Comparison

drummapp vs RDM Playalongs

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

Head to head
About

drummapp

Features
Read full description

Practice drums with precision. Drummapp turns rudiment exercises into an engaging rhythm game, combining traditional sheet music with Guitar Hero-style gameplay. FOUR PRACTICE MODES • Sheet Music — Scrolling staff notation with real-time highlighting • Guitar Hero — Notes fall toward a hit zone, tap in rhythm • Combined — Notation on top, rhythm game below, perfectly synced • Free Practice — No timing pressure, advance at your own pace BUILT FOR REAL PRACTICE • 24 Stick Control exercises (Single Beat Combinations, pages 5-7) • 40 PAS rudiments organized by category (rolls, diddles, flams, drags) • Accurate timing windows: PERFECT (±50ms) to MISS (250ms) • BPM range from 1 to 300 — from slow practice to performance speed FULL-FEATURED METRONOME • Sample-accurate click scheduling • Tap tempo, subdivisions, mute bars • Progressive tempo increment (auto-increase BPM every N bars) • Save and load presets MULTIPLE INPUT METHODS • Touch — Tap the screen in rhythm • Microphone — Hit your practice pad, Drummapp listens • MIDI — Connect USB drum pads for precise hand detection TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • XP and leveling system rewarding consistent practice • Session history with detailed stats per mode • Score, accuracy, combo, and judgment breakdowns • Cloud sync with Firebase (optional sign-in) DESIGNED FOR MUSICIANS • Works without any external hardware • Cinematic countdown synced to the beat • Haptic feedback on hits • Light and dark mode • Localized in English, Portuguese, and Spanish

About

RDM Playalongs

This app offers three practice tools for drummers, including a metronome with advanced features, a sight-reading generator, and a library of exercises. It helps improve hand speed, accuracy, and reading skills with customizable tempos and rhythms. Track your practice time and engage with a community for support.

Highlights
  • 500+ practice exercises
  • Customizable metronome with unique subdivisions
  • Generates unique sight-reading exercises
  • Tempo control with range and climbing options
  • Practice time tracking and streaks
  • Community support from developer
Features
Read full description

Three practice tools for rudimental drummers, built to get your hands clean and fast. PLAYALONGS 500+ exercises. Press play and it loops until you stop it. Set the tempo to bounce around inside a range so you can't settle in, or have it climb every few reps until you find where you break. Twelve ready-made playlists too, or build your own. METRONOME Any time signature. Any subdivision, including the ones normal metronome apps don't have: 7-lets, 9-lets, ratio rhythms. Accent, diddle, buzz or mute any beat, any partial. Chain different rhythms into a sequence and save it. SIGHT-READING LAB Hit generate, get a page you've never seen. Set the tempo, the rests, the stickings, the syncopation, the time signature. Set the difficulty to your level. Notation on screen while it plays, so you're reading and hearing at the same time. Practice time tracked. Streaks. Leaderboard. Stuck on something? Post it in the community and I'll answer it myself. Built by Anthony Steller, a gigging drummer and snare instructor, for marching snare drummers and drumlines. Start free. You get all three tools with limits, no card needed. RDM Playalongs Monthly is an auto-renewing subscription, $12.99 per month. It unlocks all 500+ exercises and every control in all three tools. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://rudimentaldrummingmastery.com/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

drummapp4 screens
RDM Playalongs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: drummapp at none against RDM Playalongs's 1. RDM Playalongs's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads and device support 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. RDM Playalongs sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per month. drummapp asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

drummapp ships an update weekly, RDM Playalongs every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
drummapp versus RDM Playalongs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterdrummappRDM Playalongs
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—10 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRafael BarbosaAnthony Steller

In-app purchases

None

drummapp

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

RDM Playalongs

Subscriptions1
  • RDM Playalongs$12.991 Month

Questions

Is drummapp free?
drummapp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RDM Playalongs free?
RDM Playalongs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do drummapp or RDM Playalongs have ads?
Neither drummapp nor RDM Playalongs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, drummapp or RDM Playalongs?
drummapp ships an update weekly, and RDM Playalongs every 3 days. Most recently, drummapp was updated on October 8, 2026 and RDM Playalongs on October 19, 2026.

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