Comparison

Patterning vs Ringo Beats

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

Head to head
About

Patterning

This music creation app offers a circular drum machine with a powerful sequencer. It's free to download and includes a vast library of drum kits and effects. Unlock advanced production and sync tools through an in-app purchase or a monthly subscription.

Highlights
  • Circular drum machine interface
  • Powerful sequencer engine
  • Extensive drum kit library
  • Built-in effects and mixing
  • Song mode for arrangement
  • Audio and MIDI export options
  • Ableton Link and MIDI sync
Read full description

Patterning is a circular drum machine that is both intuitive and deep. Built on the powerful sequencer engine of "Patterning 3: Drum Machine," this new iPhone version bottles the energy and excitement of our flagship instrument for the small screen. Free to download and make music with. The full sequencer, drum kits and sampler, effects and mixing, project saving, and access to nearly 800 drum kits are all included. "Patterning Studio" is an in-app purchase that unlocks production and sync tools for life : - AUv3 : Run Patterning as an instrument plugin. - Song Mode : chain patterns into full songs - Unlimited access to over 800 free drumkits. - Audio export as stereo or multitrack stems (WAV or AIFF) - Ableton Live Set export, with a free Ableton Live 12 Lite license - MIDI file export - MIDI output to hardware and your DAW - Ableton Link - Link Audio : send stereo or multitrack audio wirelessly to Ableton Live. - MIDI clock send/receive Patterning Studio is offered at a discounted price for existing owners of "Patterning for iPhone." Alternately, you can subscribe to Patterning+ and unlock all current and any future features on a monthly basis.

About

Ringo Beats

This app generates unique drum patterns using chaotic systems and AI. Explore diverse sound kits and real-time visualizers. Export your creations as MIDI files for further editing.

Highlights
  • AI-driven beat generation
  • Multiple chaotic systems
  • 8 distinct drum kits
  • Live policy grid control
  • Real-time chaos visualization
  • MIDI file export
  • AUv3 instrument and MIDI processor
Features
Read full description

Ringo Beats writes its own drum parts. Three chaotic systems propose hits - a Lorenz attractor drives kick, snare and clap, a Hénon map flickers the hi-hats, a logistic map detonates fills. A per-voice Markov policy then decides what actually plays, learning from its own output and rewarding patterns that groove. Chaos proposes, the policy disposes. Slide BLEND to choose who wins. Nothing is pre-recorded and nothing loops. Every run is new. WHAT YOU GET • 8 kits - Neon 808, Dust & Wood, Glitch Lab, Techno Bunker, Trap Haze, Boom Bap, Industrial, Bit Arcade • 6 synthesised voices: kick, snare, clap, closed hat, open hat, tom • Live policy grid - watch hit probability build across 16 steps, and tap any cell to lock it on or off • Chaos scope - the attractors driving your beat, drawn in real time • Deep control: tempo, swing, blend, heat, density, Lorenz rho, chaos R, fills, humanise, per-voice mixer • Record a take and export it as a standard MIDI file to the Files app TWO AUDIO UNITS Ringo Beats ships as an instrument AUv3 and as a MIDI processor AUv3, so it can either play its own drums or sequence any other instrument in your host. Both follow your host's transport and tempo - hit play in AUM, GarageBand, Logic, Cubasis or Zenbeats and it locks to the grid. One install registers both. No account. No ads. No subscription. Works entirely offline.

Screenshots

Patterning4 screens
Ringo Beats3 screens

Verdict

The call

Patterning and Ringo Beats both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Ringo Beats's written reviews are positive against 67% of Patterning's. Ringo Beats also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (4 vs 1). Patterning's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Patterning sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Ringo Beats sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Patterning against 5.0 for Ringo Beats. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 6 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Patterning's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ringo Beats's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Patterning ships an update every 3 days, Ringo Beats weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Patterning versus Ringo Beats: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPatterningRingo Beats
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOlympia Noise Co.Soft Brew Mobile

Customer experience

Patterning

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

Ringo Beats

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Patterning

Subscriptions1
  • Patterning+$1.991 Month
One-time2
  • Patterning Studio Upgrade$7.99
  • Studio Pack (Lifetime)$12.99
1 purchases

Ringo Beats

One-time1
  • Unlock AUV3 Instrument & Midi$1.99

Questions

Is Patterning free?
Patterning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ringo Beats free?
Ringo Beats is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Patterning or Ringo Beats?
Patterning and Ringo Beats are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 6 ratings respectively.
Do Patterning or Ringo Beats have ads?
Neither Patterning nor Ringo Beats shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Patterning or Ringo Beats?
Patterning ships an update every 3 days, and Ringo Beats weekly. Most recently, Patterning was updated on September 27, 2026 and Ringo Beats on October 1, 2026.

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