Comparison

SPL vs AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio

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

Head to head
About

SPL

This professional-grade digital sound level meter measures decibels with advanced modes and filters meeting ANSI Type 1 standards. It allows storing, exporting, and calibrating measurements, and can be used with external calibrated microphones for precise results.

Highlights
  • Professional-grade digital sound level meter
  • ANSI/IEC Type 1 standards compliant filters and modes
  • Store, recall, and export GPS/time-stamped results
  • Supports external calibrated microphones
  • Adjustable calibration for accuracy
  • Internal mic compensation filter
Features
Read full description

SPL is a professional-grade digital sound level meter (decibel meter) for your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. It includes all of the modes, filters, and features that you would expect from a professional ANSI or IEC Sound Level Meter. All filters and averaging modes meet or exceed the criteria for ANSI Type 1 standards or better. SPL is created from the same team who brought you the Audio Toolbox and ATB Plus. Store Results -- Uses the same powerful Save / Recall engine as our premier app, AudioTools. Allows storing GPS and time-stamped results, and exporting them to your computer. You can also use SPL with our calibrated iPhone measurement mic, iTestMic, or iAudioInterface. The screen flips if you turn the phone upside down, so that you can point the built-in iPhone mic directly at the sound source. *** Modes: Slow, Fast, Impulse, Peak, and Leq. *** Filters: A and C weighting, and 10 octave band filters. *** Includes a resettable Max field to track the highest reading. *** Includes a reference field (except in Leq mode) so that you can set a reference level and do seat-to-seat comparisons. The SPL meter can be fully calibrated. It comes preset with the calibration for a typical iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Most iOS devices will be within a few dB of this reading. If you have access, even temporarily, to a calibrated sound level meter, just use the calibration field on the settings scree to match the meter, and you will be accurately calibrated. Also, see our other professional-grade audio apps: AudioTools, our premier suite of professional-caliber audio and acoustics test apps, Speaker Pop, to test speaker polarity, and RTA, a real-time analyzer for the iPhone. And, we have a group of calibrated, accurate measurement microphones, including iTestMic,iTestMic2, and iAudioInterface2, that allows full professional results for Type 1 or Type 2 measurements. This will allow measuring a range from approximately 30 dB SPL to 130 dB SPL. Each mic will include a calibration factor that you will enter into the SPL app for calibrated measurements. This mic will also work with Speaker Pop, our speaker polarity tester, FFT, RTA, ETC, and other acoustical measurement apps in our AudioTools app that is available now. Also, see our iAudioInterface2 system, which supports any pro test and measurement mic. Now includes an iPhone internal mic compensation filter, to cancel out the low-frequency roll-off present in the iPhone and other iOS devices. See our other audio apps, including AudioTools.

About

AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio

This professional audio analysis app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for acoustic measurements, including SPL, RTA, and FFT. It calibrates device microphones for accurate results and allows for the addition of powerful optional modules for advanced analysis.

Highlights
  • SPL Meter with A/C weighting
  • Real Time Analyzer (RTA)
  • Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis
  • Speaker Polarity Test
  • Audio Oscilloscope
  • Signal Generator
  • Audio Recorder
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

