Decibels vs Decibel Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decibels
Measure and analyze ambient noise levels with a stylish interface. Capture photos with sound level data, and share or print your findings. Enhance analysis with advanced features like frequency weighting and chart recording through an in-app purchase.
- Analog dB(A) display
- Photo with sound level
- Share/print/store photos
- Select frequency weightings (A, C, Z)
- Record decibels on strip charts
- Annotate strip charts
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Want to know what noise level is around you? in the restaurant? in the train? in the office? This app will show you with precision & style. Features: - Smooth analog display of dB(A) - Take photo with sound level display - Share, print, and store sound level photos Extra Features (with purchase): - Select frequency weightings A, C, and Z - Record decibels on beautiful strip charts - Annotate the strip charts - Share, print, and store the strip charts This app uses the internal microphone to estimate the sound pressure level in decibels (dB SPL). Examples: - quiet bedroom at night: 30 dB - average home: 50 dB - vacuum cleaner, 1m away: 70 dB - jet aircraft, 50 m away: 140 dB
Decibel Reader
Measure ambient noise levels with real-time readings, tracking minimum, average, and maximum decibels. Offers calibration for accuracy and a dark mode for comfortable viewing. This tool helps you understand your sound environment.
- Real-time decibel measurement
- Calibration for accuracy
- Track min, average, and max noise levels
- Dark mode for low-light use
- Simple and intuitive interface
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Introducing Decibel Reader, a handy tool for measuring noise levels quickly and easily. Easy to Use Our simple design makes using our app a breeze. Just open it up and get real-time noise levels right away. Calibration feature Calibrate the meter for more accurate readings. Track Noise Levels See how quiet or loud it is around you. Our app shows you the lowest, average, and highest noise levels. Easy on the Eyes Enjoy our app even at night with our dark mode. It's smooth, modern, and easy on the eyes. Here to Help Got questions? Email us. We're ready to help you. Decibel Reader isn't just a noise meter. It's a trusty tool for knowing how much noise there is around you, whether at work, outdoors, or at home. Try Decibel Reader. Monitoring noise has never been this easy. Download it today. Decibel Reader is free. You can use it forever, at no cost. However, Decibel Reader does offer premium features for its subscribers. If you decide to purchase an upgrade, you can unlock additional features, i.e. remove ads and enable change description feature. Terms of Use: https://kociapp.github.io/Decibel-Reader/term-of-use Privacy Policy: https://kociapp.github.io/Decibel-Reader/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Decibels at none against Decibel Reader's shown. Decibels also leads on ratings volume (261 vs 24) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). Decibel Reader's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 67%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Decibels sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Decibel Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Decibels against 4.5 for Decibel Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Decibels has 261 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Decibels's written reviews are positive against 80% of Decibel Reader's.
Decibels ships an update weekly, Decibel Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Decibels | Decibel Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (261 ratings) — better | 4.5 (24 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.9% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 261 — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David Bannach | Andy Sutanto |
Customer experience
Decibels
Decibel Reader
Bugs and requests
Decibels
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes when trying to save images
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Needle getting stuck at certain levels
Requested features
5 requests- Digital readout in addition to analog meter
- Ability to save/export measurement history
- Support for different weighting scales (A, C, Z)
- Landscape mode support
- Customizable appearance options
Decibel Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Decibels
- Professional Controls$1.99
- Beautiful Strip Chart Recorder$2.99
Decibel Reader
- Decibel Meter Pro - 1 Week$3.997 Days
- Decibel Meter Pro - 1 Month$7.991 Month
- Sound Level Meter - 6 Months$19.996 Months
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- Noise Level Meter - 1 Year$29.991 Year
- Decibel Meter Pro - 1Y 23 Days trial$29.991 Year
- dB Meter Pro$49.99
