# dB Calc vs Resistor Brain

The clearest difference is price: Resistor Brain at Free against dB Calc's $0.99. Resistor Brain also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 20 months) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 15.6). dB Calc's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Resistor Brain is free to download; dB Calc costs $0.99 up front. Resistor Brain sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. dB Calc asks for nothing beyond the download.

dB Calc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of dB Calc's written reviews are positive against 67% of Resistor Brain's.

dB Calc ships an update every 20 months, Resistor Brain daily. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | dB Calc | Resistor Brain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db-calc/id303470503/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/resistor-brain/id1671579246/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#200** | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Black Cat Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/301047032) | [TOYSPRING](https://appshunter.io/developer/430948595) |

## What reviewers say

### dB Calc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db-calc/id303470503)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

This app simplifies RF signal measurement conversions. It handles decibel, neper, power, and voltage ratios, along with RMS waveform calculations for sine, square, and triangle waves. Easily convert between various units like dBmW, dBuV, and watts.

**Highlights:** Decibel/Neper/Ratio Conversions, Decibel/Power/Voltage Calculations, Multiple Unit Support (dBmW, dBuV, Watts, Volts), RMS Waveform Conversions, Sine, Square, Triangle Waveform Support, Resistance Input for Calculations

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Resistor Brain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/resistor-brain/id1671579246)

This app uses your device's camera and a neural network to identify resistors and decode their resistance values from color bands. It offers a unique perspective on electronic components and includes an "Inside Brain" feature to visualize the neural network's processing.

**Highlights:** Resistor detection via camera, Color stripe decoding, Neural network processing, 3- and 4-stripe resistor recognition, "Inside Brain" visualization

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Enormous Tip | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is dB Calc free?

dB Calc costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Resistor Brain free?

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

### Which has better reviews, dB Calc or Resistor Brain?

dB Calc is rated higher. dB Calc averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Resistor Brain averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do dB Calc or Resistor Brain have ads?

Neither dB Calc nor Resistor Brain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, dB Calc or Resistor Brain?

dB Calc ships an update every 20 months, and Resistor Brain daily. Most recently, dB Calc was updated on October 4, 2026 and Resistor Brain 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.*