# NIOSH Sound Level Meter vs EarDial

The clearest difference is rating: NIOSH Sound Level Meter at 4.7 against EarDial's 3.9. NIOSH Sound Level Meter also leads on ratings volume (17K vs 9). EarDial's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NIOSH Sound Level Meter holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NIOSH Sound Level Meter has 17K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of NIOSH Sound Level Meter's written reviews are positive against 57% of EarDial's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NIOSH Sound Level Meter | EarDial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/niosh-sound-level-meter/id1096545820/reviews)** | [3.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eardial/id1194143337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **64.6% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EA LAB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1005558529) | [Bitien](https://appshunter.io/developer/1100454154) |

## What reviewers say

### NIOSH Sound Level Meter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/niosh-sound-level-meter/id1096545820)

This free app measures sound levels and noise exposure using your smartphone. Developed by acoustics experts, it provides professional-grade metrics and guidance on hearing protection and noise prevention.

**Highlights:** Sound level measurement, Noise dosimetry, Hearing hazard information, Hearing protector guidelines, Data reporting and sharing, Microphone calibration

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Free and ad-free
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- ⚖️ Accurate and reliable measurements
- 💡 Useful for monitoring noise levels in various environments
- 🔍 Provides detailed noise data and exposure information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔌 Issues with external microphone support
- 🔋 Can drain battery when running for extended periods
- 📱 Limited iPad optimization

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent or inaccurate readings in some cases
- Inability to properly connect and use external microphones
- Freezing or crashing when minimizing the app

**Requested features**

- Ability to save and export measurement sessions
- Option to run the app in the background while the screen is locked
- Integration with Apple Health for long-term noise exposure tracking
- Frequency-specific noise measurements (e.g., A-weighted, C-weighted)


### EarDial

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eardial/id1194143337)

This app measures the sound level around you and estimates how long you can safely stay exposed before risking hearing loss. It provides educational information on decibels and noise exposure, and can adjust calculations if you are wearing compatible earplugs.

**Highlights:** Measures ambient sound levels, Calculates safe exposure time, Provides decibel scale information, Explains noise dose formula, Adjusts for earplug attenuation, Device calibration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NIOSH Sound Level Meter free?

NIOSH Sound Level Meter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is EarDial free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NIOSH Sound Level Meter or EarDial?

NIOSH Sound Level Meter is rated higher. NIOSH Sound Level Meter averages 4.7 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while EarDial averages 3.9 from 9 ratings.

### Do NIOSH Sound Level Meter or EarDial have ads?

Neither NIOSH Sound Level Meter nor EarDial shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NIOSH Sound Level Meter or EarDial?

NIOSH Sound Level Meter ships an update every 5 months, and EarDial every 5 months. Most recently, NIOSH Sound Level Meter was updated on October 28, 2026 and EarDial on October 24, 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.*