooth visuals, and no unnecessary clutter. 100% free. Zero paywalls. Always accessible. No subscriptions. No locked content. The entire app is backed by Palace Drum Clinic, a registered UK charity committed to making drumming education accessible to everyone. Why we built this Our mission is simple: support drummers and make high-quality education available to all. Every session you log helps us bring music opportunities to young musicians. Key Features • Drum lessons from professional drummers • Structured courses to help you learn step-by-step • Practice logging with notes and duration tracking • Precision metronome for daily practice • Follow your favourite drummers and save lessons • Completely free Start your drumming journey today with the PDC App.

About

Drum Journal

This app provides real-time feedback on your drumming practice using your device's microphone. It allows you to slow down or loop sections of YouTube drum videos and automatically tracks your practice sessions to help you monitor progress.

Highlights
  • Microphone-based sticking feedback
  • YouTube video playback with speed control
  • Section looping for practice
  • Automatic practice session tracking
  • Community-shared exercises
  • Progress monitoring and streaks
Features
Read full description

Your exercises, your lessons, your rudiments: one list, ready to go. Drum Journal remembers where you left off, keeps the tempo, and gets out of your way. Press start, practice. YOUR ROUTINE, READY TO GO Open the app. The routine you built is queued, timed, and ready to run. Warm-up, rudiments, the YouTube lesson you're working on, laid out the way you want them. No deciding what to play tonight. REAL FEEDBACK ON YOUR TIMING The built-in sticking coach uses your device's microphone to hear you play on a practice pad. Real feedback on your timing, dynamics, and consistency, built into your routine, not a separate tool. PLAY TO A GROOVE, NOT JUST A CLICK Pick a mood and a backing track plays behind the metronome, automatically matched to your tempo. Rudiment practice stops feeling clinical and starts sounding like a room. LEARN ANY SONG AT YOUR OWN SPEED Drop any YouTube drum lesson into your routine. Slow it down, loop the hard bar, mark the section that's killing you. Drum Journal sits on your music stand and stays out of your way. SEE HOW YOU'RE GETTING BETTER Every session logs automatically. Streaks, time on each rudiment, whether your timing is tightening week over week. Show up daily and watch the data confirm what your hands already feel. EXERCISES FROM OTHER DRUMMERS Browse exercises shared by other drummers. Pick what fits your level, drop it into your routine. FREE TO PRACTICE. PRO TO SEE IF IT'S WORKING. Everything you need to build and run your routine is free: exercises, the sticking coach, YouTube practice, streaks, session logs, and background music in the Drift mood. Drum Journal Pro unlocks advanced analytics — see whether your timing is actually tightening, whether one hand plays inconsistent flams, whether your routine is moving the needle. Pro also unlocks the full background-music mood pack, per-exercise history, community sharing, and data export. The practice is simple. Showing up is hard. Drum Journal makes showing up the easy part. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Drum Journal Pro is available as a monthly, annual, or lifetime subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial, if offered, is forfeited upon purchasing a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://drumjournal.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://drumjournal.com/terms

Screenshots

PDC4 screens
Drum Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PDC at none against Drum Journal's 5. PDC also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Drum Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PDC asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDC ships an update every 10 days, Drum Journal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PDC versus Drum Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDCDrum Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—8 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB105 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJoshua HolmesPorath Consulting

In-app purchases

None

PDC

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Drum Journal

Subscriptions4
  • Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro Annual$34.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is PDC free?
PDC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drum Journal free?
Drum Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDC or Drum Journal have ads?
Neither PDC nor Drum Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDC or Drum Journal?
PDC ships an update every 10 days, and Drum Journal weekly. Most recently, PDC was updated on October 4, 2026 and Drum Journal on October 16, 2026.

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