Comparison

PhonoPaper vs SoundWave Picture™

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

Head to head
About

PhonoPaper

This app decodes images containing encoded sound, allowing you to play back audio embedded within visual patterns. You can also record your own sounds and convert them into these unique visual codes. It's designed for creative audio messaging and artistic expression.

Highlights
  • Decode images with encoded sound
  • Create sound codes from recordings
  • Offline decoding capability
  • Analogue code for distortion resilience
  • Real-time, hand-controlled playback
  • Draw codes for unique sounds
Features
Read full description

PhonoPaper is a camera app for playing pictures with encoded sound (PhonoPaper-codes). With this app, you can also create your own codes: 10 seconds of sound can be recorded from a microphone and converted into an image. [ Key features ] * PhonoPaper does not require access to the network for decoding; * PhonoPaper code is analogue, so it is not so sensitive to different types of the image distortion (bad camera, dark picture, wrinkled paper, etc.); at least you will hear the "silhouette" of the original sound; * code can be played in real-time with hand-controlled speed and direction; * code can be drawn by hand to get some unusual sounds. [ Examples of usage ] * voice messages (or pieces of music) on t-shirts, billboards, posters, postcards, goods; * audio labels for phonorecords; * audio examples in books; * secret messages; * art-experiments. [ How to use ] Launch the app, point the camera at the code (tap on the screen to focus if necessary) and smoothly scan the picture from left to right. The code should be parallel to the frame - try to keep the camera level. The black code markers (top and bottom) should fall entirely into the frame. If the application recognizes code markers, you will hear a sound. If you are unable to play the code smoothly, press the record button on the right side of the screen, this will enable automatic scanning.

About

SoundWave Picture™

Transform spoken words, songs, or vows into a visual soundwave art piece. Scan the artwork with your phone to play back the original audio. This app is exclusively for customers who have purchased a soundwave print.

Highlights
  • Scan soundwave art with phone camera
  • Play associated sound recordings
  • Transform audio into visual art
  • Order custom soundwave art online
  • Register soundwaves from other sources
Features
Read full description

Our app enables our customers to scan their Soundwave Picture and play the associated sound. This app is for our customers only. If you are not a customer yet, order a sound wave picture on our website first, and then scan it with our app to play it. SoundWave Picture™ allows you to transform any sound—whether it’s your I love you words, wedding vows, your baby’s first words, your favorite song, and anything in between—into a work of art that can be hung up on your wall and played back by scanning the soundwave with our app. HOW IT WORKS? Order a soundwave picture on one of our websites: https://soundwavepic.com/ or https://soundwavepicture.com/ or https://www.etsy.com/shop/soundwavepicture Using our app, point your phone’s camera at your soundwave picture and hold it steady until it recognizes your soundwave. Enjoy! It’s FREE to use our app if you purchased a soundwave print from us. If you purchased from someone else, our app can still work with your print. All you need is to register your soundwave with us first: https://www.soundwavepic.com/activate-my-soundwave/ If you have any questions, please reach out to us at hello@soundwavepic.com. Sound Wave Picture LLC

Screenshots

PhonoPaper1 screens
SoundWave Picture™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PhonoPaper at 4.6 against SoundWave Picture™'s 2.7. PhonoPaper also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 67%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PhonoPaper holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of PhonoPaper's written reviews are positive against 67% of SoundWave Picture™'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PhonoPaper ships an update every 4 months, SoundWave Picture™ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PhonoPaper versus SoundWave Picture™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhonoPaperSoundWave Picture™
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (46 ratings) — better2.7 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews84.3% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings46 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB104 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander ZolotovMehmet Ersoy

Customer experience

PhonoPaper

All ratings45 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral4.4%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive84.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative13.5%

SoundWave Picture™

All ratings18 ratings
Positive38.9%
Neutral5.6%
Negative55.6%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

PhonoPaper

No in-app purchases

None

SoundWave Picture™

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PhonoPaper free?
PhonoPaper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SoundWave Picture™ free?
SoundWave Picture™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PhonoPaper or SoundWave Picture™?
PhonoPaper is rated higher. PhonoPaper averages 4.6 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while SoundWave Picture™ averages 2.7 from 18 ratings.
Do PhonoPaper or SoundWave Picture™ have ads?
Neither PhonoPaper nor SoundWave Picture™ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PhonoPaper or SoundWave Picture™?
PhonoPaper ships an update every 4 months, and SoundWave Picture™ every 2 months. Most recently, PhonoPaper was updated on November 1, 2026 and SoundWave Picture™ on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons