Comparison

GridsDrum vs Drumr Notate

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

Head to head
About

GridsDrum

Features
Read full description

GridsDrum is a practice tool for drummers who want to build stronger time, reading, coordination and vocabulary. Create short sticking ideas, place them on a rhythmic grid, and practise how they move through different rates, bars and placements. Use the main grid for focused repetition, then explore tools such as guided practice rooms, speed training, ghost reading, scatter placement, custom grids, combo building and presets. The app is designed for real practice sessions: fast to open, easy to repeat, and deep enough for advanced coordination work. Key features: - Grid-based drum practice - Sticking and vocabulary input - Practice rooms for speed, reading, coordination and linear drills - Combo tools for layered and sequenced ideas - Presets for saving routines and setups - Optional Pro subscription for deeper practice tools GridsDrum works on iPhone and iPad. No account is required to start practising. Subscription and legal information: - GridsDrum Pro is available as an optional auto-renewable subscription. - Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings. - Privacy Policy: https://lateral-group-310.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-for-Grids-Drum-35d95baf797280f189ecf42e9acbf8a5 - Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ - Additional Terms of Service: https://lateral-group-310.notion.site/Terms-of-Service-for-Grids-Drum-ae8760bad88345258660c98d81ceaa3c

About

Drumr Notate

Create and share drum music compositions quickly. This app offers a comprehensive set of notation tools for various drum instruments, allowing you to hear your music and export it as a PDF or MusicXML file. It integrates with a practice tool for enhanced learning.

Highlights
  • Compose drum music with detailed notation
  • Multiple instrument palettes (Drum Kit, Marching Snare, Tenors, Bassline)
  • Playback with built-in drum sounds
  • Export scores as PDF and MusicXML
  • Integrates with Drumr for interactive practice
  • Keyboard shortcuts and intuitive interface
Features
Read full description

Compose your own drum kit and drumline music, fast. Write your part, hear it back, and share or print a PDF. Try editing free for 7 days. No account required. Write It. Hear It. Share It. Compose - Note values from whole notes to 32nd notes - Tuplets — triplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets, and ninelets - Dynamics from ppp to fff, crescendo and decrescendo hairpins, and score-wide Accent/Tap dynamics - Accents, marcatos, tenutos, flams, diddles, ghost notes, and open hi-hat markings - Add sticking and text to explain how the part should be played. - Per-measure tempo marks from 30 to 300 bpm and time signatures from 2/4 to 13/8 - Beams group themselves from the meter, compound meters included, with manual override - Rests consolidate automatically - Duplicate measures, repeat notes, and copy and paste to build patterns fast Four Complete Instrument Palettes More than 100 sound and technique combinations across four instruments. - Drum Kit — snare, bass drum, hi-hats, toms, and cymbals, plus cowbell, tambourine, clave, and gock block - Marching Snare — rimshots, cross-sticks, buzz and press rolls, backsticks, stick shots, stick clicks, ping shots, gock blocks, cowbell, and ribbon crasher - Marching Tenors — all six drums, with rim clicks, rimshots, buzz and press rolls, crossovers, stick shots, stick clicks, and skank - Marching Bassline — all five drums, with rim clicks, rimshots, buzz rolls, stick clicks, and unison hits Hear It Back Play your score with built-in authentic drum sounds — playback follows the tempo marks you write, from 30 to 300 bpm. Share It Share or print a PDF of your scores. Scores live in the Files app and iCloud Drive, and every score is a standard MusicXML file you can use in your notation workflow. Made for Speed Tap, drag, or use full hardware keyboard shortcuts. Drag a note and Notate previews the valid placements before you drop it. Appearance Choose Light, Dark, or System to match your device. Practice It in Drumr Tap Open in Drumr to turn your score into an interactive practice tool — follow along note-for-note, slow the tempo or use speed training to build stick control, loop the hard parts, get practice feedback, and see your progress. Requires a Drumr Premium subscription with a free 7-day trial. — Help/feedback: support.drumr.app Privacy: privacy.drumr.app Terms: terms.drumr.app Apple EULA: apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

GridsDrum4 screens
Drumr Notate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: GridsDrum at 15.0 against Drumr Notate's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. GridsDrum sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Drumr Notate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GridsDrum ships an update every 3 days, Drumr Notate daily. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
GridsDrum versus Drumr Notate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGridsDrumDrumr Notate
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHiu Chun ChanDrumr Inc.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

GridsDrum

Subscriptions3
  • GridsDrum Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • GridsDrum Pro Quarterly$9.993 Months
  • GridsDrum Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Drumr Notate

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is GridsDrum free?
GridsDrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drumr Notate free?
Drumr Notate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GridsDrum or Drumr Notate have ads?
Neither GridsDrum nor Drumr Notate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GridsDrum or Drumr Notate?
GridsDrum ships an update every 3 days, and Drumr Notate daily. Most recently, GridsDrum was updated on September 10, 2026 and Drumr Notate on September 29, 2026.

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