Side by side
Hydrogen vs mpump
Both stand on drum machine software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+1
Hydrogen combines pattern sequencing, sample editing, and MIDI support in a free desktop tool. Check the listed OS requirements and the lack of a planned LV2 plugin before choosing it.
Visit Hydrogen Free plan Open source AndroidiPhoneLinux+4
mpump combines browser-based beat making with shareable links, session export, and music-app synchronization. Live collaboration is available only with a user-provided relay while the public hosted relay remains offline.
Visit mpumpThe facts
| Hydrogen | mpump | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Windows | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | hydrogen-music.org | mpump.live |
| On drum machine software | #2 of 30 | #1 of 30 |
Hydrogen: what it does well
- Free and distributed under GPLv2+.
- Unlimited patterns can be chained into songs.
- Imports WAV, AU, AIFF, and FLAC samples.
- Exports audio, MIDI, and LilyPond formats.
- Supports four audio driver systems.
What to know first
- No current plans for an LV2 plugin version.
- Listed macOS download requires version 10.14 or later.
mpump: what it does well
- Shared beat links let recipients change and resend grooves
- Includes drums, bass, synth, mixer, and effects
- Supports WAV recording and JSON session import/export
- Works offline after the PWA's first load
What to know first
- Live collaboration currently requires users to provide their own relay
- Public hosted relay is offline
Alternatives to Hydrogen Alternatives to mpump The whole list