Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds vs Calm

White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 4.8★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Calm
Calm 4.8★ · Free + IAP 80

Calm offers a more comprehensive and well-rounded experience for meditation and sleep, despite its higher price point and occasional user complaints about navigation, while White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds is a solid choice for basic, effective background noise if you can tolerate its aggressive monetization.

Full reviews: White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds · Calm

Calm provides a wide array of guided meditations, sleep stories, and soundscapes, helping users with stress, anxiety, and sleep, though some find its interface busy and pricing high. White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds excels at delivering effective background noise for sleep and focus, but its free version is very limited, and many users express frustration with its subscription model and billing practices.

Head to head

Features & Content Variety edge: CalmR2R4R5R8
White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds offers a good variety of white, brown, and pink noises, as well as nature sounds and instrumental pieces, with users appreciating specific sounds like 'airplane cabin' and 'ocean waves' R2R5R8. Some users enjoy the ability to mix sounds . However, many sounds are locked behind a paywall, and free users have very limited options R4R13.
Calm Calm provides a broad range of content including guided meditations, sleep stories (some with celebrity narrators like Harry Styles and Matthew McConaughey), breathing exercises, and calming music R65R66R69R96. Users particularly value the daily meditations and sleep stories R65. Some users wish for more specific sound effects, like rain on a rooftop , or more variety in EMDR music , and some find the sleep stories repetitive R69.
Ease of Use & Reliability tieR2R3R6R14
White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds Users praise White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds for its effectiveness in helping them sleep and block out noise R2. However, there are significant complaints about the app turning off when other apps are used R3, stopping after 8 hours for free users R6, and a lack of user-friendly features like favoriting sounds R14. Recent reviews also highlight critical bugs, crashes, and distorted sounds after updates, particularly on tvOS and iOS R17.
Calm Calm is generally found helpful for relaxation and sleep, with many users integrating it into their daily routines R65. However, several users find the app's interface busy, confusing, and disorganized, making it hard to find content . There are also reports of the timer for silent meditations not working and the app glitching .
Price & Value tieR1R2R4R7
White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds is a 'Free + IAP' app, but many users are very critical of its pricing model, calling it 'expensive,' 'ridiculous,' and a 'rip off' R1R7R13. The free version is seen as very limited, forcing users to pay for basic functionality like continuous play or more sounds R4R13R33. Some users who previously paid a one-time fee are upset about being forced into a subscription . The monthly price of $3 is considered reasonable by some R2.
Calm Calm is also a 'Free + IAP' app, but many users find it expensive, with almost everything locked behind a paywall R61. Users frequently mention high charges, including $80 for a subscription R61. While some acknowledge its value and are willing to pay , others feel the concept of charging for 'calm' is 'lame' . Some users appreciate the free content available .
Customer Support & Billing tieR11R31R35R61
White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds has significant complaints regarding billing issues, with users being charged even after canceling free trials R11, or unauthorized charges appearing on their accounts R31R35. There's no mention of customer support interactions to resolve these issues, only users contacting Apple R11.
Calm Calm users report major issues with subscription renewals, unauthorized charges, and extreme difficulty in contacting customer service or canceling subscriptions R61. The reliance on AI for support is a point of frustration for users trying to resolve payment issues . However, one user did have a positive experience with customer service, receiving help with a trial code .
Pick White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds if

you primarily need simple, effective background noise to aid sleep or focus, and are willing to pay a monthly subscription for continuous play and sound variety, or if you find its $3/month price point reasonable R2.

Pick Calm if

you are looking for a comprehensive app that offers guided meditations, sleep stories, and a broader approach to mindfulness and relaxation, and are willing to invest in a premium subscription for a richer experience R65.

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews related to their monetization strategies and billing practices, which skews recent sentiment. Calm has a much larger user base and review count, leading to more diverse feedback, but also more instances of specific issues. White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds' evidence for customer support is very thin, mostly focusing on billing complaints without resolution.

