Comparison

Drum Journal vs Paradiddle

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

Head to head
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

About

Paradiddle

A straightforward metronome and tuner designed for musicians. It offers a clean interface with no ads, sign-ins, or in-app purchases, making it easy to use for practice and performance.

Highlights
  • Metronome functionality
  • Tuner functionality
  • Ad-free experience
  • No sign-in required
  • No in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

Easy to use. No ads. No sign-in. No in-app purchases. Enjoy!

Screenshots

Drum Journal4 screens
Paradiddle3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Paradiddle at none against Drum Journal's 5. Drum Journal's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks). 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. Drum Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Paradiddle asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Drum Journal against 5.0 for Paradiddle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drum Journal ships an update weekly, Paradiddle every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Drum Journal versus Paradiddle: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrum JournalParadiddle
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPorath ConsultingMark Freimuth

Customer experience

Drum Journal

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

Paradiddle

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

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
None

Paradiddle

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drum Journal free?
Drum Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Paradiddle free?
Paradiddle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Drum Journal or Paradiddle?
Drum Journal and Paradiddle are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Drum Journal or Paradiddle have ads?
Neither Drum Journal nor Paradiddle shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drum Journal or Paradiddle?
Drum Journal ships an update weekly, and Paradiddle every 4 weeks. Most recently, Drum Journal was updated on October 31, 2026 and Paradiddle on November 10, 2026.

Other comparisons