# SoundBG vs Astral Effects Visualizer

The clearest difference is rating: Astral Effects Visualizer at 5.0 against SoundBG's 4.3. SoundBG's advantage is ratings volume (833 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SoundBG sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Astral Effects Visualizer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Astral Effects Visualizer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SoundBG has 833 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

SoundBG ships an update monthly, Astral Effects Visualizer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SoundBG | Astral Effects Visualizer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (833 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundbg/id1450235611/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astral-effects-visualizer/id6760698963/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **833** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nursing Baby Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511180210) | [Mobile Visuals](https://appshunter.io/developer/515719326) |

## What reviewers say

### SoundBG

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundbg/id1450235611)

Drift off to sleep with a wide variety of ambient soundscapes, enhanced by beautiful 3D animations. Features an intuitive timer to automatically turn off sounds, and offers premium access for an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Extensive library of sleep sounds, 3D animated visualizer, Intuitive sleep timer, Ad-free premium option, Auto-renewing subscription

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Sleep Sounds | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Sleep Sounds | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Sleep Sounds | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Sleep Sounds | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Relaxing sounds
- 💤 Helps with sleep
- 🕰️ Useful timer feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires paid subscription
- 🚫 Misleading free trial
- 🤖 Poor user experience
- 📢 Excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues
- Crashing and freezing
- Compatibility problems

**Requested features**

- More free sound options
- Landscape mode
- Better sound quality


### Astral Effects Visualizer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astral-effects-visualizer/id6760698963)

Transform your music into immersive 3D visual journeys with real-time audio reactivity. Explore unique visualizers, customize settings, and even record your creations to share.

**Highlights:** 10 unique 3D music visualizers, Real-time audio reactivity, Built-in music player, Internet radio streaming, Customizable visualizer settings, Record visualizations as video, Gyroscope support

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SoundBG free?

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

### Is Astral Effects Visualizer free?

Astral Effects Visualizer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SoundBG or Astral Effects Visualizer?

Astral Effects Visualizer is rated higher. SoundBG averages 4.3 out of 5 from 833 ratings, while Astral Effects Visualizer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do SoundBG or Astral Effects Visualizer have ads?

Both SoundBG and Astral Effects Visualizer show ads.

### Which is updated more often, SoundBG or Astral Effects Visualizer?

SoundBG ships an update monthly, and Astral Effects Visualizer every 3 weeks. Most recently, SoundBG was updated on October 20, 2026 and Astral Effects Visualizer on October 8, 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.*