10 Best Free White Noise & Sleep Sounds Apps for iPhone
Updated October 29, 2026 · written by AppHunt
Each of these apps can keep a steady sound going all night. What sets them apart is how much plays before you pay, whether ads, a time limit or a noticeable loop gets in the way, and whether you can blend rain, a fan and brown noise into a mix of your own. Here is what each one is like, in our own words.
Nod
AppHunt partner · promo codeNod doesn't play recordings: its 56 sounds, from rain on a tent to a box fan and brown noise, are synthesized as they play, so no seam or loop gives itself away at 3 a.m. Blend three of them free or eight with Premium, let the timer fade them out, and wake to singing bowls rather than a beeping alarm; there is no account, no ads and nothing collected. Nod Premium is free for good with the AppHunt promo code on this page.
Good for: A whole night of rain or brown noise, with no ads
BetterSleep
Known for years as Relax Melodies, BetterSleep is a mixer at heart: layer nature sounds, white noise, binaural beats or ASMR from a library of more than 300 tracks, and a Smart Mix option is meant to hide the points where loops restart. It now also has a sleep tracker, a recorder that catches snoring and sleep talk, stories and guided meditations.
Good for: Building a custom mix from hundreds of sounds
Keep in mind: BetterSleep Premium is a subscription, and the listing doesn't say which sounds stay free. Many US reviews from October 2026 say an update moved nearly every sound behind it.
View in the App Store
ShutEye
ShutEye is a sleep tracker and a sound library in one: overnight it follows your sleep cycles and records snoring, and at bedtime it plays sleep sounds, ambient noise or a bedtime story. You can build your own sound mixes, set a smart alarm meant to wake you gently, and keep sleep sessions in Apple Health.
Good for: Tracking sleep and playing sounds in one app
Keep in mind: Per the developer, VIP features need a subscription ($59.99 a year), and the listing doesn't say which sounds stay free. Several recent reviewers say the app asks for a trial or payment straight after its setup questions.
View in the App Store
White Noise Lite
TMSOFT has kept this app going since the original iPhone, and the free edition still covers a lot: 50-plus looped sounds, from white, pink, brown and violet noise to a dishwasher, a train ride or a purring cat. The Mix Pad sets each sound's position, pitch and volume, you can record and loop your own sounds, and a bedside clock and fading alarm are built in.
Good for: A classic noise machine with nothing to subscribe to
Keep in mind: Ad-supported, with no in-app purchases; the full White Noise app, sold separately for $0.99, removes the ads and adds Apple TV and Apple Watch support.
View in the App Store
Deep Sleep Sounds
Slumber Studios pitches this one at adults and babies alike. More than 30 recordings are free, among them a fan, an air filter, a baby shusher, a heartbeat, rain on a tent, a rolling thunderstorm and plain white, pink or brown noise, and you can layer several into one soundscape. A subscription opens 250-plus more, from green noise to binaural music, lullabies and ASMR.
Good for: Shushing and fan sounds for a baby's room
Keep in mind: Per the developer, the free version plays for up to eight hours at a time; continuous play and the premium library need a subscription, listed at $49.99 a year.
View in the App Store
Rain Rain
Despite the name, Rain Rain has more than 100 sounds, from summer, forest and city rain to a crackling fire, an airliner cabin and pink noise. The mixer gives each sound its own volume, an oscillator slowly swells and fades a sound, and Soften cuts the high end so the rain seems to fall outside rather than on your pillow.
Good for: Rain in every variety, softened to taste
Keep in mind: Per the developer, the free version has no playback limit and just a small banner ad; Premium adds 60-plus sounds and removes the ad. Last updated in January 2025.
View in the App Store
Moongate
Moongate is built around binaural beats — a slightly different tone in each ear, so headphones are needed — layered over soundscapes. It also offers noise in four colors (white, brown, green and pink) as well as rain, surf and night ambience, and you can turn each beat's intensity up or down, keep favorites and playlists, set timers, or use Backdrop mode to run it under a podcast.
Good for: Binaural beats over noise or rain, with headphones
Keep in mind: Moongate Premium is a subscription, monthly or yearly per the store listing, and the listing doesn't say which soundscapes, if any, stay free.
View in the App Store
Sleep Aid Fan
A one-trick app for people who fall asleep to a fan: three steady fan recordings with nothing else layered in, a volume slider and a timer. Its latest update lets it keep playing in the background, so other apps can run while it does.
