Bat Synth vs OpenBat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Bat Synth
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Bat Synth is a tool for bat educators and trainers. By attaching a 384kHz USB-C DAC and ultrasonic amplifier / speaker (such as Bat Signal : https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Bat_Synth_2_b06cbf4c.html) to your phone you can create authentic-sounding bat echolocation calls, inaudible to humans, but which can then be revealed using a bat detector, or the Bat Detector iPhone app. In addition to bat calls a test tone generator is included, which can be used as part of bat education by illustrating how certain sounds can only be heard by young people, and other sounds cannot be heard by anyone at all as they are too high-pitched, and can only be revealed by a bat detector. Included bat calls are : Simulated bat passes : Common Pipistrelle featuring echolocation calls, social calls and feeding buzz Soprano Pipistrelle featuring echolocation calls, social calls and feeding buzz Echolocation calls only : Noctule Serotine Barbastelle Brown Long-Eared Bat Bechstein's Bat Daubenton's Bat Greater Horseshoe Bat Lesser Horseshoe Bat The app operates by synthesizing a 5 second fragment of the bat call which is then looped. These fragments are stored as .wav files within the app in Files->On my Phone->Bat Synth so can be retrieved and analysed.
OpenBat
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OpenBat is a free iOS app that turns a compatible ultrasonic USB microphone into a live bat detector. It captures audio at up to 384 kHz, shows a real-time spectrogram, detects individual echolocation pulses, and, where an open-source model exists for your region, suggests species IDs on-device. Currently covers the US and Canada, with UK/Europe in beta. ** Bat detection requires an external ultrasonic microphone. Visit OpenBat.app to learn more. ** Hear bats in real time OpenBat uses two ways to turn ultrasonic bat calls into sound you can actually hear: - Heterodyne: tunes into a band of frequencies and scales it down. Preserves rhythm and loudness, but can sound clicky. - Time expansion: records a call, then plays it back at a fraction of the speed. Preserves the character of the call, but not the rhythm. - Het + TE hybrid: both running at once. Analyse your recordings Record what you hear, then break down the calls in Playback. Extract the parameters used to identify species, save them for later, or post recordings straight to iNaturalist for the community to help confirm an ID. Learn about bats AutoID suggests which species might be around you in real time. The Field Guide covers bats in your area and worldwide, curated by bat experts and kept up to date โ and if you know your local bats, you can contribute too. Share it, or keep it to yourself Play the bats you're hearing through your device's speakers, or plug in headphones and listen alone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Bat Synth at 15.6 against OpenBat's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bat Synth ships an update every 5 days, OpenBat every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bat Synth | OpenBat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 4 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 โ better | 18.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Phil Atkin | Niall Bell |
In-app purchases
Bat Synth
No in-app purchases
OpenBat
No in-app purchases








