# JOY CHECK vs SoundTrace

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: JOY CHECK at none against SoundTrace's 1. JOY CHECK also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). SoundTrace's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SoundTrace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. JOY CHECK asks for nothing beyond the download.

JOY CHECK ships an update every 2 months, SoundTrace every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 8, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JOY CHECK | SoundTrace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundtrace-decibel-meter-db/id6746351315/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LIVING JOY COMPANY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1690749376) | [Tapronix](https://appshunter.io/developer/1814479334) |

## What reviewers say

### JOY CHECK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joy-check/id6479681992)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SoundTrace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundtrace-decibel-meter-db/id6746351315)

Measure, visualize, and record ambient sound levels with clear decibel readings. This tool offers real-time monitoring, session logging with timestamped graphs, and the ability to export detailed reports. It's designed for various environments, from home to professional settings.

**Highlights:** Live decibel meter, Internal/external mic selection, Waveform and line graph visualization, Session logging with stats, Microphone calibration, PDF export of session reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JOY CHECK free?

JOY CHECK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SoundTrace free?

SoundTrace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do JOY CHECK or SoundTrace have ads?

Neither JOY CHECK nor SoundTrace shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, JOY CHECK or SoundTrace?

JOY CHECK ships an update every 2 months, and SoundTrace every 3 weeks. Most recently, JOY CHECK was updated on July 8, 2026 and SoundTrace on September 9, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*