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

White Noise vs Calm

White Noise 4.8★ · $0.99 75
Winner Tie
Calm 4.8★ · Free + IAP 70

For dedicated white noise and ambient sounds, White Noise offers a reliable, one-time purchase, while Calm provides a broader range of guided meditations and sleep stories via subscription.

Full reviews: White Noise · Calm

White Noise is a simple, dependable app for ambient sounds, favored for its sound variety and one-time purchase. Calm offers a comprehensive suite of meditation, sleep stories, and soundscapes, but operates on a subscription model with some users frustrated by limited free content and recent app issues.

Head to head

Features & Content Variety edge: CalmR5R11R13R15
White Noise White Noise users appreciate its wide selection of ambient sounds, including unique options like 'airplane' and 'dishwasher', and the ability to mix sounds and download custom ones from a market R5R11R13R15. The app is praised for its simple focus on white noise and similar sounds R2R13.
Calm Calm offers a broader range of content, including guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises, and music for focus, which users find very helpful for anxiety, depression, and ADHD . However, some users feel the selection of sleep stories and meditations isn't updated frequently enough .
Ease of Use tieR2R4R6R7
White Noise White Noise is generally considered easy to use and dependable R2. However, recent updates have introduced issues with volume control, making it difficult to set appropriate levels R4R6R7R8. Some users also report problems with AirPods controls and the app taking over the lock screen .
Calm Calm users generally find the app helpful for its intended purpose . However, recent updates have led to complaints about a confusing layout and difficulty finding content .
Reliability & Performance edge: White NoiseR1R2R3R9
White Noise White Noise has a long history of being dependable and playing through the night without issues R2R9R13R29. However, recent updates have introduced significant reliability problems, including sound cutting out, sputtering, crashing, and stopping unexpectedly R1R3.
Calm Calm users report significant issues with the app's stability and reliability, including the app crashing, kicking users off, freezing, and downloads not being accessible offline . Some users also note that the timer function does not work as advertised .
Price & Value edge: White NoiseR16R40R49R50
White Noise White Noise is a paid app at $0.99, which many users consider a worthwhile one-time purchase for its effectiveness and long-term use R40R49R50. Some users, however, report seeing ads even in the paid version R16.
Calm Calm is a freemium app with a free tier and in-app purchases (IAP), but many users feel that most useful content is locked behind a subscription R61R75. While some find the annual subscription worth it for the extensive content and benefits , others are frustrated by the constant pressure to pay and the limited free options R61.
Customer Support tieR3R4R6R8
White Noise Reviews for White Noise do not specifically mention customer support experiences, though some users express frustration about recent bugs not being fixed R3R4R6R8. One user noted an inability to report a problem through the app .
Calm Calm users report poor customer service experiences, including long response times, difficulty resolving subscription issues, and problems with password resets .
Pick White Noise if

You primarily need a simple, reliable app for ambient background sounds like white noise, brown noise, or nature sounds, and prefer a one-time purchase over a subscription R2R13R29R40.

Pick Calm if

You are looking for a comprehensive meditation and sleep aid with guided meditations, sleep stories, and a wider range of content for anxiety, depression, or ADHD, and are willing to pay for an annual subscription .

Evidence note: Recent negative reviews for White Noise heavily focus on bugs and volume issues, which contrast with its historically high lifetime rating. Calm's negative reviews often center on the subscription model and app stability, despite its overall positive lifetime rating.

