# Ensemble Composer vs Drumr Notate

The clearest difference is price: Drumr Notate at Free against Ensemble Composer's $14.99. Drumr Notate also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Ensemble Composer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (275 vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Drumr Notate is free to download; Ensemble Composer costs $14.99 up front. Drumr Notate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Ensemble Composer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Drumr Notate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ensemble Composer has 275 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Ensemble Composer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Drumr Notate's.

Ensemble Composer ships an update every 2 months, Drumr Notate daily. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ensemble Composer | Drumr Notate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (275 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumr-notate/id6791675587/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **275** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 77.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#194** | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [N. Wheeler](https://appshunter.io/developer/312350021) | [Drumr Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885531613) |

## What reviewers say

### Ensemble Composer

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

**Currently charting:** #194 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


### Drumr Notate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumr-notate/id6791675587)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Annual | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ensemble Composer free?

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

### Is Drumr Notate free?

Drumr Notate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ensemble Composer or Drumr Notate?

Drumr Notate is rated higher. Ensemble Composer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 275 ratings, while Drumr Notate averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Ensemble Composer or Drumr Notate have ads?

Neither Ensemble Composer nor Drumr Notate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ensemble Composer or Drumr Notate?

Ensemble Composer ships an update every 2 months, and Drumr Notate daily. Most recently, Ensemble Composer was updated on September 13, 2026 and Drumr Notate on September 29, 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.*