Stud + Metal Scanner vs Stud Finder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Stud + Metal Scanner
Instantly locate studs, screws, and nails behind walls, or measure magnetic fields (EMF) using your iPhone's built-in sensor. This dual-mode utility is perfect for DIY projects, home improvement, and scientific exploration.
- Stud finder mode
- Magnetometer (EMF) mode
- Detect studs, screws, nails, and metal
- Measure magnetic fields in real-time
- Graph view for field changes
- Pause scans for precision readings
- Re-zero sensor for accuracy
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Detect studs, screws, nails, and measure magnetic fields (EMF) instantly with your iPhone. Two powerful modes in one app: Stud Finder & Magnetometer — works entirely on your iPhone. Perfect for DIY enthusiasts, home improvement projects, tech experiments, educational purposes, contractors, engineers, and anyone curious about magnetic fields or hidden metal. Stud Finder Mode Locate wall studs, screws, nails, metal pipes, and hidden metal objects behind drywall, plaster, and panel walls. Accurate readings using your iPhone's built-in magnetic sensor. Pro Tip: Hold the bottom third of the back near the wall — that's where the sensor is. Pause scans to note field values. Re-zero the sensor anytime for accurate readings. Ideal for hanging shelves, picture frames, cabinets, mirrors, or TVs without guesswork. Magnetometer Mode (EMF Detection) Measure magnetic fields in real time with a live graph. Detect EMF levels, metal objects, and magnetic anomalies. Perfect for students, engineers, hobbyists, STEM labs, and science fairs. Level Finder Mode (New in 2.1) Turn your iPhone into a precision spirit level — no extra hardware needed. Place your phone flat on a surface or hold it upright against a wall edge to measure tilt in real time. Locks with haptic feedback and a gentle audio tone the instant you hit perfect horizontal. Rotate to landscape for a full-screen gauge with a large degree readout. Ideal for hanging shelves, mirrors, TVs, tile work, carpentry, and furniture assembly. Three-in-One Functionality Find studs, detect magnetic fields (EMF), and level surfaces — all from one app. Perfect for home DIY, construction, school labs, STEM experiments, or curiosity-driven exploration. Provides actionable, real-time feedback for home improvement and tech applications. Why Users Love Stud + Metal Scanner Clean interface for scanning walls or visualizing magnetic fields. Real-time feedback ensures you never miss studs, screws, nails, or metal objects. Graph mode provides instant visual confirmation of field changes. Safe and reliable for home improvement, DIY, and tech explorations. Lightweight and fast Perfect for casual users, contractors, and technical professionals. Ideal for detecting hidden studs, metal objects, or performing STEM experiments. Pro Tips Move your iPhone slowly along walls for optimal detection. Re-zero the sensor whenever needed for accurate readings. Combine Stud Finder and Magnetometer modes to validate readings. Bottom third of iPhone back is optimal for scanning. Use Cases & Applications Hang shelves, TVs, picture frames, cabinets, mirrors, or artwork safely. Detect metal studs, screws, nails, wall anchors, and metal pipes. Explore magnetic fields in classrooms, labs, science fairs, or DIY tech projects. Measure EMF levels for STEM projects, experiments, or educational purposes. Identify hidden metal objects, magnetic anomalies, or ferrous materials. Track magnetic field trends visually with the graph for experiments or demonstrations. Perfect for homeowners, contractors, engineers, students, hobbyists, and interior designers and renovation professionals Curious minds exploring EMF or magnetic fields, STEM classrooms, educational labs, or science fairs Why Download Dual functionality: Stud Finder + Magnetometer Visual feedback: Graph shows field changes in real time Reliable: Perfect for home, school, or lab use Sensor guidance: Bottom third of iPhone back is optimal for scanning Versatile: DIY projects, home improvement, STEM experiments, and tech enthusiasts Download Stud + Metal Scanner now to make your next project easier, safer, and more accurate. Detect studs, screws, nails, metal objects, or explore magnetic fields (EMF) - all from your iPhone! Start scanning today and experience the most versatile Stud Finder & Magnetometer utility app on the App Store!
Stud Finder
This utility app uses your iPhone's magnetometer to detect metal fasteners behind drywall, helping you locate stud lines. Simply sweep your phone across the wall to find screws and nails, then mark the spikes to identify the stud's position for mounting.
- Detects metal fasteners behind drywall
- Locates stud lines
- Uses iPhone's magnetometer
- Simple sweep-and-detect method
- No ads or interruptions
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Find studs behind drywall using your iPhone's built-in magnetometer. This app detects metal fasteners (the screws and nails holding your drywall to wood studs) and helps you locate stud lines behind your wall. HOW IT WORKS Your drywall is screwed into wooden studs roughly every 16 inches. This app picks up those screws by reading changes in the magnetic field as you sweep your phone across the wall. Find screws in a vertical line and you've found the stud. HOW TO USE Take your case off. Hold your phone flat against the wall. Sweep slowly left and right. When the signal spikes, there's metal nearby. Mark each spike, look for a vertical line of hits, and that's your stud. Drill a small pilot hole before you mount anything heavy. If the bit hits something solid, you're on the stud. If it punches right through, move an inch and try again. Takes 30 seconds. WHAT THIS APP CANNOT DO It detects metal, not wood. If there are no screws or nails in the wall where you're scanning, it won't find anything. It also won't work well through thick plaster, concrete, or tile. And it's not a replacement for a professional stud finder on structural work. For mounting a TV, hanging shelves, or putting up pictures on normal drywall, it works. No ads. No nag timers. No interruptions. PRIVACY No account. No tracking. No data leaves your phone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Stud Finder at every 3 weeks against Stud + Metal Scanner's every 9 months. Stud + Metal Scanner's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Stud + Metal Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.
Stud + Metal Scanner ships an update every 9 months, Stud Finder every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stud + Metal Scanner | Stud Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PRADEEP CHENDURAN BALASUNDARAM | Monolayer Studio |
Customer experience
Stud + Metal Scanner
Stud Finder
In-app purchases
Stud + Metal Scanner
No in-app purchases
Stud Finder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Stud + Metal Scanner free?
Is Stud Finder free?
Which has better reviews, Stud + Metal Scanner or Stud Finder?
Do Stud + Metal Scanner or Stud Finder have ads?
Which is updated more often, Stud + Metal Scanner or Stud Finder?
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