Comparison

EarDrum vs DrumShed

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

DrumShed

Create, practice, and share drum beats and fills with a guided wizard and AI co-pilot. Features a free, full-featured metronome and structured practice drills. Track progress and connect with a community of drummers.

Highlights
  • Beat and fill creation wizard
  • AI practice co-pilot (beta)
  • Full-featured metronome (free)
  • Structured metronome drills
  • Community sharing and browsing
  • Progress tracking and achievements
  • Guided practice paths
Features
Read full description

BEAT, FILL & EXERCISE BUILDERS Create beats, fills, and exercises with a guided wizard designed by drummers — every step is built around real musical reasoning, so the patterns you build actually make sense on the kit. Fresh new ideas and drills in seconds. Or start from scratch in the full pattern editor, or describe what you want and let AI draft it (beta). Staff notation and grid views. Share your creations with the community. SONGS Songs. Upload a song — a rehearsal take, a demo, the track you're learning — and play along three ways: the band without the drums, the drums alone, or the full mix. Slow it to half speed at the same pitch, ride a click that follows the take bar by bar, and loop a bar range inside a session. ~100 built in play alongs spanning 20 genres included! METRONOME — FREE A fully featured metronome, free forever. Any time signature, any subdivision, polyrhythms, advanced accent patterns — no paywall. Most apps charge for this. DrumShed gives it away. METRONOME DRILLS A metronome that does more than click. Configure time signatures, subdivisions, accent patterns, and polyrhythms. Run structured drills with automatic tempo progression, count-ins, and voice cues — hands-free. AI PRACTICE CO-PILOT (BETA) Tell the AI what you want to work on and it drafts a custom practice session — drills, tempos, and warm-up structure tailored to your level. Every plan is yours to review and adjust before you play, and every AI-drafted beat opens in the full editor. It drafts, you decide what's good. COMMUNITY Browse and play beats and fills shared by other drummers. Share your own creations. Get inspired by what others are practicing. SHARE & EXPORT Record any beat or fill as a video with grid or notation view — app audio captured directly, no screen recording needed. Export notation as high-res images with sticking labels. Share a link that opens your pattern directly in DrumShed so anyone can hear it, clone it, and practice it. Built for teachers sharing exercises and creators posting to TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. PROGRESS TRACKING See your practice history, streaks, and achievements. Track drill counts and practice time across weeks, months, and all time. PATHS Guided practice paths that take the guesswork out of what to work on next. Each day builds on the last — real drills, real tempos, matched to your level. Start with the Getting Started paths and practice with direction. New paths are added regularly. Works with any drum kit — acoustic or electronic. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Play along without the drums. Upload a song and DrumShed separates the drums from the rest, finds the tempo and the downbeats, and gives you the band without the drums to play along to — or the drums alone to learn the part by ear. Slow it down without changing pitch. Nudge the click until it sits right. Drop a bar range into a session and loop it.

Screenshots

EarDrum4 screens
DrumShed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: DrumShed at daily against EarDrum's every 5 days. DrumShed also leads on ratings volume (10 vs 3). EarDrum's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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 DrumShed sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 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 DrumShed. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 10 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EarDrum ships an update every 5 days, DrumShed daily. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
EarDrum versus DrumShed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarDrumDrumShed
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings310 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleksiy KhmelyevskyyDrumShed LLC

Customer experience

EarDrum

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

DrumShed

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 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
4 purchases

DrumShed

Subscriptions2
  • All Access$5.991 Month
  • All Access Annual1 Year trial$34.991 Year
One-time2
  • AI Credit Top-Up$9.99
  • Founding Member Lifetime$119.99

Questions

Is EarDrum free?
EarDrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DrumShed free?
DrumShed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, EarDrum or DrumShed?
EarDrum and DrumShed are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 10 ratings respectively.
Do EarDrum or DrumShed have ads?
Neither EarDrum nor DrumShed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EarDrum or DrumShed?
EarDrum ships an update every 5 days, and DrumShed daily. Most recently, EarDrum was updated on September 24, 2026 and DrumShed on September 24, 2026.

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