Comparison

SubPulse vs StickTime

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

Head to head
About

SubPulse

Features
Read full description

Basic metronomes just keep time. SubPulse trains it. SubPulse is the only metronome with named training methods used by world-class musicians β€” and it's 100% free. No subscriptions, no ads, no account. Forever. THE TABLE OF TIME β€” THE JOE MORELLO METHOD The legendary practice system of Joe Morello, the drummer behind "Take Five". At each BPM level, SubPulse automatically cycles through subdivisions β€” quarters, eighths, sixteenths, triplets β€” then increases the tempo and repeats. No other metronome can do this. PUSH-PULL β€” TRAIN BOTH DIRECTIONS Most musicians only practice speeding up. Push-Pull alternates tempo increases AND decreases, so you build genuine tempo control instead of unconscious rushing. Unique to SubPulse. AUTO PROGRESSION β€” BUILD SPEED ON AUTOPILOT Set your starting tempo and your goal. SubPulse increases the BPM gradually while you stay in the flow state. No interruptions, no manual adjustments. EVERYTHING YOU NEED β€’ Precision metronome, 30–300 BPM β€’ Time signatures: 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 5/4, 7/8 β€’ Subdivisions: quarters, eighths, sixteenths, triplets β€’ Tap Tempo β€” detect any BPM by tapping β€’ Practice presets to save your routines β€’ Haptic feedback, adjustable click pitch, screen stays awake β€’ Works offline. In English, Spanish and Portuguese FOR EVERY MUSICIAN Drums, guitar, piano, bass, any instrument β€” from your first metronome session to advanced subdivision mastery. 100% FREE. FOREVER. No paywall, no trial, no locked features. Download and start practicing. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

StickTime

Features
Read full description

Turn your practice pad into a coach. StickTime pairs the full reference library of drum rudiments with a metronome that tracks how fast you can play each one, so every session builds toward a number you can watch climb. The 40 International Drum Rudiments, done right: - All 40 rudiments, grouped into the four families every drummer learns: rolls, diddles, flams, and drags. - Each rudiment shows its sticking pattern, a short how-to, and a difficulty level. - A visual and haptic metronome with a tempo ramp that climbs hands-free while you play. - Personal best BPM for every rudiment, with a tempo-climb chart and a goal you set. - Practice routines: line up rudiments with target tempos and run them one after another. - A session log with a daily streak and your total practice time. - Groove notes on any rudiment, so the fix you found last week is there next week. - A daily practice reminder to keep the streak alive. - Syncs across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud. Free and Pro: - Free includes 8 rudiments across all four families, the metronome, routines, streaks, and stats. - Pro unlocks all 40 rudiments and your full tempo history, and adds CSV and PDF export of your bests, sessions, and reports. StickTime Pro is $3.99 USD per month, $24.99 USD per year, or $59.99 USD once for lifetime access. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation. Cancel anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions; cancellation applies at the end of the current period. Terms (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SubPulse4 screens
StickTime4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: StickTime at every 2 weeks against SubPulse's every 3 months. SubPulse's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. SubPulse sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year and StickTime sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SubPulse ships an update every 3 months, StickTime every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
SubPulse versus StickTime: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubPulseStickTime
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size52 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlejandro RodriguezInnovaLabWorks

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SubPulse

Subscriptions1
  • SubPulse Premium14 Days trial$14.991 Year
3 purchases

StickTime

Subscriptions2
  • StickTime Pro$5.991 Month
  • StickTime Pro$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • StickTime Lifetime$12.99

Questions

Is SubPulse free?
SubPulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StickTime free?
StickTime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SubPulse or StickTime have ads?
Neither SubPulse nor StickTime shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SubPulse or StickTime?
SubPulse ships an update every 3 months, and StickTime every 2 weeks. Most recently, SubPulse was updated on September 18, 2026 and StickTime on September 17, 2026.

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