Comparison

XP Soundboard vs Sound Effects!

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

Head to head
About

XP Soundboard

Experience the classic sounds of Windows XP with this soundboard app. It features 36 authentic system sounds, perfect for pranks, meme creation, or evoking 90s nostalgia. Discover hidden easter eggs and enjoy a retro interface.

Highlights
  • 36 Classic System Sounds
  • Startup, Shutdown & Logon Sounds
  • Error Notifications & Alerts
  • Hardware Connection Sounds
  • Hidden Blue Screen of Death
  • Retro XP-Styled Interface
Read full description

Relive the iconic sounds of Windows XP with this nostalgic soundboard featuring 36 authentic system sounds. Perfect for pranking friends, creating memes, or pure 90s nostalgia. FEATURES - 36 Classic System Sounds - Startup, Shutdown & Logon Sounds - Error Notifications & Alerts - Hardware Connection Sounds - Hidden Blue Screen of Death Easter Egg - High-Quality Audio - Retro XP-Styled Interface PRANK YOUR FRIENDS Play unexpected error sounds, startup chimes, or trigger the dreaded Blue Screen of Death when someone is using their computer. The perfect pocket prank for any situation. FIND THE BSOD Can you discover the hidden Blue Screen of Death? Tap around and find this legendary crash screen. PERFECT FOR - 90s Kids & Millennials - Prank Enthusiasts - Meme Creators & Streamers - Retro Tech Fans * Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. This app is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.

About

Sound Effects!

Play and mix multiple sound effects for any situation, from meetings to jokes. Customize your soundboard with over 50 stock sounds and import your own audio files. Perfect for entertainment and even podcasting.

Highlights
  • Play and mix multiple sounds
  • Import custom audio files
  • Customizable soundboard layouts
  • Sound catalog for quick access
  • Sound timers for delayed playback
  • Supports multiple sound formats
Features
Read full description

Play sound effects for every occasion! Is somebody talking too much in a meeting? Blow the Air Horn or Whistle and silence them! Did a friend just tell a funny joke? Play the laugh track or rim shot and show your support! The joke wasn't funny? Then boo them off the stage! This popular sound machine is perfect for having fun with friends or annoying family members. FEATURES - 50+ Stock Sounds with ability to add new sounds with iTunes File Sharing (visit our website for import instructions) - Playback and Mix multiple sounds at the same time - Sound Board for custom layouts of audio clips w/ multiple pages - Sound Catalog for quick access to all sounds or just your favorites - Sound Timers for playback of sounds after specified time has elapsed - Multiple button sizes including Small, Medium, Large - Multiple color themes including Modern, Blue, and Night - Multiple sound formats including wav, mp3, caf, aac, aiff, aifc, m4a, 3gp, mp4 - Universal app runs at full screen w/ latest iPhones and iPads - Retina display supported with modern layout and design SOUND BOARD Tap a sound tile to play. Tap again to pause. You can drag the tiles into new positions when the board is unlocked. You may lock the tiles in place from the settings page. Swipe left or right or tap the next and previous buttons to change pages. You can even drag multiple tiles at the same time while navigating to other pages. If you want to rewind a sound that is paused just pick up the tile and shake it. SOUND CATALOG Scroll the list to get access to all your sounds. Tap the right arrow button next to the sound to toggle favorites and enable sound timers. Toggle the view between All Sounds and Favorites by tapping the view button located at the top right of screen. PODCASTING Do you have a podcast show? Sound Effects was built for use on the popular Tech 411 Show on iTunes ( https://tech411show.com ) so you'll find the stock sounds can compliment your podcast too. It's also easy to add new audio clips and layout the soundboard like a pro! UPGRADING Removal of ads can be purchased from the settings screen. Sound Effects is also available for your desktop on the Mac App Store. CONTACT TMSOFT Fan us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tmsoft Follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/tmsoft Visit our website for additional information at https://www.tmsoft.com/soundeffects/

Screenshots

XP Soundboard1 screens
Sound Effects!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: XP Soundboard at 4.6 against Sound Effects!'s 3.4. XP Soundboard also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 63%). Sound Effects!'s advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. XP Soundboard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sound Effects! 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

XP Soundboard holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 66 and 51 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of XP Soundboard's written reviews are positive against 63% of Sound Effects!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

XP Soundboard ships an update every 3 months, Sound Effects! every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
XP Soundboard versus Sound Effects!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXP SoundboardSound Effects!
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (66 ratings) — better3.4 (51 ratings)
Positive reviews76.9% of reviews — better62.8% of reviews
Number of ratings66 — better51
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDSPTMSOFT

Customer experience

XP Soundboard

All ratings66 ratings
Positive89.4%
Neutral4.5%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral10.2%
Negative12.9%

Sound Effects!

All ratings51 ratings
Positive60.8%
Neutral7.8%
Negative31.4%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive62.8%
Neutral11.6%
Negative25.6%

User reviews

XP Soundboard

From 66 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 😊 Nostalgic Windows XP sounds
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 🎵 Great variety of iconic sounds
  • ⚡ Works immediately without crashes
  • 🎮 Fun for pranks and entertainment

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Many sounds don't play or are non-functional
  • 📢 Persistent ads even after paying for removal
  • 🔇 Sounds don't play when phone is on silent
  • ❌ Some buttons have no sound assigned
  • 🔧 Widget broken on iOS 14

Sound Effects!

From 51 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun to use
  • 💡 Useful for podcasts and entertainment
  • 🚀 Simple and straightforward layout
  • 👍 Good sound quality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Ads disrupt usage
  • 🔋 Limited sound selection
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 👎 Low-quality sound effects

Bugs and requests

XP Soundboard

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Non-functional sound buttons with no audio files
  • Sounds fail to play despite visible buttons
  • Ad removal purchase not working properly
  • Widget crashes on iOS 14
  • Silent mode prevents all sound playback
Show 2 more
  • Restore purchase feature unclear or missing
  • Some sounds missing from library despite button presence

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add missing sounds (Print Complete, Ringin, Ringout)
  • Ability to customize and change sounds
  • Use sounds as ringtones and alarms
  • Windows 7, Vista, 95, 98 sound options
  • Export sounds to iMovie
Show 5 more
  • Apple Watch version
  • Restore purchase button visibility
  • Sound settings and variants from XP Plus edition
  • Continuous tapping feature
  • IT Crowd reference integration

Sound Effects!

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to save favorites
  • Sounds not working properly
  • Compatibility issues across devices
  • Ads taking over the screen

Requested features

4 requests
  • More sound effects
  • Ability to record and import custom sounds
  • Improved layout and navigation
  • Removal of ads or paid version

In-app purchases

1 purchases

XP Soundboard

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
1 purchases

Sound Effects!

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is XP Soundboard free?
XP Soundboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sound Effects! free?
Sound Effects! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, XP Soundboard or Sound Effects!?
XP Soundboard is rated higher. XP Soundboard averages 4.6 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while Sound Effects! averages 3.4 from 51 ratings.
Do XP Soundboard or Sound Effects! have ads?
Both XP Soundboard and Sound Effects! show ads.
Which is updated more often, XP Soundboard or Sound Effects!?
XP Soundboard ships an update every 3 months, and Sound Effects! every 5 months. Most recently, XP Soundboard was updated on October 23, 2026 and Sound Effects! on October 21, 2026.

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