Comparison

Decibel vs Decibel Meter

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Decibel

Transform your device into a professional sound meter to accurately measure ambient noise levels. Understand how loud your surroundings are, from quiet rooms to loud events, and learn about potential hearing risks.

Highlights
  • Accurate sound pressure level measurement
  • Measures decibels (dB)
  • Provides real-time sound intensity readings
  • Useful for understanding noise pollution
  • Helps identify potential hearing hazards
Features
Read full description

This tool is absolutely free. Decibel Meter turns your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch into a professional accurate sound meter, precisely measures the sound pressure level all around you. This extremely useful tool. Have you wondered how quiet is your room or how loud is a rock concert or sport event? Decibel Meter will help you answer all those right now. A decibel meter is a device which measures sound pressure to determine how intense sounds are, measuring in decibels. Decibels are a logarithmic scale based on the sensitivity of the human ear. Prolonged exposure to sounds over 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss, making measurement of decibel levels important for people who work in noisy environments so that they know when they need to protect their ears. For a frame of reference, normal conversation occurs between around 40 and 60 decibels, depending on who is talking. A firecracker is about 140 decibels, and a jackhammer runs at around 100 decibels. Musicians, mechanics, construction workers, and other people who work in loud environments can endanger their hearing, especially if they work in environments with explosives, which can generate sound waves intense enough to cause pain and immediate hearing damage. A decibel meter can indicate when sound has reached the danger zone. The decibel meter measures the sound pressure and provides a reading in decibels for the convenience of the user. Some may also provide readings in other units of measurement, depending on the uses they are intended for. Decibel meters are often designed to be portable so that people can move them around as needed, and are often hand held, although sometimes they can be part of a permanent instrument array which is designed to take continuous measurements in a given area. One application in which a decibel meter can be used is in the reinforcement of municipal codes. Many municipalities bar sounds above a certain decibel level for safety and comfort, and may have restrictions on noise during certain hours. Police officers can carry decibel meters to determine whether or not a sound is violating the noise ordinance. These devices are also used in noise pollution studies which are used to determine the impact of passing vehicles, aircraft, and other sound-generating objects on a community. The decibel meter is also used in the music industry, during recording and setting up for concerns as well as monitoring of conditions in a concert. Similarly, meters may be installed in noisy workplaces to monitor conditions, and may be designed to send out alerts when people need to wear ear protection or take other precautions to protect their hearing. These devices are also utilized in testing of hearing protection such as ear plugs and headphones, with such products coming with a decibel ratings to provide an indicator as to which settings they can and should be used in.

About

Decibel Meter

Easily measure sound levels with this accurate and intuitive tool. It displays current, maximum, and average decibel values, along with a graphical overview for quick comprehension. This utility is completely free to use.

Highlights
  • Simple and easy to use
  • Quick and accurate dB measuring
  • All-in-one meter
  • Maximum, current, and average values
  • Gauge meter display
  • Values displayed in graph
Features
Read full description

Understand the sound levels around you with a clear live meter, responsive graph, and session recording. FREE FEATURES • Live estimated sound-level readings • Current, minimum, average, and maximum values • Real-time history graph • Manual calibration offset • Recording playback PREMIUM FEATURES • Ad-free measuring • Advanced response-time options • Additional frequency modes • Automatic recording saves • Saved measurement history Decibel Meter uses your device microphone only while measuring. Phone microphone readings are estimates and are not a substitute for a calibrated professional sound-level meter or workplace safety equipment. Subscription pricing and trial availability are shown before purchase and may vary by region. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.devnex.nl/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.devnex.nl/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

Decibel4 screens
Decibel Meter3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Decibel Meter at 4.6 against Decibel's 3.5. Decibel Meter also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 18 months) and review sentiment (57% vs 45%). Decibel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Decibel Meter sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Decibel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Decibel Meter holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 475 and 719 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Decibel's written reviews are positive against 57% of Decibel Meter's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Decibel ships an update every 18 months, Decibel Meter every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Decibel versus Decibel Meter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDecibelDecibel Meter
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (475 ratings)4.6 (719 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.3% of reviews56.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings475719 — better
Update frequencyEvery 18 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer祥祎 刘Devnex

Customer experience

Decibel

All ratings475 ratings
Positive61.7%
Neutral9.7%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews287 reviews
Positive45.3%
Neutral8.0%
Negative46.7%

Decibel Meter

All ratings719 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral4.7%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive56.7%
Neutral10.0%
Negative33.3%

User reviews

Decibel

From 475 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and intuitive
  • 💡 Useful for measuring noise levels
  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🔍 Provides instant and average readings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate readings
  • 🔍 Overly sensitive microphone
  • 🔍 Inconsistent measurements
  • 🔍 Readings too high compared to other apps

Decibel Meter

From 719 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and reliable
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🔍 Accurate readings
  • 📏 Good for monitoring sound levels
  • 🔊 Useful for music/audio enthusiasts

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes/freezes on some devices
  • 💰 Misleading about free features
  • 📢 Excessive ads/prompts to buy premium
  • 🤔 Inconsistent readings compared to other apps

Bugs and requests

Decibel

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App shows high decibel readings even in silent environments
  • Microphone issues causing inaccurate measurements
  • App freezes or stops working

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to calibrate the app
  • Option to record and save measurement history
  • Add peak hold feature
  • Improve spelling and grammar

Decibel Meter

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unable to close the app or cancel Google requests
  • Recordings not saving despite claims of free saving

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add ability to save/export recordings
  • Provide more customization options (weighting, etc.)
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes

In-app purchases

None

Decibel

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Decibel Meter

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly subscription3 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$3.997 Days
Show 1 more
  • Half-Yearly Subscription$9.496 Months

Questions

Is Decibel free?
Decibel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Decibel Meter free?
Decibel Meter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Decibel or Decibel Meter?
Decibel Meter is rated higher. Decibel averages 3.5 out of 5 from 475 ratings, while Decibel Meter averages 4.6 from 719 ratings.
Do Decibel or Decibel Meter have ads?
Decibel Meter shows ads; Decibel does not.
Which is updated more often, Decibel or Decibel Meter?
Decibel ships an update every 18 months, and Decibel Meter every 6 weeks. Most recently, Decibel was updated on November 6, 2026 and Decibel Meter on November 3, 2026.

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