Comparison

OpeNoise vs Sound Meter (Decibel)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

OpeNoise

This application measures real-time sound pressure levels, displaying minimum and maximum values. It offers advanced analysis like third octave and FFT, with options to save data, calibrate, and share measurements with a community. Note: it is not intended for professional use.

Highlights
  • Real-time A-weighted sound pressure level measurement
  • Minimum and maximum level tracking
  • Third octave and FFT analysis
  • Data saving in text file
  • Calibration functionality
  • Measurements displayed on a map
  • Community sharing of calibration and measurements
Features
Read full description

OpeNoise is a real-time noise level meter. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: - Real-time A-weighted sound pressure level measurement - Minimum and maximum level - Third octave and FFT analysis - Data saving in text file - Calibration - Displaying measurements on a map - Metadata compilation - Sharing calibration and measurements with the OpeNoise community TERM OF USE This app is not intended for professional use, it does not necessarily guarantee an accurate noise measurement. Since each device has a different response to noise, a comparison with a professional noise level meter in the measurement dynamic range is required. The utilization of the app requires adequate technical knowledge and skill; an extemporary measurement might not be correct. The calibrations and measurements sent to the OpeNoise community will be used for statistical purposes only and cannot be used in any way to verify compliance with legal limits. CREDITS Developers: Arpa Piemonte (Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment of Piedmont - Italy - www.arpa.piemonte.it). The code is open source under GNU v.2 license or later, the code is on GitHub: https://github.com/Arpapiemonte/ KEYWORDS noise level meter, level, sound, noise, measure, measurement, dB, db, dBA, dB(A), decibel

About

Sound Meter (Decibel)

This application measures and displays environmental noise levels in decibels. It offers various visual representations of the data, including gauges, graphs, and numerical readouts. Users can also save their measurement history.

Highlights
  • Measures decibel values
  • Displays noise reference
  • Shows min/avg/max dB
  • Graphical decibel display
  • Saves measurement records
Features
Read full description

Sound level meter app is shows a decibel values by measure the environmental noise, displays measured dB values in various forms.  You can experience tidy graphic design with high frame by this smart sound meter app. Features: * Indicates decibel by gauge * Display the current noise reference * Display min/avg/max decibel values * Display decibel by graph line * Save measured records **Notes Microphones in phone is aligned to human voice. The maximum values are limited by the device. Very loud sounds(over ~110 dB) may not be recognized in most device. So please use it as just an auxiliary tools. If you need more accurate dB values, we recommend a actual sound level meter for that.

Screenshots

OpeNoise4 screens
Sound Meter (Decibel)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: OpeNoise at 86% against Sound Meter (Decibel)'s 50%. OpeNoise also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Sound Meter (Decibel)'s advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (3.1K vs 4). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sound Meter (Decibel) holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sound Meter (Decibel) has 3.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of OpeNoise's written reviews are positive against 50% of Sound Meter (Decibel)'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpeNoise ships an update every 7 months, Sound Meter (Decibel) every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
OpeNoise versus Sound Meter (Decibel): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpeNoiseSound Meter (Decibel)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.5 (3.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews — better50.3% of reviews
Number of ratings43.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better14.1
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArpa PiemonteUniCom Technology

Customer experience

OpeNoise

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Sound Meter (Decibel)

All ratings3,079 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral4.5%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews175 reviews
Positive50.3%
Neutral13.1%
Negative36.6%

Bugs and requests

OpeNoise

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Sound Meter (Decibel)

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Apple security alert displayed on a Google ad
  • Readings are half of other apps
  • Misspelled 'quiet' throughout the app

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add option to prevent screen timeout
  • Add landscape mode
  • Improve accuracy and calibration

In-app purchases

None

OpeNoise

No in-app purchases

None

Sound Meter (Decibel)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpeNoise free?
OpeNoise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sound Meter (Decibel) free?
Sound Meter (Decibel) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OpeNoise or Sound Meter (Decibel)?
Sound Meter (Decibel) is rated higher. OpeNoise averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Sound Meter (Decibel) averages 4.5 from 3.1K ratings.
Do OpeNoise or Sound Meter (Decibel) have ads?
Sound Meter (Decibel) shows ads; OpeNoise does not.
Which is updated more often, OpeNoise or Sound Meter (Decibel)?
OpeNoise ships an update every 7 months, and Sound Meter (Decibel) every 5 months. Most recently, OpeNoise was updated on September 21, 2026 and Sound Meter (Decibel) on September 23, 2026.

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