The Ultimate Buzzer Pro vs Sound Effects!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Ultimate Buzzer Pro
This app offers a vast library of sound effects for games, parties, and pranks. It features multiple play modes, custom sound recording, and a dedicated kids mode. Host game shows and connect with friends locally for interactive fun.
- Over 85 sound effects
- Multi-sound and Big Button modes
- Host game shows with up to 8 players
- Record and import custom sounds
- Dedicated Kids Mode with themes
- Local network multiplayer
- Siri and Shortcuts integration
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Every sound, every mode and not a single ad. The Ultimate Buzzer Pro is the complete version of The Ultimate Buzzer: a big red button and more than 85 sound effects for game nights, classrooms, parties, pranks and the occasional perfectly timed rimshot. Tap a sound and it plays right away. Tap a few and they play together. PICK HOW IT WORKS • Multi Sound: a grid of sounds you can tap as fast as you like, even several at once. • Big Button: pick a sound and it fills the screen as one giant button. Made for trivia, quizzes and anyone who likes to slam things. • Dual Big Button: two giant buttons side by side on iPad, or on iPhone Duo when it's open, for head-to-head rounds. HOST A GAME SHOW Turn trivia night into a real game show for up to 8 players. Players open The Ultimate Buzzer or The Ultimate Buzzer Pro on their own iPhone or iPad and buzz in. You see who was first, down to a fraction of a second, mark the answer right or wrong and keep score, or turn on Play Too and buzz in yourself. Set the points, decide whether wrong answers cost points, and let players pick their own color and buzzer sound. When the game ends, everyone sees the final standings with confetti, plus a results card to share or save to Photos. Everyone connects over your local network, so nobody needs an account. RECORD YOUR OWN Turn a laugh, a catchphrase or the dog's bark into a button. Recordings can be up to 10 seconds, with a live waveform while you record. Silence is trimmed automatically, and your sounds sync to your other devices through iCloud. You can also import an audio file as a sound, and share your recordings with friends. KIDS MODE Big, bouncy buttons with animals, trains and other favorites, five themes (Rainbow, Ocean, Space, Jungle and Candy) and stars and trophies to earn. A grown-up has to solve a math problem to leave, and you can set the app to open straight into Kids Mode. A SOUND FOR EVERYTHING Buzzer, applause, drum roll, rimshot, wah-wah, epic fail, siren, alarm clock, countdown, crickets, cuckoo clock, rooster, cow, UFO and plenty more. They're sorted into Alarms, Animals, Vehicles, Funny, Action, Effects, Around the House and Nature, and you can search or keep your favorites at the top. THE LITTLE EXTRAS • SharePlay: on a FaceTime call, tap a sound and everyone hears it. • Siri, Shortcuts and Control Center: play a sound without opening the app. • A flashlight button for when the lights go out. • Pick any accent color and the whole app follows. All sounds are in the public domain.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Sound Effects! at Free against The Ultimate Buzzer Pro's $4.99. Sound Effects! also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). The Ultimate Buzzer Pro's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On device support 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
Sound Effects! is free to download; The Ultimate Buzzer Pro costs $4.99 up front. Sound Effects! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Ultimate Buzzer Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Ultimate Buzzer Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Ultimate Buzzer Pro has 1.2K ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of The Ultimate Buzzer Pro's written reviews are positive against 63% of Sound Effects!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The Ultimate Buzzer Pro ships an update every 2 months, Sound Effects! every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Ultimate Buzzer Pro | Sound Effects! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (1.2K ratings) — better | 3.4 (50 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | 62.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 50 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 112 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Makens Apps, LLC | TMSOFT |
Customer experience
The Ultimate Buzzer Pro
Sound Effects!
Bugs and requests
The Ultimate Buzzer Pro
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
The Ultimate Buzzer Pro
No in-app purchases
Sound Effects!
- Remove Ads$0.99
Questions
Is The Ultimate Buzzer Pro free?
Is Sound Effects! free?
Which has better reviews, The Ultimate Buzzer Pro or Sound Effects!?
Do The Ultimate Buzzer Pro or Sound Effects! have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Ultimate Buzzer Pro or Sound Effects!?
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