Comparison

Decibels vs dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

Measure ambient noise levels with professional-quality accuracy. This app offers a spectrum analyzer, hearing test, and the ability to save and share measurements with location data. It's a powerful, cost-effective tool for personal sound monitoring.

Highlights
  • Professional-quality sound level measurement
  • Integrated spectrum analyzer
  • Noise dosimeter (NIOSH/OSHA)
  • Photo & video with noise overlay
  • Hearing test
  • Save and export measurements (CSV/Audio)
  • Health App integration
Features
Read full description

"The best way to meter sound levels" - AppAdvice Decibel Meter is full of features sound level meter with exclusive accuracy of measurements and integrated spectrum analyzer. Calibrated with professional dB meter. The world is a noisy place: cars, power tools, crowds, machinery, and other common sources produce amounts of noise that can, with continued exposure, lead to permanent hearing loss. Sound level meters are useful for anyone who wants to avoid exposing their ears to harmful noise levels, but who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on one? dB Meter is free app which provides professional-quality measurement results, calibrated using an actual Nor140 high-precision decibel meter. With dB Meter, you can measure ambient noise levels, save your measurements and their locations, and share your measurements with others. dB Meter couples utility with stylish design and a polished user experience: a powerful tool in a sleek package, and at a tiny fraction of the cost of professional sound level meters. (Please note that dB Meter soundmeter app is not a replacement for professional devices and should be used for personal purposes only.) FEATURES: ● Health App integration. Export measured noise levels and audiogram directly to Health app. ● Noise dosimeter regarding NIOSH and OSHA standards ● Photo & video with the noise overlay ● Powerful hearing test ● Saves location data for each measurement. ● Save measurements with custom names and rename existing measurements. ● Export measurements in CSV or Audio format. ● Allows you to save, export and play back recorded measurements. ● Highly accurate measurements. ● Integrated Fully Functional Spectrum Analyzer ● Octave Band Real Time Analyzer ● FFT Plot (Fast Fourier Transform) ● Spectrogram ● Linear and logarithm scales ● Up to 16384 FFT size ● A lot of available window functions ● Tracking for max value ● Max and Min for any selected frequency ● Stunned graphics You can enable or disable noise levels data exporting to Health app in dB Meter Pro app settings. Have any questions or suggestions? Write to us: support@dbmeterpro.com DB Chart 150-160 dB = Eardrum rupture 140 decibel = Aircraft carrier deck. 130 dB = Jet take-off (100 meters), gun blast at close range. 120 dB= Human pain threshold, loud rock concert. 110 decibel = Serious hearing damage if sustained for more than 1 hour. 100 dB = Serious hearing damage if sustained for more than 8 hours. 90 decibel = Likely hearing damage if sustained for more than 8 hours. 80 decibel = Potential but unlikely hearing damage if sustained for more than 8 hours. 70 dB = Just annoying, but probably safe. 60 dB= Typical conversational volume. 50 dB = A quiet, library conversation. 40 decibel = A whisper. 30 dB= Barely audible sound. 20 decibel= Threshold of human hearing.

Screenshots

Decibels3 screens
dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Decibels at Free against dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer's $29.99. Decibels also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and ratings volume (866 vs 265). On rating, review sentiment, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Decibels is free to download; dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer costs $29.99 up front. Decibels sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Decibels against 4.7 for dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 265 and 866 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Decibels's written reviews are positive against 66% of dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Decibels ships an update weekly, dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Decibels versus dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDecibelsdB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer
PriceFree — better$29.99
Rating4.6 (265 ratings)4.7 (866 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.9% of reviews — better65.5% of reviews
Number of ratings265866 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better11.3
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB88 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid BannachVlad Polyanskiy

Customer experience

Decibels

All ratings261 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews664 reviews
Positive66.9%
Neutral9.6%
Negative23.5%

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

All ratings865 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews232 reviews
Positive65.5%
Neutral6.5%
Negative28.0%

User reviews

Decibels

From 265 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and straightforward
  • 📏 Effective for measuring sound levels
  • 🔍 Useful for various applications (e.g. home, construction)
  • 🎨 Clean and elegant interface
  • 💡 Ability to take photos with readings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔢 Limited measurement range (max 100 dB)
  • 🔍 Questionable accuracy, especially at lower levels
  • 📊 Lack of advanced features (e.g. digital readout, data logging)

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

From 866 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent
  • 👍 Simple, precise and excellent
  • 👍 Great app!!!!
  • 👍 Well around app for monitoring noise
  • 👍 Nice proof

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crash with iOS 26
  • 🐛 Paid for and it stopped working
  • 🐛 App failed to open on iPad Pro 11
  • 🐛 Will not run
  • 🐛 Ok for DB but not for actually recording sound

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

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Crash with iOS 26
  • App failed to open on iPad Pro 11
  • Will not run
  • Video is recorded without sound
  • Failing to restore purchase
Show 2 more
  • Incompatible with iOS 11
  • Filters don't make sense

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Ability to export recorded audio clips
  • Frequency display on RTA bar

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Decibels

One-time2
  • Professional Controls$1.99
  • Beautiful Strip Chart Recorder$2.99
1 purchases

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

One-time1
  • Spectrum Analyzer Pro$14.99

Questions

Is Decibels free?
Decibels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer free?
dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer costs $29.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Decibels or dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer?
dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer is rated higher. Decibels averages 4.6 out of 5 from 265 ratings, while dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer averages 4.7 from 866 ratings.
Do Decibels or dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer have ads?
Neither Decibels nor dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Decibels or dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer?
Decibels ships an update weekly, and dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer every 4 months. Most recently, Decibels was updated on November 1, 2026 and dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer on November 11, 2026.

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