# Decibel vs Tailscale

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tailscale at none against Decibel's 10. Tailscale also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and chart position (#53 vs unranked). Decibel's advantage is ratings volume (36K vs 772) and rating (4.6 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Decibel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Tailscale asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 772, 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 61% of Tailscale's.

Decibel ships an update every 2 months, Tailscale fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Decibel | Tailscale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decibel-db-sound-level-meter/id1227650795/reviews)** | [4.4 (772 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tailscale/id1470499037/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **36K** | 772 |
| Positive reviews | **65.9% of reviews** | 60.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#53** |
| Size | 56 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vlad Polyanskiy](https://appshunter.io/developer/438646985) | [Tailscale Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470499035) |

## 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


### Tailscale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tailscale/id1470499037)

**Currently charting:** #53 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Securely connect devices, workloads, and users to any internet resource. This platform uses identity to control access, creating a modern mesh network that enhances security and performance. It's hardware-agnostic and integrates with numerous technologies.

**Highlights:** Identity-based access control, Mesh networking architecture, Zero Trust security, Hardware-agnostic deployment, Integrates with 100+ technologies, Supports multiple environments

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to set up and use
- 🔒 Secure remote access
- 👍 Convenient for accessing home network
- 👍 Seamless connectivity between devices
- 🚀 Powerful networking features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Significant battery drain
- 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Broken functionality after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to connect or authenticate
- Exit node feature not working as expected
- Inconsistent behavior when switching networks
- App getting stuck in a loading state

**Requested features**

- On-demand VPN connection
- Ability to switch between multiple accounts
- More granular control over exit nodes
- Integration with other networking tools
- Dark mode option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Decibel free?

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

### Is Tailscale free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Decibel or Tailscale?

Decibel is rated higher. Decibel averages 4.6 out of 5 from 36K ratings, while Tailscale averages 4.4 from 772 ratings.

### Do Decibel or Tailscale have ads?

Neither Decibel nor Tailscale shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Decibel or Tailscale?

Decibel ships an update every 2 months, and Tailscale fortnightly. Most recently, Decibel was updated on October 30, 2026 and Tailscale on October 30, 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.*