# Sound Meter dB vs SpecWave

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SpecWave at none against Sound Meter dB's 1. SpecWave also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months). Sound Meter dB's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sound Meter dB sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SpecWave asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sound Meter dB ships an update every 4 months, SpecWave every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sound Meter dB | SpecWave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter-db/id6759272884/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 56 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nelson Lai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477911199) | [晓玮 郭](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896738896) |

## What reviewers say

### Sound Meter dB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter-db/id6759272884)

Transform your phone into a decibel meter and noise detector. It provides live dB readings, tracks noise history, offers safe exposure guidance, and includes a hearing test and frequency analyzer. Features like night mode and daily noise dose tracking help you understand your sound environment.

**Highlights:** Live decibel (dB) readings, Noise history graph, Safe exposure guidance, Night mode noise logging, Hearing test, Frequency analyzer (PRO), PDF reports and noise diary (PRO)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sound Meter dB Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


### SpecWave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/specwave/id6808551669)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sound Meter dB free?

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

### Is SpecWave free?

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

### Do Sound Meter dB or SpecWave have ads?

Sound Meter dB shows ads; SpecWave does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sound Meter dB or SpecWave?

Sound Meter dB ships an update every 4 months, and SpecWave every 6 days. Most recently, Sound Meter dB was updated on October 29, 2026 and SpecWave on October 21, 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.*