Decibel vs SmarterNoise Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decibel
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.
- 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
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Decibel turns your device into a powerful sound level meter without any extra hardware. Measure ambient noise in real time, monitor sound levels (dB), and explore frequencies with the built-in Spectrum Analyzer. Capture reliable sound and noise data wherever you are. Designed for casual users, audio enthusiasts, and sound engineers, Decibel works as a portable sound meter for quick sound checks or deeper audio analysis. Use it to easily check noise levels, test room acoustics, monitor workplace noise, or fine-tune audio equipment. Decibel has various advanced features, including saving and exporting noise measurement data, live sound level overlays for photos and videos, and exporting data to the Health app to track noise exposure over time. “The best way to meter sound levels” — AppAdvice SLEEP TRACKING AND SOUND RECOGNITION Decibel’s sleep tracking and smart sound recognition help you understand your sleep environment and nighttime noise. While sleep tracking is active, the app can detect common sleep sounds such as snoring, coughing, talking, and other household or environmental noise that may affect sleep quality. Each detected sound appears on a detailed sleep timeline, so you can see exactly when disruptions occurred and play back the related audio. This makes it easier to identify snoring patterns, sleep disturbances, and noise events that impact your rest. All sleep sound recognition and audio analysis are performed entirely on your device using advanced on-device machine learning. Recordings stay private, are processed locally, and never leave your device. KEY FEATURES - Visualize ambient sound levels and decibel (dB) readings in real time - Sync with the Health app to track and export noise exposure data - Add live sound level overlays to photos and videos - Save sound measurements with location data and custom labels - Record, store, export, and play back sound measurements - Export sound and noise data in CSV or audio formats SPECTRUM ANALYZER - Integrated Spectrum Analyzer with FFT and spectrogram modes - Multiple FFT sizes up to 16,384 points with selectable window functions - Flexible visualization modes and graph styles - Octave Band Real-Time Analyzer (RTA) for detailed frequency analysis EXTERNAL MICROPHONES AND CALIBRATION - Support for external microphones - Calibrate connected microphones directly in the app - Create and manage custom profiles for different microphones REPORTING AND EXPORT - Generate detailed noise measurement reports, including LAeq values - Batch export multiple measurements in supported formats Decibel app is not a replacement for professional devices and should be used for personal purposes only. By using this app, you acknowledge and agree that the developers and publishers are not liable for any decisions made based on the information provided by the app. SUBSCRIPTIONS Decibel offers optional subscriptions that unlock advanced tools and ongoing feature enhancements. With a subscription, you get access to an expanding set of professional Spectrum Analyzer features, advanced sound level weighting modes, and continued updates for compatibility with new devices and hardware. Subscriptions also include support for external microphones, unlimited saving and exporting of measurements, batch export tools, and audio and video exports with sound level overlays. Payment will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or disable auto-renewal at any time in your Apple ID account settings. By downloading and using the app, you agree to the following: Terms of Use: https://www.iubenda.com/terms-and-conditions/94359518 Privacy Policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/94359518 Disclaimer: http://dbmeterpro.com/disclaimer.html Questions or feedback? Contact us at support@decibelpro.app
SmarterNoise Pro
This advanced sound level meter app offers detailed audio analysis with features like frequency spectrum display and data export. It allows for precise sound measurements in both video and audio recording modes, with options for A-, C-, or no weighting.
