Which SoundPLAN Do You Need?
Which SoundPLAN you need is decided by one question: what are you being asked to produce? Noise levels at receptors outside a site, or noise exposure for the people working inside it. Those are different jobs, different standards and different software.
Start from the work, not the feature list
- You are assessing noise outside the site - at homes, schools or the site boundary - for an EIA, a permit, a planning application or a strategic noise map. You want SoundPLANnoise, or SoundPLANessential if the projects are small and occasional.
- You are assessing what workers are exposed to inside a facility, under ISO 9612, for a hearing conservation programme or an OSH audit. You want SoundPLANmanda. It is a different tool, not a cheaper one.
- You need both - common for industrial clients, who must satisfy an environmental regulator at the boundary and a safety regulator on the shop floor. They are separate licences; tell us the scope and we will quote the pair sensibly.
Choosing between SoundPLANnoise and SoundPLANessential
Both use the same calculation core, so the numbers agree. The split is scale: SoundPLANessential is a single-window application for smaller models on a single workstation; SoundPLANnoise is modular, handles large models with distributed computing across several machines, covers 50+ standards, and allows unlimited installations on one network.
If you are unsure, starting with Essential carries no penalty: the full amount you pay for it is deducted from the cost of upgrading to SoundPLANnoise later. SoundPLANessential+ sits between the two, adding railway noise, strategic noise mapping and EU END compliance.
The range
- SoundPLANnoise - full modular solution: 50+ standards, distributed computing, 3D modelling, unlimited installations on one network.
- SoundPLANessential - simpler single-window application for smaller projects; upgrade credit applies in full towards SoundPLANnoise.
- SoundPLANessential+ - adds railway noise, strategic noise mapping and EU END compliance.
- SoundPLANmanda - occupational noise mapping for workplace exposure, ISO 9612 workflows, from €1,100.
- Modules - calculation, graphics and data-exchange add-ons to extend SoundPLANnoise.
What does not change whichever you choose
- All of them are perpetual licences: a one-time purchase, no mandatory subscription.
- Updates & Maintenance is optional, and the first year is included with a licence purchase.
- Data import from DXF/DWG (CAD), Shapefiles (GIS), ASCII, CSV and Excel.
- Windows 10/11 64-bit. 16GB RAM and a dedicated graphics card are recommended for 3D work; SoundPLANmanda runs on a standard office PC.
The one thing worth confirming before you buy is the calculation standard your assessment has to be reported against - see supported standards. Then try the demo on your own data, or tell us about the project and we will say which licence fits and what it costs.