Metronome Plus vs Metronome Beats

Choose Metronome Beats if you want to program drum patterns; choose Metronome Plus if you prefer a pendulum metronome with free tempo tools and a tapping game. Both can provide a regular click, so the deciding factor is what you need around it. Metronome Plus is not affiliated with Stonekick or Metronome Beats.

Start with the sound you need

For a scale, a difficult passage, or a lesson, a plain pulse may be all you want. For a bass line or chord progression, you may want a drum groove with different instruments playing different parts. That distinction matters more than a long feature list when choosing the best metronome app for your practice. Imagine the session you actually want: setting a tempo and starting immediately, or spending time shaping the accompaniment. Choose around that task rather than assuming more controls will improve every session.

What Metronome Plus gives you for free

Metronome Plus centers on a moving pendulum. Drag its weight to change tempo, or use the minus and plus buttons for individual BPM changes. Presets contains saved tempos, time signatures, subdivisions, and volume; Session contains sound, accents, visual pulse, Tap Tempo, and Practice Mode. The free tools include custom tempo presets, five click sounds, microphone BPM estimation, and the rhythm game. Those presets save a name and BPM, rather than a complete arrangement. The app has no ads, and you do not need a Pro subscription for these tools.

Choose Metronome Beats for editable drum accompaniment

Stonekick’s Android user guide describes a Drums mode with preset patterns and an editor for creating your own. Its Google Play description also lists programmable patterns, multiple drum kits, and mixer controls. This gives you a way to build accompaniment rather than simply change the metronome’s tone. Metronome Plus has no drum pattern editor or drum mixer. Its optional Cowbell, Rimshot, and Hi-Hat sounds change the click voice; they do not let you arrange independent drum parts. If that arrangement is the reason you are downloading an app, choose Metronome Beats.

Compare the rhythm controls before committing

Metronome Plus offers seven time signatures and four subdivision choices, with accented or unaccented beats. Turning an accent off leaves an audible beat; it does not create a rest. Its tempo buttons support 40–220 BPM, although the pendulum scale ends at 208. Stonekick’s Google Play listing describes a wider 1–900 BPM range, swing, up to 16 clicks per beat, and individual beat muting. These are concrete reasons to favor Metronome Beats if your exercise needs settings beyond the choices in Metronome Plus. Check access to the specific rhythm controls you need before purchasing.

Tempo practice and the tapping game serve different jobs

Both apps can change tempo during practice. Metronome Plus lets you choose a target BPM, a change size, and how many bars to wait between changes. Stonekick describes a speed trainer that can increase or decrease tempo by bars or time. Metronome Plus also has a separate free game: listen to a four-beat count-in, then tap the screen through a silent round and receive timing feedback. That game measures your screen taps. It does not listen to your instrument or score a drum performance, and it does not add repeating silent bars to the normal metronome.

Setlists: check playback and stopping behavior

Metronome Beats Pro supports songs assembled from sections and setlists with Live Mode, according to Stonekick’s guide. Metronome Plus Pro supports an ordered chain of steps, each with a BPM, time signature, and bar count; changes happen at bar boundaries. There is a practical limitation: pressing Stop on its setlist screen ends the sequence but can leave the click playing. Return to Home and press the main pause button to stop the sound. Rehearse that action before relying on a setlist during a session where an unexpected click would interrupt others.

Moving your settings matters when switching phones

Stonekick documents exporting and sharing Metronome Beats Pro presets and setlists between devices. Metronome Plus stores its presets and setlists on the device and has no built-in setlist import or export. If you regularly hand a rehearsal list to another musician, or want a transferable copy before changing phones, that is a meaningful limitation. Write down essential Metronome Plus tempos and section lengths before clearing app data or moving devices. Sharing a list is a separate requirement from playing it, so include it in your choice even if both playback workflows seem sufficient.

Free access, paid extras, and platforms

Metronome Plus Pro is an optional subscription for setlists, polyrhythms, practice statistics, and five additional sounds. Check the app and Google Play for available plans and current terms. Metronome Beats has a free Android version with ads and optional purchases; the separate Android Pro app is sold as a one-time purchase. Stonekick places saved presets, songs, setlists, and Live Mode among its Pro features. Its official site lists Android, iPhone, iPad, and a browser version. Check the relevant store for current pricing and paid access on your platform; do not assume an Android purchase carries over to iPhone.

Make the decision with one real practice task

Try the passage you plan to practice at a comfortable tempo, such as 80 BPM. First use a plain click and check whether you can change tempo, hear the beat, and stop playback without searching. If accompaniment is your goal, then try editing a drum pattern in Metronome Beats. If you need section changes or transferable settings, check those workflows before buying. Choose Metronome Plus when its pendulum and free tools cover your session; choose Metronome Beats when its drum editing, broader rhythm controls, or setlist workflow supplies something you will actually use.