Comparison

EarDrum 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

EarDrum

This app provides drummers with tools for timing, rhythm training, and song learning. It offers real-time feedback, custom exercises, and progress tracking for both practice and teaching. Supports various drum setups and import options.

Highlights
  • Timing and rudiment exercises
  • Ear training and memory exercises
  • MIDI song import and play-along
  • Real-time visual timing feedback
  • Velocity feedback for dynamics
  • Customizable exercises for educators
  • Progress tracking dashboard
Features
Read full description

EarDrum is an all-in-one drum practice app, built by a drummer for drummers. Improve your timing and groove, train active listening and musical memory, and learn the songs you love. Whether you're practicing at home or building lessons for your students, EarDrum gives your practice structure — and real-time feedback on every hit you play. Use it with your electronic drums, MIDI controller, practice pad, or on-screen kit — import MIDI files and Clone Hero charts, create custom exercises, and track progress over time. FOR DRUMMERS - Growing library of timing exercises and rudiments for subdivisions, accents, grooves, independence, and double bass - Collections that play your chosen exercises back-to-back — for building structured, repeatable practice routines - Ear training exercises of increasing complexity — recognize rhythms by ear and play them back from memory - A short Getting Started course for building rhythmic foundations - Tempo-changing sessions that build speed, control, and endurance - Focused practice built from the song sections you're learning, teacher assignments, or drum book exercises - MIDI song import for play-along practice with looping and custom sections - Clone Hero song import — play community drum charts at the difficulty you choose - Metronome with subdivision and time signature selection FOR EDUCATORS - Custom timing and ear training exercises, from simple patterns to multi-bar phrases, tailored to your students - A simple, fast sequencer-style exercise builder - Shareable exercise links your students or followers can import and practice in the app PLAY YOUR WAY - Support for e-drums via USB or Bluetooth MIDI, a practice pad using the built-in mic, or virtual drums on screen - DAW-grid and sheet music views for different ways of reading drum parts - Adjustable tempo, repeat settings, and volume levels TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - Real-time visual timing feedback — see whether notes land early, late, or on time - Velocity feedback for dynamics exercises — train the stroke technique behind clean, consistent accents, taps, and ghost notes - Comprehensive session results with rushing/dragging analysis and accuracy/velocity charts - A practice dashboard with history, streaks, total time practiced, and recent sessions EarDrum is more than a metronome or a rhythm game. It's a practice studio for drummers, percussionists, teachers, and anyone serious about rhythm — a place to become a better musician. Terms of service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://ear-drum.app/privacy/

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

EarDrum4 screens
Drum Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: EarDrum at 4 against Drum Journal's 2. EarDrum also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. EarDrum sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Drum Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for EarDrum against 5.0 for Drum Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EarDrum ships an update every 5 days, Drum Journal weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
EarDrum versus Drum Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarDrumDrum Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings38 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB105 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperOleksiy KhmelyevskyyPorath Consulting

Customer experience

EarDrum

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Drum Journal

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

EarDrum

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Pro Annual14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99
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 EarDrum free?
EarDrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drum Journal free?
Drum Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, EarDrum or Drum Journal?
EarDrum and Drum Journal are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 8 ratings respectively.
Do EarDrum or Drum Journal have ads?
Neither EarDrum nor Drum Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EarDrum or Drum Journal?
EarDrum ships an update every 5 days, and Drum Journal weekly. Most recently, EarDrum was updated on September 24, 2026 and Drum Journal on September 23, 2026.

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