# Touch Notation vs Darbuka Beats

The clearest difference is price: Darbuka Beats at Free against Touch Notation's $9.99. Darbuka Beats also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.9) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). Touch Notation's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Darbuka Beats is free to download; Touch Notation costs $9.99 up front. Touch Notation sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Darbuka Beats sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Darbuka Beats holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 42 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of Touch Notation's written reviews are positive against 40% of Darbuka Beats's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Touch Notation ships an update every 3 months, Darbuka Beats every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Touch Notation | Darbuka Beats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.9 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-notation/id890358046/reviews) | **[4.7 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darbuka-beats-tabla-drum-pad/id6745232272/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **42** |
| Positive reviews | **44.6% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 112 MB | 298 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/448581784) | [Sonic Market](https://appshunter.io/developer/1811451957) |

## What reviewers say

### Touch Notation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-notation/id890358046)

Create musical scores with intuitive touch gestures. Draw notes, add expressions, and play back your compositions with 30 instrument voices. Export your work in various formats.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notation input, 30 built-in instrument voices, Tempo and dynamics control, Page layout functions, Transpose feature, Multiple export formats (PDF, SMF, MusicXML)

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sound Set: Piano | $0.49 | one-time |
| Sound Set: Guitar/Bass 1 | $0.49 | one-time |
| Sound Set: Strings | $0.49 | one-time |
| Sound Set: Brass/Woodwind | $0.49 | one-time |
| Sound Set: Bell/Mallet | $0.49 | one-time |
| Sound Set: Vocal/Others | $0.49 | one-time |
| Core MIDI Output | $1.99 | one-time |
| Handwritten Font | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sound Set: Full | $2.99 | one-time |
| Chord Name & Automatic Accompaniment | $3.99 | one-time |


### Darbuka Beats

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darbuka-beats-tabla-drum-pad/id6745232272)

This app provides authentic Middle Eastern and Oriental rhythms for musicians, producers, and dancers. It features a wide variety of traditional loops, dynamic performance tools, and custom loop import. Seamlessly integrate with DAWs and external controllers for live shows and studio production.

**Highlights:** Over 30 authentic Arabic, Middle Eastern, and Oriental rhythms, Dynamic performance tools for live feel, AUv3 and Ableton Link support, Import custom WAV loops with iCloud backup, Set lists for live performances, MIDI Learn integration, Built-in recording and sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Darbuka Beats Factory Rhythms | $1.99 | one-time |
| Darbuka Beats Factory Rhythms | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Touch Notation free?

Touch Notation costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Darbuka Beats free?

Darbuka Beats is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Touch Notation or Darbuka Beats?

Darbuka Beats is rated higher. Touch Notation averages 2.9 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Darbuka Beats averages 4.7 from 42 ratings.

### Do Touch Notation or Darbuka Beats have ads?

Neither Touch Notation nor Darbuka Beats shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Touch Notation or Darbuka Beats?

Touch Notation ships an update every 3 months, and Darbuka Beats every 5 days. Most recently, Touch Notation was updated on September 28, 2026 and Darbuka Beats on September 14, 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.*