# dBMeter vs Sound Meter

The clearest difference is rating: Sound Meter at 4.4 against dBMeter's 3.6. dBMeter's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (67% vs 40%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sound Meter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. dBMeter asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sound Meter holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 16 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of dBMeter's written reviews are positive against 40% of Sound Meter's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

dBMeter ships an update every 3 months, Sound Meter every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | dBMeter | Sound Meter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dbmeter-decibelmeter/id1466056567/reviews) | **[4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter/id1560541986/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ramon Palacios Saez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1177436233) | [Hiep Pham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1040792388) |

## What reviewers say

### dBMeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dbmeter-decibelmeter/id1466056567)

This application precisely measures sound intensity in real time using your device's microphone. It displays minimum, maximum, and average decibel levels, offers a noise-time graph, and allows for microphone calibration. The tool is ideal for monitoring ambient noise in various environments and exporting data for analysis.

**Highlights:** Real-time decibel measurement, Min, max, and average values, Noise-time graph, Microphone calibration, Background operation, CSV data export, Timer option

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sound Meter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter/id1560541986)

This utility app measures ambient noise levels in decibels. It provides a reference table to help users understand safe listening levels and protects their hearing. The app also stores historical measurements for later review.

**Highlights:** Measures sound level in decibels, Decibel level reference table, Hearing protection guidance, Stores measurement history, Easy to use interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ADs | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is dBMeter free?

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

### Is Sound Meter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, dBMeter or Sound Meter?

Sound Meter is rated higher. dBMeter averages 3.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Sound Meter averages 4.4 from 16 ratings.

### Do dBMeter or Sound Meter have ads?

Both dBMeter and Sound Meter show ads.

### Which is updated more often, dBMeter or Sound Meter?

dBMeter ships an update every 3 months, and Sound Meter every 2 months. Most recently, dBMeter was updated on October 20, 2026 and Sound Meter on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*