# dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer vs Sound Meter

The clearest difference is price: Sound Meter at Free against dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer's $29.99. Sound Meter also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months). dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (866 vs 36). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Sound Meter is free to download; dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer costs $29.99 up front. dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sound Meter asks for nothing beyond the download.

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer has 866 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 66% and 66% positive.

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer ships an update every 4 months, Sound Meter every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer | Sound Meter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $29.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (866 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db-meter-and-spectrum-analyzer/id733773616/reviews)** | [3.9 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter-simple-detector/id1452030239/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **866** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | **66.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 88 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.3** | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vlad Polyanskiy](https://appshunter.io/developer/438646985) | [GWI JU JO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1332013466) |

## What reviewers say

### dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db-meter-and-spectrum-analyzer/id733773616)

Measure ambient noise levels with professional-quality accuracy. This app offers a spectrum analyzer, hearing test, and the ability to save and share measurements with location data. It's a powerful, cost-effective tool for personal sound monitoring.

**Highlights:** Professional-quality sound level measurement, Integrated spectrum analyzer, Noise dosimeter (NIOSH/OSHA), Photo & video with noise overlay, Hearing test, Save and export measurements (CSV/Audio), Health App integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spectrum Analyzer Pro | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent
- 👍 Simple, precise and excellent
- 👍 Great app!!!!
- 👍 Well around app for monitoring noise
- 👍 Nice proof

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crash with iOS 26
- 🐛 Paid for and it stopped working
- 🐛 App failed to open on iPad Pro 11
- 🐛 Will not run
- 🐛 Ok for DB but not for actually recording sound

**Reported bugs**

- Crash with iOS 26
- App failed to open on iPad Pro 11
- Will not run
- Video is recorded without sound
- Failing to restore purchase

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Ability to export recorded audio clips
- Frequency display on RTA bar


### Sound Meter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-meter-simple-detector/id1452030239)

Measure ambient sound levels with this straightforward application. It displays decibel readings, offers calibration options, and provides historical data with graphical representations. Easily understand noise levels and their potential impact.

**Highlights:** Display decibels, Calibration, Graph view, History log, Noise level reference

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer free?

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer costs $29.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Sound Meter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer or Sound Meter?

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer is rated higher. dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 866 ratings, while Sound Meter averages 3.9 from 36 ratings.

### Do dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer or Sound Meter have ads?

Neither dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer nor Sound Meter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer or Sound Meter?

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer ships an update every 4 months, and Sound Meter every 2 days. Most recently, dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer was updated on October 29, 2026 and Sound Meter on October 29, 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.*