Decibel X vs SmarterNoise
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decibel X
This app transforms your device into a professional sound level meter, precisely measuring ambient noise pressure. It offers advanced features like frequency analysis, historical data management, and dosimeter functions, making it useful for various applications and entertainment.
- Precise sound pressure level measurement
- Frequency spectrum analysis (FFT, BAR graphs)
- Historical data recording and export
- Dosimeter with NIOSH, OSHA standards
- Apple Watch and Health App integration
- Customizable calibration and filters
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"Decibel X" is one of very few noise meter apps on the market that has highly reliable, pre-calibrated measurements and supports dBA, dBC. It turns your iOS device into a professional sound level meter, precisely measures the sound pressure level (SPL) all around you. This extremely useful and beautiful tool will not only be a great tool for many uses but also bring you a lot of fun. Have you wondered how quiet is your room or how loud is a rock concert or sport event? "Decibel X" will help you answer all of those. WHAT MAKE IT GREAT AND STAND OUT FROM OTHER APPS: - Trusted accuracy: the app is tested and pre calibrated for all Apple devices. The precision is matching with real SPL devices - Apple Watch support: see noise level right from your wrist - Health App integration: export noise levels directly into Health app - Frequency weighting filters: ITU-R 468, A, B, C, Z - Powerful, smart history data management: + Recording data can be saved into a list of history records for future access and analysis + Each record can be exported as hi-res PNG graph or CSV text via sharing services + iCloud support which synchronize all history records across your Apple devices + Fullscreen mode to give overview the whole history of an record - Dosimeter with NIOSH, OSHA standards - Powerful calibration: Linear, Octave 1/1, 1/3, Load/save profile - FFT and BAR graphs to display real time FFT. Those are very useful for frequency analysis and musical tests. Real time predominant frequency is also displayed. - InstaDecibel to capture your dB report overlaid on photos and easily shared via popular social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Messages, etc.). - Support Live Activity, Dynamic Island - Support both Portrait and Landscape layouts - Beautiful, intuitive and carefully crafted UI design. Themes: LIGHT, DARK and CLASSIC OTHER GREAT FEATURES: - Standard time weightings (Response Time): SLOW (500 milliseconds), FAST (200 milliseconds) AND IMPULSE (50 milliseconds) - MIC Gain Offset from -50 dB to 50 dB - Standard measurement range from 30 dBA up to 130 dBA - HISTO graph for plotted history of the recorded values - WAVE graph with 2 display modes: Rolling & Buffer - SPECTROGRAPH - Real time scale level chart - Display Current, Average/Leq, and Max values with both nice and clear digital and analog layouts - Quick reference text to help you compare with real-life examples NOTES: - Please do not expect a quiet room reading will be 0 dBA. The range 30-130 dBA is the standard usable range and an average quiet room will be about 30 dBA. - Although all devices are pre-calibrated, custom calibration is suggested for serious purposes requiring higher precision and accuracy. You will need a real external device or calibrated sound meter as a reference, then adjust the trimming calibration until the reading matches with the reference. * Privacy Policy: http://www.skypaw.com/decibelx/privacy_policy.html * EULA: http://www.skypaw.com/decibelx/terms.html
SmarterNoise
This app measures sound levels, records audio and video, and provides information on noise exposure risks. It features smart icons to help users understand the impact of noise on health and cognitive performance. Save, share, and archive your recordings with this comprehensive tool.
- Sound level measurement
- Video and audio recording
- Noise exposure risk information
- Smart icons for health impact
- Archive and sharing of recordings
- Calibration
- Location and time display
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SmarterNoise measures sound level, records video and audio and informs about noise SmarterNoise is a premium sound level meter app featuring several unique functions. SmarterNoise measures sound levels in video and audio modes, records video and sound, and informs you about the risks of noise exposure. In addition, SmarterNoise includes a camera, measurement location, and easy sharing, all for free. From the archive you can view the video and audio files you've saved on your phone. With SmarterNoise you take sound level and noise measuring to a new level never available before. SmarterNoise features smart icons that react to the measured sound levels based on current research results focusing on the health and the adverse effects of noise pollution. With the SmarterNoise icons you easily understand how hearing, cognitive performance, and health may be affected by different levels of noise exposure. The awareness of harmful noise is increasing globally, and is considered a versatile risk factor for well-being and health, especially in noise polluted urban environments. Features of SmarterNoise: Sound level measurement and recording in video and audio modes Sound level activated audio recording Full HD, HD or VGA video resolution Three video quality settings Zoom and camera light Restarting of measurement Archive for saved files Sharing of saved files Calibration Smart icons Location, address Time and date display 10 second sound level average (LAeq, decibel) 60 second sound level average (LAeq, decibel) Max and min decibel level About decibels and sound measurement The unit for measuring noise and sound is called a decibel. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a sound with an intensity that is twice that of a reference sound corresponds to an increase of about 3 decibels. The reference point of 0 decibel is set at the intensity of the least perceptible sound, the threshold of hearing. On such a scale a 10-decibel sound is 10 times the intensity of the reference sound. Highlighting this is important as already a difference of a few decibels makes a noticeable difference in how noise is perceived. Leq is an average value describing the total sound energy over a period of time. It is however common practice to measure sound levels using A-weighting, which attenuates low and high frequencies that the average person cannot hear. In this case Leq is written LAeq. LAeq is a formulated average which emphasizes higher sound peaks, and is one of the most common measurements used by professionals to measure noise. All averages in SmarterNoise are measured in LAeq. Health effects of noise are often measured in Lden. Lden measures the average sound level over a 24 hour period, with a penalty of 5 dB added for the evening hours between 19:00 and 22:00, and a penalty of 10 dB added for the nighttime hours between 22:00 and 07:00. Increased health risks have been observed during long term exposure, which highlights the need to consider the full average sound energy over a longer period, not only temporary averages or noise peaks. About noise According to the findings of the World Health Organization (WHO), noise is the second largest environmental cause of health problems, after the impact of air quality. While environmental awareness in general has increased, the burden of noise has not yet been realized by the general public. People especially in urban environments are subjected to noise daily and nightly, at home and at work. Noise pollution has increased over the years due to increased traffic and air travel, urbanization, and industrial noise exposure. Because of the complex and frequent issue of everyday noise, we developed SmarterNoise in order for people to understand noise better.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Decibel X at none against SmarterNoise's shown. Decibel X also leads on ratings volume (162K vs 115). SmarterNoise's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 61%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Decibel X sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and SmarterNoise sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. 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 Decibel X against 4.6 for SmarterNoise. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Decibel X has 162K ratings behind it against 115, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Decibel X's written reviews are positive against 75% of SmarterNoise's.
Decibel X ships an update every 3 months, SmarterNoise every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Decibel X | SmarterNoise |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (162K ratings) | 4.6 (115 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 162K — better | 115 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 90 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | SkyPaw Co., Limited | Johan Rogard |
Customer experience
Decibel X
SmarterNoise
Bugs and requests
Decibel X
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when deleting recordings
- Microphone issues on certain devices
- Saved files not accessible after updates
Requested features
5 requests- Add GPS coordinates to recordings
- Improve reporting and data export
- Provide more weighting options
- Extend frequency range
- Allow music playback while using the app
SmarterNoise
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Decibel X
- Weekly Membership$1.997 Days
- Monthly Membership$5.991 Month
- Annual Membership3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- ITU-R 468, A, B, C Weightings$1.99
- Data Export$2.99
SmarterNoise
- Long-term measurement$1.99
- Remove ads$2.99








