# dBMeter Pro vs Sound Meter (Decibel)

The clearest difference is price: Sound Meter (Decibel) at Free against dBMeter Pro's $5.99. Sound Meter (Decibel) also leads on ratings volume (3.3K vs 2) and device support (4 vs 1). dBMeter Pro's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Sound Meter (Decibel) is free to download; dBMeter Pro costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

dBMeter Pro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sound Meter (Decibel) has 3.3K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of dBMeter Pro's written reviews are positive against 50% of Sound Meter (Decibel)'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | dBMeter Pro | Sound Meter (Decibel) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dbmeter-pro/id296264086/reviews)** | [4.5 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter-decibel/id1626613141/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **56.7% of reviews** | 50.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **14.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matthias Schorer](https://appshunter.io/developer/290579382) | [UniCom Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/1270764210) |

## What reviewers say

### dBMeter Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dbmeter-pro/id296264086)

This application transforms your iPhone into a sound level meter for analyzing ambient noise or testing audio equipment. It offers dual-input measurement, a contextual reference guide, and long-term data logging up to 12 hours. Data can be exported for further analysis.

**Highlights:** Dual-input measurement, Contextual reference guide, Long-term data logging, CSV data export, External microphone support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sound Meter (Decibel)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter-decibel/id1626613141)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works perfectly
- 👍 Easy to use and free
- 👍 Good simple UI
- 👍 Good basic sound level meter
- 👍 Very easy and simplified display

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Spelling mistake ('quiet' spelled as 'quite')
- 🐛 Inaccurate readings compared to other apps
- 🐛 Requires a subscription for basic recording
- 🐛 Imprecise metering, not a reliable tool
- 🐛 Doesn't work in split screen

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Add option to prevent screen timeout
- Add landscape mode
- Improve accuracy and calibration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is dBMeter Pro free?

dBMeter Pro costs $5.99, 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, dBMeter Pro or Sound Meter (Decibel)?

dBMeter Pro is rated higher. dBMeter Pro averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Sound Meter (Decibel) averages 4.5 from 3.3K ratings.

### Do dBMeter Pro or Sound Meter (Decibel) have ads?

Sound Meter (Decibel) shows ads; dBMeter Pro does not.

### Which is updated more often, dBMeter Pro or Sound Meter (Decibel)?

dBMeter Pro ships an update every 5 months, and Sound Meter (Decibel) every 5 months. Most recently, dBMeter Pro was updated on October 27, 2026 and Sound Meter (Decibel) on October 30, 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.*