Dark Noise vs Rainy Mood (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Dark Noise and Rainy Mood share a 3.0 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about ease of use, where Dark Noise grades higher, or platforms, where Rainy Mood does.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
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
Rainy Mood
Rain sounds for studying, sleeping and relaxing
Which one is for you
Pick Dark Noise if
- Fits if you fall asleep to rain and want it to fade out by itself
- Works for people who start things from widgets, Siri or a Shortcut
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have an Android phone or a Windows PC, as it's Apple only
- Tight if you're staying free and want to build mixes, since those are Pro
- Not for you if your iPhone or Mac can't run iOS 26 or macOS 26
- Watch out: mixes can't be shared, and the help center suggests sending a screenshot instead
- Watch out: the 7-day free trial is on the yearly plan only
Pick Rainy Mood if
- Fits if you want one rain sound and no sign-up
- Makes sense if you want to pay $4.99 once and not subscribe
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android, Mac or Windows apps, as only the web page and an iOS app exist
- Too light for focus work beyond sound: no timer or tasks outside a sleep timer
- Watch out: the iOS app needs a recent iOS version, listed as iOS 26.1 or later
- Watch out: the free web version plays one rain recording; the scenes and mixer cost $4.99
How we grade them
| 3.0GPADark NoiseVery good | 3.0GPARainy MoodVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $19.99 a year, about $1.67 a month, where the cheapest quarter of focus tools starts at $2.99, and one purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. Monthly is $2.99, and Lifetime is $49.99 once if you'd rather never see a renewal. | A$4.99 once for the iOS app, with no subscription, which is under a year of the $3.99 monthly middle for focus apps. The web version costs nothing. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree gets 8 sounds looping for ever, the fade-out timer and the Siri and Shortcuts support, which is enough to live on if rain is all you want. The rest of the 50-odd library, custom mixes and the themes are Pro. | BThe web player is free for good with no account, and one person could live on it. The scenes, mixer and sleep timer sit in the paid app. |
| Features | CIt does its one thing completely: 50-plus sounds, mixes with a slider per sound, Magic Mix building one from a description, a fade-out timer, widgets, Siri and offline playback. Playing noise is a small job next to the rest of this category, and mixes can't be shared with anyone. | CIt plays rain and does that fully: four scenes in the app, a mixer, a sleep timer and a randomiser so the loop is hard to spot. It is the narrowest kind of focus tool, with no timer or tasks. |
| Ease of use | A4.79 from about 3,700 App Store ratings, the top band here. Tap a sound and it plays, and the widgets mean you often never open the app at all. | BNo store rating on record. Open the page and the rain starts. |
| Platforms and integrations | COne family of devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision, tied in with Siri, Shortcuts and AirPlay. No Android, Windows or web version, and it wants iOS 26 or macOS 26 or later, so an older Apple device is out too. | BWeb plus iPhone and iPad, so it spans a computer and a phone. No Android app and no integrations. |
| Best for | white noise on an iPhone, iPad or Mac | a free rain sound in a browser tab |
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 Rainy Mood. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| Dark Noise | Rainy Mood | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.99 / month, or $19.99 / year (US App Store) | $4.99 one-time, iOS app |
| 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. | The web version at rainymood.com is free to use. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on the yearly Dark Noise Pro plan, as stated in the vendor's 3.5 release post | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Dark Noise LLC | Plain Theory |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Rainy Mood
- No Android, Mac or Windows app is listed; the App Store entry says it is designed for iPad and not verified for macOS.
- It plays rain only, with no timer or task features beyond a sleep timer in the iOS app.
- The iOS app needs a recent iOS version (the listing says iOS 26.1 or later).
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.
Rainy Mood
- Free web player
- Open the site and rain starts playing in the browser, with no account.
- Four rain scenes in the app
- The iOS app has Classic, Ocean, Countryside and Cafe scenes that can each be adjusted.
- Sound mixer and sleep timer
- The app lists a sound mixer and a sleep timer, and it can play alongside your music apps.
- Large sample library
- The App Store listing cites 400+ thunder claps, cricket chirps, ocean waves and effects, with a randomizer so the sound does not loop obviously.
- Mixes with YouTube videos
- The site lists mixes of songs over rain, and says swapping youtube.com for rainymood.com in a video link makes your own mix.
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.
Rainy Mood
Web$0
Free rain sounds in the browser.
iOS app$4.99
one-time, no subscription
Four customizable rain scenes (Classic, Ocean, Countryside, Cafe), sound mixer, sleep timer and free lifetime updates.
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.
Rainy Mood
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dark Noise or Rainy Mood?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Dark Noise starts at $2.99 / month, or $19.99 / year (US App Store), and Rainy Mood starts at $4.99 one-time, iOS app.
Which has a free plan, Dark Noise or Rainy Mood?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Dark Noise and Rainy Mood have a free plan.
Which platforms do Dark Noise and Rainy Mood run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Dark Noise lists a macOS app and only Rainy Mood lists a web app. Both list an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.