AudioTools from Studio Six Digital is a suite of professional-grade audio and acoustic analysis apps. Included in the price of this app is a great collection of professional tools -- SPL, RTA, FFT, Speaker Polarity Test, Generator, Audio Scope, CLF Viewer, and Recorder, and the framework to add more powerful modules as you need them. Customize AudioTools for your needs by buying any of the additional optional modules, like Smaart Tools I, SPL Graph, or Impulse Response, at any time right from your iOS device. We test every iOS device and calibrate the microphone level and frequency response for the best results. We have the ability to turn off the Apple low frequency filters, and on many devices we can measure up to 120 dB SPL. Add iTestMic, iPrecisionMic, or iAudioInterface2 for a complete professional audio and acoustic test and measurement platform. Actual reviews: “...AudioTools is a “how did I ever live without it” app”. “I think this application is the best I EVER purchased.” “I have used many thousands of dollars of complicated test equipment that doesn’t measure up to this app suite.” ***** Included in the app price ***** * SPL Meter A faithful reproduction of a classic analog SPL meter. Includes A and C weighting, and Fast and Slow ANSI decay modes. All filters meet or exceed ANSI type 1. * RTA A 1/3 and octave band Real Time Analyzer. Includes touch-GUI range control, a cursor, max/min bars, and noise curve overlays. * FFT Detailed acoustic analysis, up to 32876 points. View full detail or smooth to 1/24, 1/6, 1/3 or octave. Includes cursor, scalable graphics, and peak tracking. * Polarity Speaker polarity checker. Route the test signal to a speaker, and read the polarity of the speaker on the screen. * CLF Viewer Show loudspeaker data, including plots for impedance, axial response, sensitivity, polar response, and 6dB coverage, and a 3D color balloon plot. * Delay Finder Measures the time it takes for a pulse to return from a speaker. * Generator Generates sine waves, square waves, white and pink noise. * Line Level Tests A line level measurement function and frequency counter. * Audio Scope A dual-channel audio oscilloscope that includes auto-triggering, variable gain and sweep rate, and storage of scope images. * Recorder A mono/stereo audio recorder with WAV and compressed formats and 8k-48k sample rate. Transfer files via WIFI. * File transfer of results via wifi to PC / Mac. * Audio Calculators ***** Optional modules available for purchase from within AudioTools ***** * SoundScope VR - FFT-based audio analyzer with VR. The powerful acoustical analysis module. Includes RTA graphs to 1/48th octave and Spectrograph, and can display VR. * Transfer Function -- Requires 2-channel interface. Two-channel FFT-based measurement. Allows you to analyze sound system performance with music or pink noise as the signal source. * ETC Energy Time Curve. Plot decay of an impulse over time, and compute RT60 time. Internal or External trigger. * Impulse Response Record and analyze an impulse or sine sweep, compute octave and 1/3 octave ETC, T30, C50, C80, CT, Definition. * LARSA Fast and accurate sine-sweep measurement of loudspeakers and rooms. * SPL Pro Digital SPL meter with ANSI Slow, Fast, Peak, and Impulse mode, along with LEQ. Includes A and C weighting, and all 10 octave band filters. * SPL Graph Plot second-by-second SPL level for up to 24 hours, and optionally record the audio. Also, add the optional Octave Band Logging upgrade to elevate this tool to rival any professional logging SPL Meter. * SPL Traffic Light Monitor live sound levels SPL and Leq and see status in a simple green-yellow-red display. * STIPA Speech Intelligibility Meets the current NFPA code standards for testing evac systems and schools. * Speaker Distortion Measure THD+n of any driver. * THD+n (requires iAudioInterface) * Impedance Meter and Plot (requires iAudioInterface) * Phase Meter * Amplitude Sweep

Screenshots

SPL1 screens
AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SPL at $8.99 against AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio's $19.99. SPL also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11). AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

SPL costs $8.99 and AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio $19.99 up front. AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SPL asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio has 5.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of SPL's written reviews are positive against 75% of AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SPL ships an update every 6 months, AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
SPL versus AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSPLAudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio
Price$8.99 — better$19.99
Rating3.0 (4 ratings)4.8 (5.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.6% of reviews74.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings45.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#75 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew SmithAndrew Smith

Customer experience

SPL

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral8.8%
Negative23.5%

AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio

All ratings5,076 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews357 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative20.7%

Bugs and requests

SPL

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch
  • Inaccurate SPL and frequency measurements
  • Compatibility issues with iOS updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add manual
  • Improve file export and sharing
  • Improve user interface
  • Add support for external microphones

In-app purchases

None

SPL

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio

Subscriptions1
  • All-In Module Access7 Days trial$9.991 Month
One-time10
  • VU Meter$2.99
  • Polarity Test Module$3.99
  • ETC Module$5.99
Show 7 more
  • Speaker Distortion$5.99
  • SPL Pro Module$7.99
  • SPL Graph Module$9.99
  • SPL Traffic Light$9.99
  • SoundScope VR$24.99
  • LARSA$29.99
  • IR Module$49.99

Questions

Is SPL free?
SPL costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio free?
AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SPL or AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio?
AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio is rated higher. SPL averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio averages 4.8 from 5.1K ratings.
Do SPL or AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio have ads?
Neither SPL nor AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SPL or AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio?
SPL ships an update every 6 months, and AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio fortnightly. Most recently, SPL was updated on September 23, 2026 and AudioTools, dB, Sound & Audio on September 27, 2026.

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