# Decibel vs AcoustiTools®

The clearest difference is price: Decibel at Free against AcoustiTools®'s $39.99. Decibel also leads on ratings volume (36K vs 7) and rating (4.6 vs 4.4). AcoustiTools®'s advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 66%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Decibel is free to download; AcoustiTools® costs $39.99 up front. Decibel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and AcoustiTools® sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Decibel holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Decibel has 36K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Decibel's written reviews are positive against 100% of AcoustiTools®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Decibel | AcoustiTools® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $39.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decibel-db-sound-level-meter/id1227650795/reviews)** | [4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acoustitools/id1390068470/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **36K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 56 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 13.3 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vlad Polyanskiy](https://appshunter.io/developer/438646985) | [ACOUSTIC MASTERMINDS INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352604985) |

## What reviewers say

### Decibel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decibel-db-sound-level-meter/id1227650795)

Transform your device into a professional sound level meter and audio analyzer. Measure ambient noise, monitor decibel levels, and visualize sound frequencies in real time. It also offers advanced sleep tracking with sound recognition to identify disruptions.

**Highlights:** Real-time decibel (dB) sound level monitoring, Integrated Spectrum Analyzer (FFT, spectrogram), Sleep tracking with sound recognition, Noise exposure data export to Health app, Add sound level overlays to photos/videos, Save, export, and playback sound measurements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Mode | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Mode | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium Mode Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Mode | $29.99 | per year |
| dB Meter Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Noise Dosimeter Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| Decibel Meter Pro | $19.99 | one-time |
| Spectrum Analyzer Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| dB Meter Premium Pack | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for monitoring noise levels
- 🔍 Accurate for a phone app
- 🔧 Good for calibrating audio equipment
- 💡 Helpful for hearing protection
- 📊 Provides detailed measurements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Aggressive upselling tactics
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection
- 🕹️ Confusing free vs paid options
- 🔁 Recurring subscription issues
- 🔢 Inconsistent/inaccurate readings

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes during use
- Subscription issues and unwanted charges
- Microphone compatibility problems

**Requested features**

- Add option to set noise level alerts
- Improve geolocation and recording features
- Allow audio playback while using the app
- Provide more calibration options


### AcoustiTools®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acoustitools/id1390068470)

This app provides professional-grade audio analysis and diagnostic tools using augmented reality. It helps map sound levels, calculate delay timing, and offers corrective EQ settings for live sound, studios, car audio, and home theater.

**Highlights:** Augmented Reality Spatial Analyzer, Volume Mapping and Variance, Delay Timing Calculation, Diagnostic Parametric EQ (IAP), Diagnostic Graphic EQ (IAP), Real-Time Frequency Analyzer

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diagnostic PEQ | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diagnostic GEQ | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Decibel free?

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

### Is AcoustiTools® free?

AcoustiTools® costs $39.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Decibel or AcoustiTools®?

Decibel is rated higher. Decibel averages 4.6 out of 5 from 36K ratings, while AcoustiTools® averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do Decibel or AcoustiTools® have ads?

Neither Decibel nor AcoustiTools® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Decibel or AcoustiTools®?

Decibel ships an update every 2 months, and AcoustiTools® every 2 months. Most recently, Decibel was updated on November 12, 2026 and AcoustiTools® on November 2, 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.*