Comparison

AirDrums vs Rhythm Ace

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

Head to head
About

AirDrums

Features
Read full description

Turn your phone into a motion-controlled drum instrument. Air Drums lets you play drums using nothing but your arm movements and your phone’s sensors. Each horizontal zone represents a different drum sound, and a fast downward motion triggers a hit — just like striking a real drum. No buttons. No tapping. Just movement, rhythm, and sound. How it works Rotate your phone to select a drum zone Swing your arm downward to hit Hit harder → louder sound Smooth motion trail shows your rhythm visually Drum zones Note 1: Floor Tom Note 2: Bass Drum Note 3: Snare Drum Note 4: Cymbal Features Motion-based drum playing using device sensors Real-time audio with velocity-sensitive volume Clean, minimal black-and-white visual design Smooth motion trail that fades naturally No ads, no clutter, no learning curve Perfect for: Musicians Rhythm practice Creative play Exploring motion-based music interaction Put on your headphones, move your arm, and feel the rhythm in the air.

About

Rhythm Ace

This app is a faithful simulator of a vintage 1967 drum machine, recreating its authentic analog sounds and rhythm presets. It allows for real-time synthesis of percussion, pattern layering, and individual voice muting for unique groove creation.

Highlights
  • Faithful vintage drum machine simulation
  • Real-time synthesized analog sounds
  • 16 classic rhythm presets
  • Authentic pattern combining
  • Individual voice cancel controls
  • Precision tempo control
Features
Read full description

Rhythm Ace is a faithful simulator of the Ace Tone FR-1 — one of the earliest consumer drum machines, built in Japan in 1967 and the ancestor of the legendary Roland rhythm machines. Every sound is synthesized in real time using classic transistor-style audio circuits — no samples, no loops. Just pure, characterful analog-era percussion the way it was meant to sound. Eight synthesized voices Bass Drum · Snare · Low Conga · High Conga · Cymbal · Claves · Cowbell · Maracas 16 classic rhythm presets Waltz, Bossa Nova, Samba, Rock, Swing, Foxtrot, and more — all faithfully recreated from the original FR-1 diode matrix. Authentic pattern combining Select multiple rhythm buttons to layer patterns exactly like the original hardware — the diode matrix OR-combines their steps, letting you build complex grooves from simple presets. Voice cancel controls Mute individual instruments on the fly with the dedicated cancel buttons, just like the original panel. Precision tempo control Large rotary knob for natural, tactile BPM adjustment. Sample-accurate scheduling Built on a lookahead audio clock for tight, rock-solid timing — no drift, no jitter. Whether you're a vintage gear enthusiast, a music producer hunting for retro textures, or just curious what the dawn of the drum machine sounded like, Rhythm Ace brings a slice of music history to your iPhone.

Screenshots

AirDrums3 screens
Rhythm Ace1 screens

Verdict

The call

AirDrums and Rhythm Ace are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
AirDrums versus Rhythm Ace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirDrumsRhythm Ace
PriceFreeFree
Rating—2.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.518.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEMIRHAN SIMSEKTero Aarnio

In-app purchases

None

AirDrums

No in-app purchases

None

Rhythm Ace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AirDrums free?
AirDrums is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rhythm Ace free?
Rhythm Ace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AirDrums or Rhythm Ace have ads?
Neither AirDrums nor Rhythm Ace shows ads.

Other comparisons