Comparison

Sound Effects! vs Applause !

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

Applause !

Generate applause sounds with a simple tap. Increase the volume by tapping faster. Share your applause with friends via email or even start it from your Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • Tap to generate applause
  • Faster taps for louder sound
  • Email applause to friends
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Customizable sound effects
Features
Read full description

There are situations that just require applause! Tap the button and get applause sound. Tap faster for louder applause. Send applause to your friends by email. Start applause from Apple Watch.

Screenshots

Sound Effects!4 screens
Applause !4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Applause ! at 4.4 against Sound Effects!'s 3.4. Applause ! also leads on ratings volume (1.4K vs 51) and review sentiment (79% vs 63%). On price, update cadence, 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

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

Applause ! holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Applause ! has 1.4K 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 79% of Applause !'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sound Effects! ships an update every 5 months, Applause ! every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Sound Effects! versus Applause !: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSound Effects!Applause !
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (51 ratings)4.4 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.8% of reviews78.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings511.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTMSOFTDennis Ebbinghaus

Customer experience

Sound Effects!

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

Applause !

All ratings1,447 ratings
Positive83.6%
Neutral3.4%
Negative13.1%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative17.2%

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

Applause !

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🤩 Entertaining and fun
  • 🎉 Useful for various occasions
  • 👏 Realistic sound effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or issues with sound
  • 🔌 Ads can be intrusive
  • ⏱️ Slow loading times
  • 🔇 Lack of customization options

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

Applause !

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • No sound on certain devices
  • Freezing or crashing on some phones
  • Ads appearing too frequently

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add a stop button for the applause
  • Expand sound effects to include more variations
  • Improve responsiveness and reduce loading times
  • Provide more customization options

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sound Effects!

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
1 purchases

Applause !

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Sound Effects! free?
Sound Effects! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Applause ! free?
Applause ! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sound Effects! or Applause !?
Applause ! is rated higher. Sound Effects! averages 3.4 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Applause ! averages 4.4 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Sound Effects! or Applause ! have ads?
Both Sound Effects! and Applause ! show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sound Effects! or Applause !?
Sound Effects! ships an update every 5 months, and Applause ! every 3 months. Most recently, Sound Effects! was updated on October 15, 2026 and Applause ! on October 15, 2026.

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