Spooky season or not, there’s something thrilling about the spine-tingling sound effects that accompany tales of horror and suspense. Whether you’re gearing up for Halloween or just seeking some eerie ambience, a collection of hair-raising sound effects can set the mood in a way that words or visuals alone can’t.
Our comprehensive review article of the 11 greatest scary sound effects apps will take you on a tour of some of the most horrifying sound effects apps available in the mobile market. By the way, for the true Halloween spirit, I also recommend you to check the article about the best scary voice changer apps.
Scary horror sounds
We shall begin with one of the most popular apps out there that I felt I should check out first. To start our list, Scary Horror Sounds, as the name suggests, is all about spooky sound effects. If you want to set the mood for a horror movie night, prank your friends, or just freak yourself out, this app has got you covered.
I discovered it has a bunch of sound categories like ghosts, monsters, zombies, and Halloween tunes. There are 40 different sounds to choose from.
In terms of reliability, it’s stable enough. I didn’t encounter any major bugs or crashes. It does what it promises – plays scary sounds – that you can set as a ringtone, alarm, or notification sound. The UI is easy to use, and the interface is basic but neat.
Now, the not-so-great part concerns ads. They pop up now and then, and to me, they seem a bit overwhelming. At the same time, the app is absolutely free.
Overall, though, I see where the popularity of the app stems from: it’s easy to use, there is no visual clutter, and the sound library is vast enough to cover the needs of the pickiest horror fans.
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Scary sound effects
This scary sounds app is not exactly the superstar among apps, but I felt like I should try this niche tool – partly, because visually it looks very similar to the first app I reviewed.
This one promises an experience of a soundboard overflowing with all shades of spookiness and eeriness. Ghostly whispers, evil laughter, witch cackles, zombie growls – you name it. Every time your phone rings, you’ll feel enveloped by a shiver-inducing atmosphere.
It’s great for anyone who wants to keep the Halloween spirit burning brightly throughout the year, and fans of horror movies.
Like with the previous app, using this one is quite simple and straightforward – you just tap a couple of times and you’re done. The colour scheme and layout are really intuitive too. It’s got a dark and enigmatic vibe.
Advertisements are a bit of a snag with this one, however, this is to be expected with a free app. And if you’re worried about your phone’s storage, it won’t gobble up your space.
Generally, I felt like this app was very similar to the first one both in terms of functionality and visual appeal – you could use them interchangeably.
Scary Sound Effects +
Next, I was searching for an app that would be best suited for practical jokes. This one looks like a veritable Halloween prank toolbox: it’s overflowing with haunting noises from macabre giggles to chilling shrieks, along with a variety of goosebump-inducing Halloween sound effects. The description suggests – and I can confirm – that these sounds are perfect for spooking your buddies, unsettling your pets, or setting a spooky ambiance at your Halloween bash.
The app is regularly updated with new creepy sounds, so you’ll never run out of fun and spooky options to play with. It’s easy – just tap on your chosen sound and you’ve unleashed terror. I dig the appearance of the app, with horror-themed buttons that look quite cool.
This app is just right for those who love horror or enjoy pulling off pranks. However, there are some ads in this free app. On the bright side, this app is far from being a memory hog. It is available in a number of languages from English and French to Hindi and Chinese.
Scary Sounds & Noises
Another app that has been designed, first and foremost, to thoroughly spook your pals, this tool features a repertoire of more than 40 spine-tingling sounds – think howls, growls, monsters, zombies, and goosebump-inducing tunes.
More precisely, the sounds include animals, from cat to wolves, dead and undead creatures from witches to ghosts, medieval sounds like battle axe swing and swords clash, and a range of sounds made by objects, from creaky doors to chainsaw.
I found this app super easy to use. All you have to do is pick a sound, press play, and wait for the result. I also like the minimalistic layout and the simplicity of this app, with its uniform buttons – although this might not be to everyone’s liking, since it may not be the flashiest one available out there. In fact, it is probably the most plain and unadorned app on this list.
Also, it does have ads which are not a huge nuisance.
Scary Sound Effects – Ghost
This is one more app specially designed to give you the creeps. Like similar apps, it’s equipped with an array of creepy ringtones, chilling sounds, and eerie effects to add some excitement to your life and spook your friends.
There are more than 40 horror sounds included in this app’s library. Plus, there are over 100 ringtones, which you can add to your favourites. You can also set up a scary alarm, which I immediately did and regretted the next morning.
In terms of reliability, it’s rather consistent. Design-wise, the app is fairly minimalistic, without bells and whistles: it looks rather austere, much like the previous app I reviewed. To me, this seems quite convenient as a user.
Of course, there are some ads. However, they’re not overly intrusive, and it’s easy to exit them. The app is free, although this one has some in-app purchases should you wish to expand your library of scary sounds.
