FFTWave vs Spectrolite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Microphone waveform display
- Spectrum analysis via Fourier transform
- Frequency characteristic checking
- Peak detection and hold
- Pinch zoom gestures
- Howling analysis
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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.
Spectrolite
This app visualizes sound in real-time using various spectrogram types. Explore detailed audio data with intuitive touch controls and adjustable parameters. An optional purchase unlocks advanced measurement tools.
- Real-time spectrogram visualization
- Constant-Q, linear, and mel frequency scales
- Full human hearing frequency range
- Intuitive touch panning and zooming
- Adjustable gain, Q, and other parameters
- Pro version: grids, scales, spectrum view, tap-to-measure
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Spectrolite visualizes sound as spectrograms in real time. Spectrolite supports constant-Q spectrograms, which use a logarithmic frequency scale for a display where musical notes are evenly spaced. Spectrograms based on linear and mel frequency scales are also supported. The display covers the full frequency range of human hearing. Intuitive touch panning and zooming lets you dive in and explore the spectrograms in detail. Gain, Q, and other parameters can be adjusted in real time and instantly apply to the display of past signals as well as future ones. The Pro in-app purchase adds grids and scales for time, frequency, and amplitude, as well as a spectrum view and a tap-to-measure function. This expands Spectrolite into an audio measurement tool that you can use to measure frequencies, musical pitches, amplitudes, and durations.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Spectrolite at 4.8 against FFTWave's 4.3. Spectrolite also leads on ratings volume (51 vs 15). FFTWave's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Spectrolite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FFTWave asks for nothing beyond the download.
Spectrolite holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 51 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of FFTWave's written reviews are positive against 83% of Spectrolite's.
FFTWave ships an update every 15 months, Spectrolite every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FFTWave | Spectrolite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (15 ratings) | 4.8 (51 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 51 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | Every 8 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Eisaku Nozu | Waxing Wave |
Customer experience
FFTWave
Spectrolite
In-app purchases
FFTWave
No in-app purchases
Spectrolite
- Pro$4.99
Questions
Is FFTWave free?
Is Spectrolite free?
Which has better reviews, FFTWave or Spectrolite?
Do FFTWave or Spectrolite have ads?
Which is updated more often, FFTWave or Spectrolite?
Other comparisons
