Dark Noise vs Portal
We give Dark Noise and Portal the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Dark Noise
Ambient noise app for iPhone, iPad and Mac with custom mixes
Portal
Nature scenes with spatial audio for focus, sleep and calm
How we grade them
| 3.4GPADark NoiseVery good | 3.4GPAPortalVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year, which is cheap for this category, and the app is universal, so that covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. If you hate subscriptions, Lifetime is $49.99 once. | APremium is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year on the US App Store, which is the cheap end for focus apps, and it can be shared with up to five relatives. That opens more than 100 portals. Lifetime is $99.99 when it's on offer. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree gets you 8 sounds on a loop, the fade-out timer, and Siri and Shortcuts. Fine if one or two sounds are all you need. The rest of the library and custom mixes are Pro. | BOpen Access gives you 3 portals, swapped monthly, with no ads or time limits, plus the timers and breathing exercises. But that's 3 out of more than 100, and they may play at lower quality. The 7-day Premium trial needs no payment details. |
| Features | AMore than 50 sounds, your own mixes with a slider for each sound, and a timer that fades out as slowly as you like. Widgets, Siri and Shortcuts start a sound without opening the app, and it all plays offline. | ANature scenes filmed in up to 12K with spatial audio, a Pomodoro timer, a sleep timer, breathing exercises and a sunrise alarm. Hue and Nanoleaf lights can follow the scene, and the sound plays under your own music or podcasts. Portals can be kept for offline use too. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 3,700 App Store ratings. Tap a sound and it plays, and with the widgets you often don't open the app at all. | A4.8 from about 10,200 App Store ratings. It does need recent software, though: iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 or macOS 15.4 or later. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision, with Siri, Shortcuts and AirPlay. But no Android, Windows or web version is listed, and it needs iOS 26 or macOS 26 or later. | CiPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro, with Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, HomeKit, Shortcuts and Siri. All Apple, though. No Android, Windows or web version is listed. |
| Best for | white noise on an iPhone, iPad or Mac | nature scenes and sound behind your work |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Dark Noise and Portal. How we grade
Where they differ
- Dark Noise starts at $2.99 / month, or $19.99 / year (US App Store). Portal starts at $2.99 / month, or $29.99 / year (US App Store).
- Portal also covers Pomodoro timer.
At a glance
| Dark Noise | Portal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.99 / month, or $19.99 / year (US App Store) | $2.99 / month, or $29.99 / year (US App Store) |
| Free plan | Free to download. The vendor's 3.0 release post lists 8 free sounds with infinite looping, the timer, and Siri and Shortcuts support; the 50+ sound library, custom mixes and premium themes need Pro. | Portal Open Access: 3 portals free, refreshed monthly, with no ads or time limits, plus the timers, breathing exercises and audio mixing. Free portals may play at lower quality than Premium ones. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on the yearly Dark Noise Pro plan, as stated in the vendor's 3.5 release post | 7-day free Premium trial. The App Store listing says no payment details are needed and it does not auto-subscribe. |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Dark Noise LLC | Portal Labs Ltd |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Dark Noise
- Falling asleep or masking noise with a simple sound app
- Apple users who start sounds from widgets, Siri or Shortcuts
- People who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
Portal
- People who focus or sleep better with nature sounds than music
- Mac users who want a moving nature scene as their desktop
- Homes with Philips Hue or Nanoleaf lights
- Families: Premium can be shared with up to five relatives
Worth knowing
Dark Noise
- Apple platforms only: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision. No Android, Windows or web version is listed.
- The free tier has 8 sounds; the rest of the library, custom mixes, alternate icons and premium themes need Dark Noise Pro.
- The App Store listing requires iOS 26, iPadOS 26 or macOS 26 or later.
- Custom mixes cannot be shared natively; the help center suggests sending a screenshot for others to copy.
Portal
- Apple devices only: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. No Android, Windows or web version is listed.
- Open Access covers 3 portals at a time; the rest of the library and smart lighting support need a Premium membership.
- The App Store listing requires iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 or macOS 15.4 or later, and some v4 features need iOS 26.
