Comparison

FFTWave vs Sound Spectrum Analysis

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

FFTWave

Visualize sound from your microphone as a waveform and spectrum analysis. Identify frequency characteristics, detect peaks, and analyze howling with pinch-to-zoom gestures. Ideal for sound adjustment and analysis.

Highlights
  • Microphone waveform display
  • Spectrum analysis via Fourier transform
  • Frequency characteristic checking
  • Peak detection and hold
  • Pinch zoom gestures
  • Howling analysis
Features
Read full description

This app displays the waveform of the sound from the microphone. In addition, it can display a spectrum by Fourier transform. You can check the frequency characteristics of the sound. There are functions of peak detection, peak hold. Supporting the Pinch Zoom Gestures. It help sound adjustment and howling analysis.

About

Sound Spectrum Analysis

Analyze sound spectrums in real-time using your device's microphone. This tool offers detailed frequency and amplitude scales, various window functions, and octave band analysis. It can also function as a noise level meter and allows for data export and saving of measurements.

Highlights
  • Real-time sound spectrum analysis
  • Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) with adjustable size
  • Linear and logarithmic frequency/amplitude scales
  • Octave band analysis (1/1, 1/3, 1/6, 1/12)
  • Multiple window functions
  • A- and C-Weightings
  • Sound level meter (dB SPL)
Read full description

The application is designed for analysis of a sound spectrum in real time (with a microphone). Besides, the application can be used as a measuring instrument of noise level (not for exact measurements). • Sound wave. • Fast fourier transform (FFT). FFT size: 2048 (the accuracy of determining the frequency of ±12 Hz), 4096 (±6 Hz), 8192 (±3 Hz), 16384 (±2 Hz), 32768 (±1 Hz), 65536 (±0.5 Hz), 131072 (±0.2 Hz). • Linear and logarithmic frequency scale. • Linear frequency scale with maximum details (there is a choice for the displayed frequency range). • Linear and logarithmic amplitude scale. • Octave bands (1/1, 1/3, 1/6, 1/12). • Window functions (Blackman, Hamming, Hann (Hanning), Blackman–Nuttall, Gaussian, Flat top). • A- and C-Weightings. • Peak hold. • Exponential spectrum averaging. • Peak frequency detection. • Values of any point (for frequency scale and sound wave (at maximum detail)). • Sound level meter (dB SPL). You can calibrate your microphone by launching a signal generator with a sinusoid frequency of 1000 Hz on another device and making the volume very low. When the sound is almost inaudible, it is necessary to find the amplitude for the frequency of 1000 Hz on the spectrum (FFT size: 16384). This value should be multiplied by 1.2 (to compensate for spectral leakage). It will be the reference value for your microphone. ESTIMATE THE TOTAL NOISE LEVEL BY USING THE SOUND WAVE MODE AT THE MAXIMUM VALUE. • Sample rate: 48000 Hz. • Taking a screenshot by lightly touching the screen. • Export data to a WAV or text file ("Y=[y1 y2... yn]", "y1;y2;... yn", "x1;y1\nx2;y2;..."). Number of points is adjusted via "FFT size". • Automatic stop in the sound wave mode (when increasing or decreasing signal strength). • Automatic stop in the spectrum mode. Now you can stop data collection when the start of the fading signal reaches the end of the FFT buffer. The beginning of the signal is not calculated accurately (just like with an automatic stop in the sound wave mode). • Test wave. • Saving the measurement results in the application. Files with saved data (SavedData_[date]_[time].txt) can be copied to a desktop/laptop computer or transferred to another iPhone using iTunes. There are buttons for quick loading and comparing saved files. • Dark theme. • List of frequency peaks. If several peaks have a common base, then they are considered as one peak. The minimum height of the peak for octave bands is 2 dB. • Interpolation of frequencies in the list of peaks. To interpolate the frequency of the peak, select the Gaussian window (the accuracy of determining the frequency can increase by 10-100 times). The calculation is not done for the extreme bins or if the adjacent bin is zero. • Calculation of the amplitude (in the list of peaks) using neighboring bins (to compensate for spectral leakage and use of the window). The number of bins used for calculation is written in brackets. • Collecting recent data (last minute). You can move over all collected data. The amplitude of the waveform can be changed in the sound wave mode. • Calibration file. The app recognizes only files for the UMIK-1 microphone, but you can specify which microphones you need support for.

Screenshots

FFTWave1 screens
Sound Spectrum Analysis4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: FFTWave at 4.3 against Sound Spectrum Analysis's 3.6. FFTWave also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (77% vs 60%). Sound Spectrum Analysis's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 15 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sound Spectrum Analysis sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FFTWave asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FFTWave holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 42 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of FFTWave's written reviews are positive against 60% of Sound Spectrum Analysis's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FFTWave ships an update every 15 months, Sound Spectrum Analysis every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
FFTWave versus Sound Spectrum Analysis: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFFTWaveSound Spectrum Analysis
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (15 ratings) — better3.6 (42 ratings)
Positive reviews76.9% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1542 — better
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEisaku NozuDmitriy Kharutskiy

Customer experience

FFTWave

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%

Sound Spectrum Analysis

All ratings42 ratings
Positive64.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative37.1%

In-app purchases

None

FFTWave

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Sound Spectrum Analysis

One-time1
  • Full version$2.99

Questions

Is FFTWave free?
FFTWave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sound Spectrum Analysis free?
Sound Spectrum Analysis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FFTWave or Sound Spectrum Analysis?
FFTWave is rated higher. FFTWave averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Sound Spectrum Analysis averages 3.6 from 42 ratings.
Do FFTWave or Sound Spectrum Analysis have ads?
Neither FFTWave nor Sound Spectrum Analysis shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FFTWave or Sound Spectrum Analysis?
FFTWave ships an update every 15 months, and Sound Spectrum Analysis every 5 weeks. Most recently, FFTWave was updated on September 17, 2026 and Sound Spectrum Analysis on September 21, 2026.

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