# Decibel Meter vs Arbornotes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Arbornotes at none against Decibel Meter's 3. Decibel Meter's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Decibel Meter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Arbornotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Decibel Meter ships an update monthly, Arbornotes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Decibel Meter | Arbornotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decibel-meter-db-noise-level/id6744018521/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **54** | — |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 176 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PaoApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1746019535) | [Laurent Poirier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817294058) |

## What reviewers say

### Decibel Meter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decibel-meter-db-noise-level/id6744018521)

This tool transforms your iPhone into a real-time sound level meter. It measures and displays environmental noise in decibels, helping you monitor sound at home, work, or outdoors. Protect your hearing by detecting loud noises and staying aware of your sound environment.

**Highlights:** Real-time decibel measurement, Dynamic graph display, Min/Max/Average sound levels, Measuring timer, Pause and Reset buttons, Noise pollution checks

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Access with Trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Access | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Access | $17.99 | per year |


### Arbornotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbornotes/id6746522017)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Decibel Meter free?

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

### Is Arbornotes free?

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

### Do Decibel Meter or Arbornotes have ads?

Neither Decibel Meter nor Arbornotes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Decibel Meter or Arbornotes?

Decibel Meter ships an update monthly, and Arbornotes every 3 months. Most recently, Decibel Meter was updated on October 21, 2026 and Arbornotes on October 10, 2026.

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