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Dark Noise vs Foyer

Two indie ambient-sound apps for Apple platforms, both made by small developers, both account-free, both respectful of your data. This is the closest comparison on this site, so it comes down to how you like to mix, and how you like to pay.

Where Dark Noise shines

Dark Noise is one of the best Apple citizens in the category. Deep Shortcuts and Siri support, proper widgets, delightful animated icons, and it adopts new OS design fast. Pro brings the library past 50 sounds with custom mixes. The developer also handled the move to subscriptions about as fairly as possible: everyone who bought the app before 3.0 kept what they paid for.

Where Foyer differs

Foyer's mixer is spatial. Dark Noise gives you a list of sounds and sliders; Foyer gives you a black canvas where each sound is an orb you place around yourself. The fire is not "at 40% volume", it is close by on your left, rendered binaurally, holding still when you turn your head with AirPods. On the Mac, Foyer lives in the menu bar rather than a window. And pricing is one number: $9.99 once for everything, on both platforms.

Side by side

FoyerDark Noise
Price$9.99 once, everythingFree; optional Pro subscription or lifetime purchase
Free tierFull library, 3 sounds at once, 5 rooms8 sounds, timer, Shortcuts
MixingSpatial canvas: distance = volume, angle = panSound list with sliders and mixes
SoundsCurated set, grows monthly50+ with Pro (larger)
PlatformsMac (menu bar), iPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro (broader)
AccountNoneNone (iCloud sync)
Privacy labelPurchases, not linked to identityUsage & diagnostics, not linked to identity

Verified September 2, 2026 against the Dark Noise App Store listing, Dark Noise's official site, and the Foyer App Store listing. Prices and offers vary by region.

Honest bottom line

If you automate your phone with Shortcuts, want an iPad or Vision Pro version, or care about a bigger catalog, Dark Noise earns its place, and its lifetime option keeps it subscription-optional. If the thing you want is a room, sounds arranged around you that stay where you put them, Foyer is the only one of the two that does it. Check the linked App Store pages for the current price in your region.

Try the Foyer sounds free first:

Rain Brown noise Fireplace Ocean White noise Pomodoro timer

Questions

Do Dark Noise and Foyer both work without an account?

Yes. Neither app asks you to sign up for anything; both sync through iCloud. On privacy labels, Dark Noise reports usage and diagnostics not linked to identity; Foyer reports purchase history not linked to identity.

Is Foyer cheaper than Dark Noise?

Foyer's full unlock is $9.99 once. Dark Noise offers a free tier and optional Pro subscription or lifetime purchase, with prices that vary by region. Compare the linked App Store offers before deciding.

Does Foyer have Shortcuts support?

Yes, with the unlock: rooms can be started from Shortcuts and Focus filters on the Mac. Dark Noise still goes deeper on iOS automation. If Shortcuts is the centre of your setup, that is a real point in its favour.