Horror Sounds Effects
Horror Sounds Effects is another fun app perfect for pranking your friends. Whether it’s traditional haunted house noises or spine-chilling ghost sounds, baby ghost cries or classic horror movie screams, this app is designed to give you a real case of the creeps. The library is updated regularly, as the developers claim.
The app runs smoothly most of the time. Sometimes, it’s a bit shaky or buggy, as I found out. In particular, when I watched an ad video to unlock a sound, in one case this didn’t work at all.
I must note also that you shouldn’t anticipate cutting-edge graphics or a jazzy interface: it’s rather simplistic. It might slow down some phones, especially if your memory is full, or if yours is an older model.
Essentially, Scary Horror Sounds is a handy tool for adding a touch of creepiness to your daily life that might not be flawless, but it’s free and pretty entertaining. You can also pay for premium features such as certain sounds.
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Scary Sounds and Effects
Scary Sounds and Effects is another app on our list that offers a selection of terrifying sounds and rings. Like with similar tools, these are the creepy ringtones and sound effects that you can use on your device. Feel free to set them as your ringtone, text notification tune, or as your alarm sound.
The app is pretty robust and never once lagged in my experience. It’s straightforward and easy to navigate. Visually, it’s quite enjoyable if you’re a horror fan, with its neat little buttons and unique design for each sound.
Much like other similar apps I discussed, this one doesn’t introduce any innovative elements, apart from a collection of terrifying ringtones and sound effects at no cost. Plus, it’s routinely updated with fresh sounds.
In general, it seems to be a decent platform. User reviews are pretty positive with a few small criticisms. For instance, you need a computer if you want to download any of the ringtones, which can be inconvenient for some.
Halloween Scary Sound Effects
This app is specifically focused on the eerie vibes of Halloween sounds. Regarding its popularity, it’s not exactly the talk of the app universe, but it definitely has its shining moments.
With this tool, you can play the creepy sounds continuously using the loop effects, save your top favourites, use them to create background scores and incorporate them into videos. You can even have multiple background scores playing at once.
However, when it comes to trustworthiness and steadiness, it has its own quirks. For example, it’s not exactly user-friendly when it comes to background usage. Your device needs to remain unlocked with the app visible on the screen for the sounds to keep playing. And when it comes to customer support, it’s kind of a lost cause.
It’s not quite gentle on the memory, especially if you’ve got an older device model. The app is free, although it comes with ads.
Scary Voice Changer App
This app is slightly different from the ones I have presented earlier. This creepy yet hilarious Voice Changer App is like a hidden treasure in the realm of scary sound apps. With this nifty tool, you can warp your voice to mimic that of a creature straight out of a nightmare. It’s perfect for freaking out your friends on Halloween, or really any time you’re in the mood for some laughs.
The app boasts a variety of spooky voices to pick from, and it’s super simple to navigate. You just have to record your voice, slap on some chilling sound effect, and there you have it. There’s even a demon voice changer available.
The app is totally free. However, it contains some ads.
The app works really smoothly. I came across no crashes or irritating glitches when using it. However, you need to get used to the volume and perhaps fiddle with the settings a bit, since it can be quite loud at the beginning.
Halloween Soundbox Prank Sound
This is another app targeted primarily at those looking to pull a prank on their friends using some chilling sounds. Mummies, zombies, witches, werewolves, and everything else spooky – they’re all in there. With a simple tap, it lets you play more than 40 scary sounds that will give you goosebumps.
Besides, you also get chilling music and spine-tingling horror melodies, and you can even have these sounds play in the background. You can loop the sounds too. This is just perfect if you’re trying to create some spooky ambience for your Halloween party.
It may not be the most sought-after app on the market, but it’s certainly a nice little tool. The app is very user-friendly with a super intuitive layout. When it comes to functionality, I didn’t run into any problems testing it out.
Finally, it’s free. There are ads, though, however you can get rid of them plus unlock even more sounds, if you’re willing to pay a little extra money.
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Scarry Horror Sounds by Audio Bunny
Finally, we’ve got the Scary Horror Sounds app created by Audio Bunny on our list – another treasure chest filled to the brim with spine-chilling sounds.
You have the option not only to enjoy the sounds of ghosts, monsters, zombies, and ghouls in high quality, but you can also use them as ringtones, alert tones, and as your morning alarm sound. Or you could assign a special sound to that special person in your contact list.
True, it may not be the most downloaded app, but it can be a fun and handy platform, especially around Halloween. The interface is really clear and simple, making it a cinch to use. I never came across any bugs while trying it out. Plus, visually, it’s as creepy as it gets.
It’s really tiny and surely won’t slow down your phone.
The app is absolutely free. However, there are a few ads here and there.
