SmarterNoise vs Noise Guru
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmarterNoise
This app measures sound levels, records audio and video, and provides information on noise exposure risks. It features smart icons to help users understand the impact of noise on health and cognitive performance. Save, share, and archive your recordings with this comprehensive tool.
- Sound level measurement
- Video and audio recording
- Noise exposure risk information
- Smart icons for health impact
- Archive and sharing of recordings
- Calibration
- Location and time display
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SmarterNoise measures sound level, records video and audio and informs about noise SmarterNoise is a premium sound level meter app featuring several unique functions. SmarterNoise measures sound levels in video and audio modes, records video and sound, and informs you about the risks of noise exposure. In addition, SmarterNoise includes a camera, measurement location, and easy sharing, all for free. From the archive you can view the video and audio files you've saved on your phone. With SmarterNoise you take sound level and noise measuring to a new level never available before. SmarterNoise features smart icons that react to the measured sound levels based on current research results focusing on the health and the adverse effects of noise pollution. With the SmarterNoise icons you easily understand how hearing, cognitive performance, and health may be affected by different levels of noise exposure. The awareness of harmful noise is increasing globally, and is considered a versatile risk factor for well-being and health, especially in noise polluted urban environments. Features of SmarterNoise: Sound level measurement and recording in video and audio modes Sound level activated audio recording Full HD, HD or VGA video resolution Three video quality settings Zoom and camera light Restarting of measurement Archive for saved files Sharing of saved files Calibration Smart icons Location, address Time and date display 10 second sound level average (LAeq, decibel) 60 second sound level average (LAeq, decibel) Max and min decibel level About decibels and sound measurement The unit for measuring noise and 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 difference of a few decibels makes a noticeable difference in how noise is perceived. Leq is an average value describing the total sound energy over a period of time. It is however common practice to measure sound levels using A-weighting, which attenuates low and high frequencies that the average person cannot hear. In this case Leq is written LAeq. LAeq is a formulated average which emphasizes higher sound peaks, and is one of the most common measurements used by professionals to measure noise. All averages in SmarterNoise are measured in LAeq. Health effects of noise are often measured in Lden. Lden measures the average sound level over a 24 hour period, with a penalty of 5 dB added for the evening hours between 19:00 and 22:00, and a penalty of 10 dB added for the nighttime hours between 22:00 and 07:00. Increased health risks have been observed during long term exposure, which highlights the need to consider the full average sound energy over a longer period, not only temporary averages or noise peaks. About noise According to the findings of the World Health Organization (WHO), noise is the second largest environmental cause of health problems, after the impact of air quality. While environmental awareness in general has increased, the burden of noise has not yet been realized by the general public. People especially in urban environments are subjected to noise daily and nightly, at home and at work. Noise pollution has increased over the years due to increased traffic and air travel, urbanization, and industrial noise exposure. Because of the complex and frequent issue of everyday noise, we developed SmarterNoise in order for people to understand noise better.
Noise Guru
Measure sound levels with precision to understand your environment and protect your hearing. Identify loud noises, monitor noise pollution, and find quiet spaces for recording. Features include a decibel dosimeter, background noise measurement, and geo-tagged recordings.
- Precise sound level metering (SPL)
- DB Dosimeter for noise exposure tracking
- Background noise measurement
- Noise pollution monitoring
- Geo-tagged noise recordings
- Unlimited recording duration
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Want to expose the absurd loudness of your pet's snoring? Need to find a quiet place to record, so your social media video doesn’t turn out to be muffled? Take control of your sound environment with ease with the ultimate tool for measuring decibels and taking control of your hearing health. With precise sound level metering, you can measure the sound pressure level (SPL) and choose your preferred display format. The app also allows you to measure pet snoring loudness and find a quiet recording spot for social media users and streams. Features: - Keep track of the noise you're exposed to with the DB Dosimeter, set acceptable noise standards and be informed if the noise level exceeds the typical threshold. - Measure noise in the background. - Monitor noise pollution with DB Dosimeter. - Overlay video with noise recordings and geo-tagged location. - Set your customized display options with video effects - Record without limits on duration. Don't risk damaging your hearing with prolonged exposure to constant daily noise. Take control of your hearing health with this app and protect your hearing for the long term. “[..] perhaps as many as 40 million adults (24 percent)—have features of their hearing test that suggest hearing loss in one or both ears from exposure to loud noise. Researchers have also estimated that as many as 17 percent of teens (ages 12 to 19) have features of their hearing test suggestive of NIHL in one or both ears” NIH report on noise-induced hearing loss, NIH Publication No. 14-4233, March 2014 Terms of Use: http://aserykh.com/decibel/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: http://aserykh.com/decibel/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Noise Guru at none against SmarterNoise's 2. Noise Guru also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (88% vs 75%). SmarterNoise's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. SmarterNoise sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Noise Guru asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SmarterNoise against 4.6 for Noise Guru. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 115 and 299 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of SmarterNoise's written reviews are positive against 88% of Noise Guru's.
SmarterNoise ships an update every 6 weeks, Noise Guru monthly. The most recent releases landed on August 11, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmarterNoise | Noise Guru |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (115 ratings) | 4.6 (299 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 88.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 115 | 299 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Johan Rogard | Andrei Serykh |
Customer experience
SmarterNoise
Noise Guru
Bugs and requests
SmarterNoise
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Noise Guru
Reported bugs
2 issues- Forced to leave a review to use the app
- Can't delete max values
Requested features
2 requests- Add frequency meter
- Add option to reset max/min values
In-app purchases
SmarterNoise
- Long-term measurement$1.99
- Remove ads$2.99
Noise Guru
No in-app purchases






