# Decibel vs SmarterNoise Pro

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Decibel | SmarterNoise Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decibel-db-sound-level-meter/id1227650795/reviews)** | [4.4 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smarternoise-pro/id1466745030/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **36K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | **66.1% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 56 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Vlad Polyanskiy](https://appshunter.io/developer/438646985) | [Johan Rogard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1384299041) |

## 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


### SmarterNoise Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smarternoise-pro/id1466745030)

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.

**Highlights:** 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)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Camera upgrade | $0.99 | one-time |
| Frequency spectrum indicator | $1.99 | one-time |
| Video and audio recording | $1.99 | one-time |
| Spectrogram display | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Decibel free?

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

### Is SmarterNoise Pro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Decibel or SmarterNoise Pro?

Decibel is rated higher. Decibel averages 4.6 out of 5 from 36K ratings, while SmarterNoise Pro averages 4.4 from 31 ratings.

### Do Decibel or SmarterNoise Pro have ads?

Neither Decibel nor SmarterNoise Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Decibel or SmarterNoise Pro?

Decibel ships an update every 2 months, and SmarterNoise Pro monthly. Most recently, Decibel was updated on September 24, 2026 and SmarterNoise Pro on September 7, 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.*