AudioMoth Device Picker
AudioMoth Family
Device picker
AudioMoth, HydroMoth, MicroMoth, the AudioMoth USB Microphone, and AudioMoth Dev all share the same firmware and recording engine - what differs is the form factor and how you power and deploy them. Answer three quick questions for a starting recommendation, or skip straight to the full side-by-side comparison below.
1Where will it operate?
2Integrating it into your own hardware?
3Is size and weight critical?
Recommendation
Answer the questions on the left to see a starting recommendation.
There's no wrong answer here - most projects only need the standard AudioMoth. This just narrows it down based on where and how you're deploying it.
Keep in mind
Plenty of projects use more than one of these together - a standard AudioMoth for the main array plus a HydroMoth for the one submerged unit, for example. All five run the same underlying firmware and are configured with the same AudioMoth apps, so mixing devices in one project doesn't mean juggling different tools.
Side by side
Full specification comparison
Compiled from Open Acoustic Devices' and GroupGets' own product pages. Prices and specs are subject to change - check the linked product page for the current listing.
Scroll the table sideways to compare every device
| Feature | AudioMoth$99.99 | HydroMoth$144.99 | MicroMoth$99.00 | AudioMoth USB Microphone$79.99 | AudioMoth Dev$89.99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | General-purpose standalone recording on land - the default choice for most deployments | Standalone recording underwater or in wet, tidal, or submerged environments when using the HydroMoth enclosure | Standalone recording where size and weight are the limiting factor | Live, real-time monitoring through a connected computer or Raspberry Pi | Integrating AudioMoth's recording engine into your own product or research rig |
| Standalone logger | Yes | Yes | Yes | No - needs a host computer, no SD card slot | Yes - with an external battery attached |
| Board dimensions | 58 × 48 × 15 mm | 58 × 48 × 15 mm | 25 × 36 mm | 35 × 40 mm | Not published |
| Conformal coating | No | Yes - decreases the chance of water damage | No | No | No |
| Weight | 2 oz (~57 g), without a case or batteries | 2 oz (~57 g), without a case or batteries | 4 g (excluding battery) | Not published | 2 oz (~57 g), without a case or batteries |
| Power source | 3 × AA batteries | 3 × AA batteries, sealed inside the underwater case | JST-PH connector, 3.7-6V (Li-ion/LiPo, e.g. 400 or 850 mAh) | USB bus power - no battery | JST-PH connector, 3.7-6V battery, or micro-USB |
| Sample rate range | 8 kHz - 384 kHz | 8 kHz - 384 kHz | 8 kHz - 384 kHz | Up to 384 kHz | Up to 384 kHz |
| Storage | microSD, uncompressed WAV | microSD, uncompressed WAV | microSD, uncompressed WAV | None - streams live over USB | microSD, uncompressed WAV |
| External mic / hydrophone jack | Yes - exposed header only (v1.2.0 onward); you solder on your own 3.5 mm jack, which means giving up the closed case | No - sealed case; the onboard mic works as a contact hydrophone instead | No | Yes - built-in 3.5 mm socket | Yes - built-in 3.5 mm socket |
| GPIO / expansion headers | Yes - bare GPIO pads on the board | No | Yes - GPIO expansion header | No | Yes - 5 JST-PH headers (GPIO, external power, LED, switch) plus an SWD debug port |
| Waterproof | No as sold - an IPX7 case is available (1 m / 1 hr submersion), see Enclosure below | Yes, with its underwater case - tested to 30 m depth, recommended operating range 30-60 m | No - no case exists for MicroMoth | No as sold - a splashproof case is available, not a submersion rating | No as sold - an IPX7 case is available (1 m / 1 hr submersion), see Enclosure below |
| Enclosure | Ships as a bare board. IPX7 waterproof case sold separately ($45) - not compatible with the GPS Hat or a soldered-on 3.5 mm jack. | GroupGets' standard HydroMoth listing bundles the underwater case; it's also sold separately ($45) and fits a standard AudioMoth 1.2.0 without the 3.5 mm socket installed. | Ships as a bare board - no enclosure is available for MicroMoth. | Ships as a bare board. Splashproof case sold separately in green or blue ($30 each). | Ships as a bare board. Dev case sold separately ($49.99), IPX7-rated with mounts for an external mic, GPS, and larger batteries. |
Where this data came from
Sources
Prices, dimensions, and specifications were pulled directly from each device's Open Acoustic Devices product page and the matching GroupGets listing at the time this tool was built. A few figures (weight on most variants, HydroMoth's assembled case dimensions) aren't published by either source, so those cells say "Not published" rather than guess.
Why the picker only asks three questions
Environment (dry land vs. wet vs. connected to a computer), integration needs, and size/weight cover the actual engineering differences between these five devices - everything else about them, from the firmware to the sample rate range, is shared. If your project doesn't fit neatly into one answer, that's a sign you may want more than one device type; see "Keep in mind" above.
A note on GPIO
The standard AudioMoth does expose GPIO pads on the board, which is how accessories like the GPS hat attach. AudioMoth Dev is still the pick for real hardware integration work because it breaks GPIO, external power, and debug access out to proper connectors instead of bare board pads.
A note on enclosures
None of these five devices ship with a case by default - they're all sold as bare boards. GroupGets' standard HydroMoth listing is the one exception, since it bundles the underwater case. Every other case (AudioMoth's IPX7 case, the Dev case, the USB Microphone cases) is a separate purchase; the Enclosure row above links to each one.
Not affiliated with Open Acoustic Devices
GroupGets sells the AudioMoth family but this comparison isn't official OAD documentation. For the authoritative specs and datasheets, see OAD's datasheets page.
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