Comparison

NoiseLevel vs Countdowns

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

Head to head
About

NoiseLevel

Measure ambient sound levels in decibels using your device's microphone. Visualize sound intensity with a dynamic balloon that changes size and color, bursting at high levels. Experiment with different sounds and environments for fun and insight.

Highlights
  • Measures sound in decibels (dB)
  • Visualizes sound with a dynamic balloon
  • Balloon size and color change with sound level
  • Balloon bursts at high sound levels
  • Uses device microphone
  • Screen orientation flips
Features
Read full description

NoiseLevel is a fun way to measure the sounds in your surroundings. Measure the sound level of the music you listen to, your kids playing or your office environment. NoiseLevel uses your iPhone's built-in microphone to first pick up sound and then displays it in dB (= decibels) on a status bar at the bottom of NoiseLevel's main screen. Sounds are also displayed visually as a balloon whose size and color change according to the level of the sound measured. See the balloon burst at high sound levels - you can also make it burst by creating a sharp, high sound, for an example by clapping your hands. Have fun experimenting! For best results, turn the iPhone so the microphone is pointing directly at the sound source. The screen flips accordingly. Disclaimer: NoiseLevel is fairly accurate but it should NOT be considered a professional sound level meter. The built-in microphone of the iPhone can only measure values between 35 to 110 dB and values may vary slightly between iPhones.

About

Countdowns

Easily create and manage countdowns for important events. Sync across devices, set reminders, and add notes for each countdown. Enjoy a seamless experience with Apple Watch, Split View, and Dark Mode support.

Highlights
  • Create and edit countdowns
  • Automatic device syncing
  • Optional notifications
  • Add notes to events
  • Apple Watch app
  • iPadOS Split View/Slide Over
  • Dark Mode support
Features
Read full description

Countdowns now works with Siri AI, Spotlight, and Shortcuts. Works with Siri AI Just talk to Siri. "Create an event called Trip to Lisbon on November 14 in Countdowns." "Move my dentist appointment to Friday." "Rename this one to Marathon." "Delete my car insurance countdown." Siri understands your countdowns as events, asks before deleting, and you can undo. Siri knows what's on your screen While you're looking at your events, Siri can act on what you see. "Open the second one." "Delete this countdown." No need to repeat the name. Spotlight Every countdown is in Spotlight. Search from the Home Screen, see the picture and the date, and tap to open it in the app. Type "Upcoming" or "Today" to jump straight to a section without opening the app first. Shortcuts New actions for the Shortcuts app: Create Event, Show Events, Search Events, and Get Countdowns. Get Countdowns hands your list to other actions, so you can send your upcoming events to Use Model and get a summary in your own words, or build any automation you like. Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features require iOS 27 and a device that supports Apple Intelligence. See exactly how many days until your next vacation, birthday, wedding, or trip — and keep it on your Home Screen and Lock Screen with widgets. Countdowns is a fast, native, ad-free way to track the moments that matter, designed to feel right at home on iPhone and iPad. Features: • Beautiful countdowns Track upcoming and past events with clear, easy-to-read countdowns. • Widgets for Home Screen Keep your most important countdowns visible without opening the app. • Lock Screen widgets Check your countdowns instantly from the Lock Screen. • iCloud sync Your countdowns automatically stay in sync across iPhone and iPad. • Create events in seconds Add new countdowns quickly with a simple and intuitive interface. • Pin important events Keep the countdowns that matter most at the top. • Smart filters Quickly view Today, Upcoming, or Past Events. • Clean native design Built entirely with modern technologies for a smooth and reliable experience. • No ads Completely ad-free experience. Perfect for tracking: • Vacations • Birthdays • Anniversaries • Trips • Holidays • Important life events Never lose track of what you’re looking forward to.

Screenshots

NoiseLevel4 screens
Countdowns4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Countdowns at Free against NoiseLevel's $0.99. Countdowns also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.6) and review sentiment (86% vs 56%). NoiseLevel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 27). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads 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

Countdowns is free to download; NoiseLevel costs $0.99 up front. Countdowns sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NoiseLevel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Countdowns holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 51 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of NoiseLevel's written reviews are positive against 86% of Countdowns's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NoiseLevel ships an update fortnightly, Countdowns every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
NoiseLevel versus Countdowns: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNoiseLevelCountdowns
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating2.6 (28 ratings)4.9 (51 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.0% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2851 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better27
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB21 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperKBMSoft ApSIgor Rusinov

Customer experience

NoiseLevel

All ratings28 ratings
Positive32.1%
Neutral10.7%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive56.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative24.0%

Countdowns

All ratings51 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

None

NoiseLevel

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Countdowns

One-time1
  • Unlock App$0.99

Questions

Is NoiseLevel free?
NoiseLevel costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Countdowns free?
Countdowns is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NoiseLevel or Countdowns?
Countdowns is rated higher. NoiseLevel averages 2.6 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Countdowns averages 4.9 from 51 ratings.
Do NoiseLevel or Countdowns have ads?
Neither NoiseLevel nor Countdowns shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NoiseLevel or Countdowns?
NoiseLevel ships an update fortnightly, and Countdowns every 9 days. Most recently, NoiseLevel was updated on October 15, 2026 and Countdowns on October 10, 2026.

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