Good for: Fan noise and nothing else
Keep in mind: Ad-supported. A $1.99 PRO upgrade adds five more fan sounds and Lock Screen controls and removes the ads; the listing also sells ad removal alone for $0.99. Several reviews from the past year complain about pop-up ads that are hard to close. Last updated in June 2025.
View in the App Store
Sleep Fan
Around since 2012, Sleep Fan starts a fan sound within seconds and asks for no sign-up. Its library now goes beyond fans to rain, night crickets, crashing waves, a river and a meditation track, with a timer, an alarm with snooze and a one-night sleep score that reads Apple Watch data.
Good for: A fan sound in seconds, no setup
Keep in mind: Shows ads unless you subscribe ($1.99 a month or $14.99 a year), which also adds binaural beats and week and month sleep trends.
View in the App Store
Soothing Sleep Sounds
Phase4 Mobile records its sounds on location instead of generating them: 300 long stereo takes, from Oregon rainforest showers and pebble-beach waves to crickets, a campfire and wind chimes, plus plain white and pink noise. Any six can be blended into one mix, and the timer fades the audio out slowly.
Good for: Real-world nature recordings, many of them free
Keep in mind: Per the developer, more than 125 sounds, unlimited six-sound mixes and the timer are free; a subscription opens the rest of the 300 and removes ads.
View in the App Store
Questions and answers
Is there a completely free white noise app?
Yes. Nod's free tier has no ads, needs no account and doesn't expire: 22 sounds, including rain, ocean waves and three colors of noise (white, pink and brown), plus the sleep timer and the alarm; the promo code on this page makes Premium free too. White Noise Lite and Rain Rain also play their free sounds all night without a subscription, though both show ads. iPhone also has Background Sounds built in, under Settings › Accessibility › Audio & Visual: noise, rain, ocean and a few more, with a timer since iOS 26.
What is the difference between white noise and brown noise?
White noise carries equal energy at every frequency, so it sounds bright and hissy, like radio static or a fan on high. Pink noise softens the treble and sounds more like steady rain; brown noise softens it further and leaves a low rumble, closer to distant surf or a strong wind. No color suits everyone: some people find brown noise easier to fall asleep to because it hisses less, so try each at a low volume. Nod, White Noise Lite, Deep Sleep Sounds and Moongate all have brown noise.
Which white noise app is good for a baby's room?
Look for steady, simple sounds: a shusher, a womb-like whoosh, a heartbeat or a fan. Nod includes a gentle shush, a womb sound and a heartbeat, plus a music-box lullaby; Deep Sleep Sounds has a baby shusher and a heartbeat among its free sounds; Sleep Aid Fan plays nothing but steady fan noise. Whatever you choose, put the phone across the room, never in the crib, keep the volume low and let a timer switch it off — and follow your pediatrician's safe-sleep advice.
Can I play sleep sounds with music or a podcast?
Yes, in several of these apps. Nod has a Play with other apps switch in its Settings; turn it on and a podcast or your music keeps going on top of the sleep sounds. Moongate's Backdrop mode works the same way, White Noise Lite can mix with your own music, and Sleep Aid Fan keeps running while you listen to other apps. iPhone's built-in Background Sounds can play alongside other media too, and its settings can turn it down while something else is playing.
Why is Nod first?
Nod is made by the AppHunt team and we have a promo code for it, so it takes the first place. Even without the code it is free to use, shows no ads and asks for no account: 22 sounds, three-sound mixes, ten ready-made mixes, the fading timer, the alarm and every breathing exercise. The code unlocks Nod Premium for good, with the remaining 34 sounds, bigger mixes of up to eight and the full set of wake-up sounds, and nothing renews.
How do I use the Nod promo code?
Tap Get on the Nod card. If you are not signed in to AppHunt you will be asked to log in, and the code appears right after. Redeem opens the App Store's own redemption screen with the code filled in.
How is the list ordered?
First place is Nod, an app made by the AppHunt team, with a promo code. Places 2–10 are ordered by the number of ratings each app has in the US App Store, one app per developer; it measures how many people use an app, not a verdict. Apps where sounds are one section among many — meditation and story apps such as Calm, Headspace and Moshi Kids, or trackers such as SleepWatch — are left out.