Comparison

Bat Synth vs OpenBat

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

Head to head
About

Bat Synth

Features
Read full description

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.

About

OpenBat

Features
Read full description

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

Bat Synth2 screens
OpenBat4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Bat Synth versus OpenBat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBat SynthOpenBat
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size1 MB52 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPhil AtkinNiall Bell

In-app purchases

None

Bat Synth

No in-app purchases

None

OpenBat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bat Synth free?
Bat Synth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OpenBat free?
OpenBat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bat Synth or OpenBat have ads?
Neither Bat Synth nor OpenBat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bat Synth or OpenBat?
Bat Synth ships an update every 5 days, and OpenBat every 4 days. Most recently, Bat Synth was updated on September 21, 2026 and OpenBat on October 1, 2026.

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