# Ensemble Composer vs DrumToolz

The clearest difference is price: DrumToolz at Free against Ensemble Composer's $14.99. DrumToolz also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). Ensemble Composer's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (77% vs 58%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

DrumToolz is free to download; Ensemble Composer costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ensemble Composer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 275 and 270 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Ensemble Composer's written reviews are positive against 58% of DrumToolz's.

Ensemble Composer ships an update every 2 months, DrumToolz monthly. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ensemble Composer | DrumToolz |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (275 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960/reviews)** | [4.2 (270 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumtoolz/id1461677465/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **275** | 270 |
| Positive reviews | **77.4% of reviews** | 58.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#182** | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [N. Wheeler](https://appshunter.io/developer/312350021) | [Jared Simon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1385840653) |

## What reviewers say

### Ensemble Composer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960)

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Create custom drumline music with realistic recorded sounds. Compose street beats, stand jams, or entire musical books. Play along, practice, share, and edit your compositions.

**Highlights:** Compose drumline music, Realistic recorded drum sounds, Play along and practice, Share and edit compositions, Support for any time signature, Customizable rhythms

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Authentic drum sounds and audio quality (older versions)
- ✍️ Intuitive composition interface for writing cadences
- 📱 All-in-one drumline app combining multiple sections
- 💾 Export functionality to sheet music and audio formats
- 🎯 Useful for educators and students to practice rhythms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Severe audio quality degradation after recent update
- 🐛 Choppy scrolling and laggy performance
- 🐛 Audio stuttering and cutting off during playback
- 🐛 Files not saving or disappearing after updates
- 🐛 Backward compatibility issues with legacy files

**Reported bugs**

- New update prevents opening older files
- Audio stutters and cuts off in faster rhythms
- Triplet rolls don't sound even
- Bass drum subdivisions not working
- Tenor section drums moved to incorrect positions

**Requested features**

- Revert snare sounds to pre-update quality
- Multiple sound option choices for drums
- Hi-hat option for cymbals
- Single tenor drum section option
- Separate tempos within drum sections


### DrumToolz

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumtoolz/id1461677465)

Compose and practice drum cadences and beats on your mobile device. This app allows manual input of exercises, generation of new ideas, and practice of rudiments. Share your creations and learn from a community of drummers.

**Highlights:** Compose drum cadences and beats, Manual exercise input, Generate new rhythmic ideas, Editable music score, Practice snare rudiments, Library of dynamic exercises, Social profile and sharing

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for writing music
- 👍 Helpful for drumline
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Good sounds
- 👍 Good for practice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tutorial not helpful
- 🐛 Hard to find features
- 🐛 UI issues
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Saves progress poorly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and deletes progress
- App won't open
- Repeat function doesn't stop
- Repeat save fails
- Accents, diddles, flams added automatically

**Requested features**

- Turn off metronome
- Add rum shot for snare
- Add rim shots for other drums
- Add triplets, fivelets, sixlets
- Add dynamics (forte, piano)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ensemble Composer free?

Ensemble Composer costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DrumToolz free?

DrumToolz is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ensemble Composer or DrumToolz?

Ensemble Composer is rated higher. Ensemble Composer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 275 ratings, while DrumToolz averages 4.2 from 270 ratings.

### Do Ensemble Composer or DrumToolz have ads?

Neither Ensemble Composer nor DrumToolz shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ensemble Composer or DrumToolz?

Ensemble Composer ships an update every 2 months, and DrumToolz monthly. Most recently, Ensemble Composer was updated on October 12, 2026 and DrumToolz on October 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*