- On the Mac, HomeKit lights are not supported and visuals cannot span more than one screen.
Key features
Dark Noise
- Sound library
- More than 50 ambient sounds, each with an animated icon, including stereo remasters of Rain, Thunderstorm, Beach and Airplane Interior and a Green Noise sound. Eight sounds are free.
- Custom mixes
- Dark Noise Pro lets you combine sounds into a named mix, with a volume slider for each sound and a custom icon. Mixes cannot yet be shared with other people from inside the app.
- Magic Mix
- Describe a soundscape, such as a stormy beach, and Apple Intelligence builds a custom mix from the prompt. It arrived on iOS in version 3.5 and on the Mac in 3.6.
- Fade-out timer
- A timer fades the sound out at a set time of day or after a set duration, and a Long Fade option stretches the fade over a period you choose.
- Widgets, Siri and Shortcuts
- Interactive Home Screen, Lock Screen and Control Center widgets start and stop sounds without opening the app, and Siri or a Shortcut can play a sound by name.
- Offline playback and AirPlay
- Every sound is stored on the device and plays without an internet connection. AirPlay is supported, and Siri Shortcuts can start a sound on a HomePod.
Portal
- Motion visuals
- Window-like views of nature filmed with digital cinema cameras in up to 12K resolution. On the Mac they play full screen or as a moving desktop background.
- Spatial audio
- Nature recordings in spatial audio, up to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos. Head-tracked playback needs AirPods (3rd generation or later), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max or Beats Fit Pro.
- Timers, breathing and wake-up alarm
- A Pomodoro timer, a sleep timer, meditation timers and breathing exercises are built in, along with a virtual sunrise wake-up alarm.
- Smart lighting
- Philips Hue lights on a Hue Bridge and Nanoleaf panels can follow the light and hue of each scene. HomeKit lights are supported on iPhone and iPad but not on the Mac.
- Circadian Flow
- Syncs Portal with the local time of day and plays portals that follow the changing light outside from sunrise to sunset. Whole collections can also play in sequence.
- Audio mixing and offline use
- Portal's sound can play under your own music, podcasts, audiobooks or guided meditations. Portals can be made available offline, and Siri, Shortcuts and widgets give quick access.
Plans
Dark Noise
Free$0
Eight sounds with infinite looping, the fade-out timer, and Siri and Shortcuts integration.
Dark Noise Pro (monthly)$2.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Unlocks more than 50 sounds, custom mixes, alternate app icons and premium themes. The app is universal across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Dark Noise Pro (yearly)$19.99
per year, after a 7-day free trial
The same Pro features billed yearly. The App Store shows amounts without periods; the billing basis is from the vendor's release posts.
Dark Noise Pro Lifetime$49.99
one-time purchase
Pro unlocked with a single payment in place of a subscription.
Portal
Open Access$0
Three portals, changed monthly, with no ads or time limits, plus the timers, breathing exercises and audio mixing.
Monthly Membership$2.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Portal Premium billed monthly: the full library of more than 100 portals on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro, with smart lighting.
Annual Membership$29.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same Premium access, billed as one payment for the full year.
Portal Membership (Lifetime)$99.99
one-time purchase
Premium access for a single up-front payment. Portal's FAQ says Lifetime memberships may be available from time to time.
Ways to pay less
Dark Noise
- Annual discount
Yearly Pro costs about 44% less than monthly
The vendor prices Dark Noise Pro at $19.99 a year against $2.99 a month, which comes to $35.88 over twelve months.
- Lifetime license
Dark Noise Pro Lifetime for a one-time payment
The US App Store lists a Dark Noise Pro Lifetime in-app purchase at $49.99, which the vendor describes as a one-time purchase.
Portal
- Annual discount
Annual Membership costs about 16% less than monthly
The US App Store lists the Annual Membership at $29.99 against the Monthly Membership at $2.99, which comes to $35.88 over twelve months.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Membership for a one-time payment
A Portal Membership (Lifetime) in-app purchase is listed at $99.99 on the US App Store, charged as a single up-front payment.
