Comparison

Sound Effects! vs Custom Sound Box

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

Head to head
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/

About

Custom Sound Box

Design a personalized soundboard with audio clips from various sources. Record new sounds, upload existing files, and organize them for easy playback. Overlap sounds for unique audio experiences.

Highlights
  • Record custom sounds
  • Upload audio from device
  • Organize sounds with folders and tags
  • Search for sounds
  • Overlap audio playback
  • Share audio files
Features
Read full description

Create your own personal soundboard with audio clips from friends, family, your files, and the web. Record a sound, import audio from your device, or use the iOS share sheet to add supported audio files directly to Sound Box. Tap any sound to play it instantly, or play multiple sounds at once for layered reactions, effects, and voice clips. Keep your soundboard organized with folders, colorful tags, search, sorting, and drag-and-drop ordering. Customize tags with colors and images, sync your sounds with iCloud, and play favorites faster from Home Screen widgets or Shortcuts. Features: • Record custom audio clips • Import and share audio files into the app • Trim sounds and adjust volume • Play multiple sounds at once, or one at a time • Organize with folders and tags • Customize tags with colors and images • Search, sort, and reorder sounds • Sync with iCloud • Play sounds from Home Screen widgets • Use Shortcuts to record, play, and stop sounds • Remove ads with an optional in-app purchase Build a custom soundboard for jokes, games, reactions, podcasts, streams, classrooms, events, or anywhere you need the right sound at the right time.

Screenshots

Sound Effects!4 screens
Custom Sound Box4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Custom Sound Box at 4.8 against Sound Effects!'s 3.4. Custom Sound Box also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (81% vs 63%). Sound Effects!'s advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

Custom Sound Box holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Custom Sound Box has 973 ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Sound Effects!'s written reviews are positive against 81% of Custom Sound Box's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sound Effects! ships an update every 5 months, Custom Sound Box weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Sound Effects! versus Custom Sound Box: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSound Effects!Custom Sound Box
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (51 ratings)4.8 (973 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.8% of reviews81.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings51973 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTMSOFTWilliam Wilson

Customer experience

Sound Effects!

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

Custom Sound Box

All ratings965 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative11.3%

User reviews

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

Custom Sound Box

From 973 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Customizable soundboard
  • 💡 Ability to record and import own sounds
  • 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing interface
  • 💰 Reasonable pricing for ad-free version

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and playback issues
  • 🔊 Lack of volume/gain control for individual sounds
  • 🔍 Difficulty organizing and managing large sound libraries
  • 📤 Limited export/import options for soundboards
  • 📢 Intrusive ads in free version

Bugs and 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

Custom Sound Box

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Recording and editing sounds can be glitchy
  • Scrolling issues when tapping on buttons
  • Inconsistent behavior when playing overlapping sounds
  • Occasional crashes when deleting or rearranging sounds

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add equalizer and volume controls for individual sounds
  • Implement a repeat/loop function for sounds
  • Allow uploading of video clips as sound sources
  • Improve sorting and organization tools for sound libraries
  • Provide export/import options for soundboards

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sound Effects!

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
1 purchases

Custom Sound Box

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.29

Questions

Is Sound Effects! free?
Sound Effects! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Custom Sound Box free?
Custom Sound Box is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sound Effects! or Custom Sound Box?
Custom Sound Box is rated higher. Sound Effects! averages 3.4 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Custom Sound Box averages 4.8 from 973 ratings.
Do Sound Effects! or Custom Sound Box have ads?
Both Sound Effects! and Custom Sound Box show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sound Effects! or Custom Sound Box?
Sound Effects! ships an update every 5 months, and Custom Sound Box weekly. Most recently, Sound Effects! was updated on October 21, 2026 and Custom Sound Box on October 29, 2026.

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