Frequently asked

Is White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds truly free?
No, while White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds offers a free version, many users report that it is very limited, with only 5-6 basic sounds and an 8-hour play limit, effectively forcing users to pay for continuous use and more content R4R6R13R33.
What kind of content does Calm offer?
Calm offers a wide range of content including guided meditations, sleep stories (some narrated by celebrities), breathing exercises, calming music, and daily mindfulness practices, aimed at helping users with sleep, stress, and overall well-being R65R66R69R96.
Are there billing issues with either app?
Yes, both apps have significant complaints regarding billing; White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds users report being charged after canceling free trials or experiencing unauthorized charges R11R31R35, while Calm users frequently report unauthorized subscription renewals, difficulty canceling, and issues with promotions R61.
Which app is better for babies' sleep?
White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds is specifically mentioned by users for helping babies sleep, though some find the 8-hour limit on the free version problematic as it can wake the baby when it stops R3R6R17R28. Calm is generally focused on adult meditation and sleep, though one user mentions it helps calm their hyper child before bed .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 5/5 · US Brown noise: For years, I’ve used a white noise maker - even packing it in my suitcase for travel. I decided that I wanted something more portable and added this app. It recommended brown noise based on my goals. It really did seem to make a difference. I was able to increase the volume as well. The price point of about $3 per month was also more reasonable than other apps. It has a nice range of
  2. [R4] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 2/5 · US Very few sounds: There are only 5-6 mediocre sounds available to free users. Lots more sounds available if you pay. But the App is more money than it’s worth.
  3. [R5] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 5/5 · US 8000 hours: Ocean Waves is good
  4. [R8] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 5/5 · US Love the green noise and theta waves: This app is the best whether you’re on a noisy train or trying to get some Deep Sleep. It has sounds for every occasion.
  5. [R3] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 3/5 · US Couple of issues: Use app to help put my 2 month old to bed. You're unable to use certain apps while playing sounds like Facebook or random gaming apps without it turning itself off and playing music from the apps even if you turn the sound off on the app itself. So it's hard to keep yourself awake while you're trying to put someone else to sleep.
  6. [R6] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 3/5 · GB Doesn’t last long enough: 8 hours isn’t long enough for a sleeping baby. When the 8 hours is up & it stops she wakes up! 👎🏼
  7. [R14] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 4/5 · US Great but....: Tons of sounds, most are pretty good actually but about half are pointless. Unless you really want the sound of a microwave to help you sleep. They give you you a ridiculous amount of sounds and no way to favorite them?? So I have to dig through every time and remember that one version of a fan noise I liked? You have the sounds now just make this user friendly.
  8. [R1] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 1/5 · US 7 Day Trail: Pay to use this very basic white app. It complicates and monetizes what should be a straightforward service.
  9. [R7] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 1/5 · US Expensive: Why force people to download your app only to find out there is a charge?
  10. [R11] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 1/5 · US Charged me even though I cancelled within 7 days. Not cool.: I subscribed to a 7 day free trial and cancelled before the 7 days were up. It seemed like a great ap the few times I used it, but the company charged my credit card 39.99 even though I cancelled within the 7 day free trial time period. I am disappointed in this, have contacted apple and hope the owners of better sleep make this right.
  11. [R31] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 1/5 · GB Scammers: Took 64 pound out of my account even though I never signed up for one year package
  12. [R35] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 1/5 · GB A very angry mom: I downloaded this app out of curiosity and deleted it straight away as I was really bothered with the sounds. A fortnight later I was charged almost £40. Which is fair enough, as I didn’t read the small print. I have been using this app for quite a few months. And it had happen on several occasions when during the night the sound had cut off. But tonight it has gone again!!!!!!
  13. [R61] Calm 1/5 · US Promo said free for 7 days, charged me immediately: The app charged me $80 when it said I was signing up for a free trial. Despicable.
  14. [R13] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 2/5 · GB Good app BUT….: As the title says, it’s a good app and does what is supposed to but the price is extremely ridiculous and extremely greedy! I don’t get the justification to charge such a high price?! There’s no way I’d be upgrading to premium and the free version just isn’t worth bothering with so will probably be deleted - shame as otherwise it’s a good app.
  15. [R33] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 1/5 · GB Why?: I’ve been using the free version of this app for many months. The settings have now changed so that the sounds will not continuously play, unless I subscribe. As I can no longer effectively use it I will now have to delete. Very disappointing.
  16. [R65] Calm 5/5 · US Calm has changed me and my life: I’ve been using Calm for about 2 years, and the first time i used it was listening to a sleep story. I was going thru a roughy time in my life, and putting my ear buds in at night to try and get better sleep was very relieving. The sleep stories took it up another few notches! The meditation, the breathing, the reflecting have all helped me discover things about my
  17. [R66] Calm 3/5 · US Calm: Very good. I love the calming piano music, it helps me relax after homework,deering stress. Thank you Calm!🫠🤗
  18. [R69] Calm 3/5 · US Sleep: Wow, I like a few of the sleep stories, most of them are annoying. They do not relax you at all. Harry Styles has a good one because it’s joined with some background music and it’s very relaxing.. It it would be nice to have more his sleep story. Matthew McConaughey is pretty good too. The rest of them are just either bad or mediocre. Please offer more of a selection.!
  19. [R96] Calm 5/5 · US Get now: This app is amazing it has really helped me to sleep better and they have so many voices to listen to they even have harry styles this is the best
  20. [R17] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 2/5 · GB Sound distorted?: Had found this really useful for helping my baby sleep but following the most recent iOS update all the sounds are distorted?
  21. [R28] White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds 4/5 · US Great white nose app: Great white nose app for helping babies sleep, but it does not need to be a subscription! I would happily pay a reasonable one-time price, but ongoing payment is ridiculous. I don’t use any of the premium features anyway and don’t need new sounds, just the basics.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store