- Sound level measurement in video/audio modes
- Frequency spectrum display
- Export measurement data (CSV)
- Sound level activated audio recording
- Calibration tool
- Full HD video recording (paid)
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SmarterNoise Pro is the most advanced edition of the SmarterNoise recording sound level meters. SmarterNoise Pro edition is developed especially with more advanced measurements in mind, and includes many requested features such as a frequency spectrum display, export of measurement data, A-, C- or no weighting for sound level measurement, and full screen audio mode. SmarterNoise Pro edition does not contain any advertising, and performs accurately and fast. Features: • Sound level measurement in video mode • Sound level measurement in audio mode • Sound meter snapshot camera • Record video and audio files (paid function) • Recording timer • Sound level activated audio recording • Frequency spectrum display (paid function) • Peak frequency detection • A-, C- or no frequency weighting • Export of measurement data in CSV format • Full HD (paid function), HD and VGA video resolution • Three video quality settings • Archive for saved files • Sharing of saved files • Calibration • Save location of measurement (optional) • Time and date • Continuous Leq, LAeq, LCeq value • 10 second sound level average (Leq, LAeq, LCeq) • 60 second sound level average (Leq, LAeq, LCeq) • Maximum and minimum decibel level About decibels and sound level measurement The unit for measuring sound is called a decibel. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a sound with an intensity that is twice that of a reference sound corresponds to an increase of about 3 decibels. The reference point of 0 decibel is set at the intensity of the least perceptible sound, the threshold of hearing. On such a scale a 10-decibel sound is 10 times the intensity of the reference sound. Highlighting this is important as already a few decibels higher or lower makes a noticeable difference in how noise is perceived. The preferred method to describe sound levels that vary over time, resulting in a single decibel value measuring the total sound energy over the period, is called Leq. It is however common practice to measure sound levels using A-weighting, which attenuates lower and higher frequencies that the average person cannot hear. In this case the value is called LAeq. A- and C-weighting The A-weighting is a standard, commonly used filter that attempts to alter the measured sound pressure levels to more closely match the perception of the human ear. A-weighting makes the sound level meter less sensitive to very high (over 8000 Hz) and low frequencies (below 1000 Hz). C-weighting also attenuates low and high frequencies, but the attenuation of low frequencies is much less severe compared to A-weighting. Calibrate: Calibrate the application using the calibration tool found in the settings menu. Phones and their components vary in quality and setup so you need to calibrate the app in order for the results to be relatively comparable. One suggestion is that you close the window and door to your bedroom or bathroom, turn off appliances, and once its very quiet calibrate the app so the reading is about 30 decibel.
Screenshots
Verdict
Decibel and SmarterNoise Pro both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 66% of Decibel's written reviews are positive against 29% of SmarterNoise Pro's. Decibel also leads on ratings volume (36K vs 31) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Decibel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and SmarterNoise Pro sells 4 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 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Decibel's written reviews are positive against 29% of SmarterNoise Pro's.
Decibel ships an update every 2 months, SmarterNoise Pro monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Decibel | SmarterNoise Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (36K ratings) — better | 4.4 (31 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews — better | 28.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 36K — better | 31 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Vlad Polyanskiy | Johan Rogard |
Customer experience
Decibel
SmarterNoise Pro
Bugs and requests
Decibel
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes or freezes during use
- Subscription issues and unwanted charges
- Microphone compatibility problems
Requested features
4 requests- Add option to set noise level alerts
- Improve geolocation and recording features
- Allow audio playback while using the app
- Provide more calibration options
SmarterNoise Pro
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Decibel
- Premium Mode3 Days trial$1.997 Days
- Premium Plus7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Premium Mode3 Days trial$7.991 Month
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- Premium Mode Subscription$9.991 Month
- Premium Mode7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- dB Meter Pro$4.99
- Noise Dosimeter Pro$9.99
- Decibel Meter Pro$19.99
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- Spectrum Analyzer Pack$24.99
- dB Meter Premium Pack$49.99
SmarterNoise Pro
- Camera upgrade$0.99
- Frequency spectrum indicator$1.99
- Video and audio recording$1.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Spectrogram display$1.99
Questions
Is Decibel free?
Is SmarterNoise Pro free?
Which has better reviews, Decibel or SmarterNoise Pro?
Do Decibel or SmarterNoise Pro have ads?
Which is updated more often, Decibel or SmarterNoise Pro?
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