Comparison

Magnetometer+ Metal Detector vs NSD Detector

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Magnetometer+ Metal Detector

Transform your device into a magnetic field detector. It measures magnetic field strength in real-time with a 3-axis display and provides visual alerts for metal and magnet detection. Explore the invisible magnetic world around you with a sleek, intuitive interface.

Highlights
  • Real-time magnetic field measurement
  • 3-axis directional analysis
  • Metal and magnet detection alerts
  • Radar-style magnetic scanner
  • N/S/E/W compass markings
  • Adjustable sensitivity
Features
Read full description

Magnetometer+ turns your iPhone's magnetic sensor into a metal detector and stud finder for iron and steel hidden in walls, floors and furniture, and shows the magnetic field around you in µT. ▶ WHAT IT FINDS — AND WHAT IT DOES NOT It detects ferrous metal: screws and nails in studs and joists, steel pipes, rebar, hinges, brackets and door strikes. The range is a few centimetres, so hold the phone against the surface and sweep slowly. It cannot detect gold, silver, copper, aluminium, wood or plastic. Those materials are not magnetic, and no phone sensor can find them. If you are looking for buried coins or copper wiring, this is not the tool. ▶ CALIBRATES FROM YOUR HAND Every phone's magnetic sensor carries a large built-in offset from its own speaker and battery magnets. Magnetometer+ learns that offset while you turn the phone, so tilting the phone does not look like metal. When the meter opens, a progress bar shows how far calibration has come: turn the phone slowly in every direction, and when the bar is full the reading goes live with a short vibration. Zero here re-learns it wherever you are. ▶ THREE METER MODES • Auto — a radial gauge of the field deviation • Earth Field — total field strength with a latitude band (low, normal, elevated, high) • Metal Detector — deviation from the background field with an intensity verdict, plus optional vibration pulses that quicken as you get closer ▶ SCANNER AND STUD FINDER The Scanner tab has a metal scanner for sweeping a surface and a Stud Finder that marks the strongest point as you slide the phone flat across a wall. It finds the nails and screws that hold drywall to the studs; it does not see the wood itself. ▶ COMPASS A compass with magnetic north or true north and the local declination. ▶ LIVE DATA • X, Y and Z field components on a live chart • Min, average, max and peak with elapsed time • Sensitivity from 0.5x to 2.0x • µT, mT and Gauss units ▶ HISTORY AND EXPORT • Readings are saved with a 7-day trend and a plain-language comparison • Favourites and side-by-side comparison of two readings • Continuous one-second logging with CSV export • Share a reading as an image, optional GPS tag on saved readings • Statistics report, unlocked for 24 hours by watching a short ad USEFUL FOR DIY AND RENOVATION · FINDING STUDS AND JOISTS · CHECKING FOR REBAR OR PIPES BEFORE DRILLING · PHYSICS CLASS AND MAGNET EXPERIMENTS

About

NSD Detector

Features
Read full description

NSD Detector is a professional underground analysis app designed to work with your dedicated gradiometer device. It receives real-time magnetic field data from your device, processes and visualises it, and helps you make faster and safer decisions in the field. Underground metal and cavity analysis: Helps detect valuable metals, cavities and anomalies. Pinpoint mode: A precise targeting screen that helps you determine the exact location of a target. Live scanning: View real-time data from your device on charts and 3D visuals. Recording and review: Save your measurements and reopen them later for analysis. Easy connection: Secure and stable Bluetooth connection to the NSD Moment device. NSD Detector does not work as a standalone app; it is designed to be used only with a compatible NSD Moment gradiometer device.

Screenshots

Magnetometer+ Metal Detector3 screens
NSD Detector4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: NSD Detector at none against Magnetometer+ Metal Detector's shown. NSD Detector also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Magnetometer+ Metal Detector's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magnetometer+ Metal Detector ships an update every 5 days, NSD Detector every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Magnetometer+ Metal Detector versus NSD Detector: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagnetometer+ Metal DetectorNSD Detector
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB34 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperKyu-Hee JangNEURO SCAN DETECTOR LTD

In-app purchases

None

Magnetometer+ Metal Detector

No in-app purchases

None

NSD Detector

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Magnetometer+ Metal Detector free?
Magnetometer+ Metal Detector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NSD Detector free?
NSD Detector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Magnetometer+ Metal Detector or NSD Detector have ads?
Magnetometer+ Metal Detector shows ads; NSD Detector does not.
Which is updated more often, Magnetometer+ Metal Detector or NSD Detector?
Magnetometer+ Metal Detector ships an update every 5 days, and NSD Detector every 2 months. Most recently, Magnetometer+ Metal Detector was updated on October 24, 2026 and NSD Detector on October 25, 2026.

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