Frequently asked

What is the main difference in cost between White Noise and Calm?
White Noise is a one-time purchase of $0.99, while Calm is a freemium app that requires a subscription for most of its content, with users often needing to pay for an annual subscription R40R50R61R75.
Which app is better for just background noise?
White Noise is generally considered better for just background noise, offering a wide variety of ambient sounds and the ability to mix them, with many users relying on it nightly for sleep and concentration R5R13R15R29.
Do either of these apps have issues with recent updates?
Both apps have faced issues with recent updates; White Noise users report problems with sound cutting out, volume control, and AirPods connectivity R1R3R4R6, while Calm users have experienced app crashes, freezing, and a confusing new layout .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 110 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. [R5] White Noise 5/5 · US Solid Sleep Ambient App: Good selections…Perfect aid when needing some shut eye.
  2. [R11] White Noise 5/5 · US Airplane and me - many years: I must admit I am addicted to AIRPLANE. It helps me to concentrate when reading and in a way centers me.
  3. [R13] White Noise 5/5 · US Simple and satisfying: I have been using this app for about a decade, and find it great for sleeping and for concentrating. The sounds are varied and internally complex enough that my brain isn’t picking out patterns or repetition. Highly recommended for a wide range of background sound needs.
  4. [R15] White Noise 5/5 · US Been using this for years: Great app. Love the variety of sounds and the timer. I’m a fan of the plane noise and the air conditioning.
  5. [R2] White Noise 5/5 · US Dependable & Easy To Use: Dependable Always Available! And Always Easy To Use !!
  6. [R4] White Noise 2/5 · US Volume broken: Latest update completely messed up the volume levels. Put it back!
  7. [R6] White Noise 2/5 · US Volume reduced: You ruined the app in the most recent update. The overall volume is half of what it used to be.
  8. [R7] White Noise 4/5 · US Bad change: Making users recalibrate sound levels is really inconsiderate. Plus, forcing users to turn up the volume can lead to overheating, reduced battery life and other headaches. Please “Ctrl-Z” that change ASAP.
  9. [R1] White Noise 2/5 · US Noise ‘glitches out’ every 30 seconds: Seems like it’s a .wav file restarting? Very 90s. Note: this is on brown noise, also seeing others with this issue.
  10. [R3] White Noise 3/5 · US Bug in update causes cutting out: Has worked flawlessly for years and been my go-to solution for white noise, but the most recent update on ios26 causes the sound to cut out and sputter, especially when connected to my Sonos system. This was not a problem before, but as soon as I updated, it became an issue. I've tried uninstalling, updating everything, disconnecting and connecting....still no sol
  11. [R9] White Noise 5/5 · US Best app for sleeping!: I’ve been using this for years! I love this app!!
  12. [R16] White Noise 2/5 · US Shows ads in paid version: No way to turn them off 😥
  13. [R40] White Noise 5/5 · US One of the best apps out there: I’ve had this for years and it’s honestly one of the best apps out there. Worth every penny. The ability to record a cozy or relaxing sound whenever you encounter one is just great, and the fact that the UI and features have stayed exactly the same for years is a HUGE plus for me, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I also like how you can get other people’s sounds a
  14. [R49] White Noise 5/5 · US Great app: I have been using this app for years to help me sleep better and for meditation/quiet time. I first used the free lite version and then purchased the full version. I love being able to combine sounds and there is an extensive library from which to choose from. I have even contributed a couple of sounds. My go-to sound is a mix of ocean and windy beach grass. I keep the app on both my ph
  15. [R50] White Noise 5/5 · US My new go-to sleep app: I was using a different app for years when they jacked up the price. The free version of this app is so good I paid for the upgrade just to support the project. I only recently found the mix feature, which was what I was really missing from before. That makes it pretty close to perfect in my book!
  16. [R8] White Noise 1/5 · US Undo the last change to the volume: I used to have this play on the same Bluetooth speaker from my iPhone at 50% volume. After the update 2 days ago my iPhone now has to be at about 99% to hear it and it just suddenly jumped to blaring loud. Like the volume control is now broken. Please fix it.
  17. [R61] Calm 1/5 · GB Unnecessary payments: You have to pay for everything which I cannot afford just to fall asleep
  18. [R75] Calm 2/5 · GB Requested a refund: I got this app thinking it would be good for mindfulness and meditation but the app is full of random bloat. I paid for an annual subscription as is needed but for all that money u just get a bunch of stop watches plus jungle sounds??? Just use YouTube what a waste of money
  19. [R29] White Noise 5/5 · US Good selection and reliable: This app has a good selection of sounds and is reliable to use. They do not pressure with ads, but have better things if you want to purchase them. It will play through the night consistently with no problems - which for some reason - I find to be a problem with other apps. I’ve used this one for 3+ years now. Highly recommend.

Synthesized from 110 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store