Comparison

StickPulse vs RhythmForge

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

Head to head
About

StickPulse

Features
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StickPulse - Professional Drum Timing Analyzer Transform your drumming with real-time timing analysis that helps you develop precision, consistency, and unshakeable pocket. StickPulse is the professional practice tool that shows you exactly where your timing needs work and helps you fix it. INSTANT TIMING FEEDBACK See your timing in real-time as you play. Every hit is analyzed and color-coded: green for locked-in, orange for early, red for late. No more guessing if you are rushing or dragging - StickPulse shows you the truth, down to the millisecond. RUDIMENT TRAINER Master 40 essential rudiments with guided practice sessions: Single and Double Stroke Rolls Paradiddles and Flams Drags, Ruffs and Ratamacues Swiss Triplets and Inverted Paradiddles And many more Each rudiment displays standard music notation with sticking patterns. Practice at any tempo from 40-300 BPM with an integrated metronome. Get scored on accuracy, consistency, and dynamics after every take. DETAILED ANALYSIS After each practice session, dive deep into your performance: Overall timing score and consistency grade Hit-by-hit timing deviation charts Early vs. late percentage breakdown Groove heatmap showing your tendencies Average deviation and tightness metrics Visual waveform with transient markers See exactly which hits were off and by how much. Track your improvement session over session. PRACTICE TOOLS High-precision metronome (40-300 BPM) Count-off before recording starts Adjustable input sensitivity Real-time waveform display Session recording and playback Personal best tracking per rudiment EXPORT AND SHARE (PRO) PDF practice reports with charts and statistics CSV data export for detailed analysis Audio file export of your sessions Share your progress with teachers or bandmates PRO FEATURES Unlock the complete StickPulse experience: Unlimited saved sessions (free: 3 sessions) Full timing analysis suite with advanced charts PDF, CSV, and audio export Detailed deviation statistics and histograms Session comparison and progress tracking Priority feature updates Free trial included - experience Pro features for 7 days. WHO IT IS FOR Drummers serious about improving timing Students working with drum teachers Professionals maintaining performance standards Marching percussionists perfecting ensemble timing Anyone practicing rudiments or pad work HOW IT WORKS Select a rudiment or start a free practice session Tap record and play along with the metronome Get instant timing feedback with color-coded hits Review detailed analysis and statistics Track your progress over time TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE Real-time audio processing with low latency Advanced transient detection algorithms Optimized for practice pads, snare drums, and acoustic kits Works in any practice space (quiet environment recommended) No internet connection required PRIVACY AND QUALITY All audio processing happens on your device No ads, ever - we respect your practice time Your recordings stay private unless you choose to share Professional-grade audio analysis COMING SOON Full drum kit classification (kick, snare, hi-hat) AI-powered coaching feedback Practice loop mode with tempo detection Weekly improvement reports Session goals and achievement tracking Apple Watch integration for stick motion tracking REQUIREMENTS iOS 26.0 or later iPhone (iPad version coming soon) Microphone access Headphones recommended START YOUR JOURNEY Whether you are a beginner learning your first paradiddle or a pro maintaining world-class chops, StickPulse gives you the feedback you need to improve. Download now and discover what precision really feels like. Your timing matters. Make every hit count with StickPulse. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

RhythmForge

This app listens to your playing in real time, scoring your timing accuracy across multiple tiers. It provides detailed analysis of your performance, helping you identify and improve areas where you rush or drag. With numerous built-in challenges and practice modes, it acts as a personal coach for musicians.

Highlights
  • Real-time onset detection and scoring
  • Six-tier accuracy grading
  • Combo multipliers and personal best tracking
  • Rushing/dragging analysis
  • Timing precision scatter plot
  • Per-device latency calibration
  • 40+ built-in challenges
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Most metronomes just count. RhythmForge listens back. Play along to the beat and the app hears you in real time. Every hit is measured, every drift is shown, every session tells you exactly where your timing is strong and where it's not. Your phone becomes a practice coach. HOW IT WORKS Pick a challenge. Set your tempo. Play. RhythmForge scores every beat across six accuracy tiers — Perfect, Great, Good, Okay, Weak, Missed. Build combos with consecutive Perfects for bonus points. Beat your personal best. See exactly where you rushed or dragged. 63 built-in challenges spanning rudiments (singles, doubles, paradiddles, rolls, gallops), grooves, world rhythms (tresillo, son clave, rumba, cáscara, mozambique, bossa nova, samba, baião, bembé), compound and odd meters, and odd subdivisions. From first-week beginner to serious drummer. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT • Real-time onset detection — the app hears your strokes and scores them instantly • Six-tier accuracy grading based on millisecond timing • Combo multipliers and personal-best tracking that make practice addictive • Rushing / dragging analysis per session — know your tendencies • Timing precision scatter plot and beat distribution charts • Per-device latency calibration that auto-corrects AirPods drift • Works with drum pads, snare, hand percussion, claves, djembe • 20–360 BPM, all standard subdivisions, accents • True dark-first design, optimized for OLED FREE FOREVER • Full metronome — every subdivision, tempo ramp, ghost measures • Every click sound • Unlimited free practice with live timing feedback • Every analysis screen, unblurred — distribution, precision, rushing and dragging • Every challenge in the library, playable. Nothing is locked • 6 minutes of challenge time a day, spent on whatever you choose • Your last 7 sessions No challenge is behind the subscription. What's metered is time: 6 minutes a day, topping back up as the day goes — four times faster while you're practicing. Run out and any challenge still gives you a free 25-second run, as many as you like. Tempo ramp and ghost measures are premium features in competing apps. Here they're free, forever. The metronome you'd pay for, included. RHYTHMFORGE PRO Unlock everything with a 7-day free trial: • Unlimited challenge time — the meter disappears • Pattern builder — create your own rhythms, loop them, score them • Triplet and sixteenth targets — play any subdivision over any click • Per-beat pattern editing • Full session history, unlimited FOR WHO Drummers. Percussionists. Guitarists who play rhythmically. Music students. Teachers. Anyone who knows that timing is the foundation of everything musical — and wants to actually measure where theirs stands. Privacy: RhythmForge never uploads your audio. All timing detection runs on-device. Analytics are anonymous and aggregated. Requires iOS 17 or later. Microphone permission required for timing feedback. Terms of Service: https://rhythmforge.app/terms

Screenshots

StickPulse4 screens
RhythmForge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: StickPulse at 3 against RhythmForge's 1. RhythmForge's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. StickPulse sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and RhythmForge sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StickPulse ships an update every 3 weeks, RhythmForge fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
StickPulse versus RhythmForge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStickPulseRhythmForge
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoshua HarrisonFlorian Preknya

In-app purchases

2 purchases

StickPulse

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
3 purchases

RhythmForge

Subscriptions2
  • RhythmForge PRO Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • RhythmForge PRO Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • RhythmForge PRO Lifetime$74.99

Questions

Is StickPulse free?
StickPulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RhythmForge free?
RhythmForge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do StickPulse or RhythmForge have ads?
Neither StickPulse nor RhythmForge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StickPulse or RhythmForge?
StickPulse ships an update every 3 weeks, and RhythmForge fortnightly. Most recently, StickPulse was updated on October 12, 2026 and RhythmForge on October 13, 2026.

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