Comparison

Spectrum vs Spectrolite

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

Head to head
About

Spectrum

Visualize your music with a wide array of dynamic effects. Choose from your device's music library or use your microphone to create stunning audio-reactive visuals. Unlock all effects and remove ads with a premium upgrade.

Highlights
  • Music library integration
  • Microphone input
  • Over 50 visual effects
  • Ad-free premium option
  • Subscription and one-time purchase
Features
Read full description

This app generates some visual effects from your music library or microphone. More than 50 effects included. [Usage] 1. Tap the music button. 2. Select your songs from music library. These songs should be on your device. When interstitial advertisement appeared, after several seconds, a close button will be shown. [ About the Premium Version ] In the Free version, the banner ads or watermark will be displayed screen bottom. The full screen advertisement will be displayed after playing the song or after a certain period of time. And only limited contents are available. In the premium version, ads will not be displayed. And all contents are available. [Premium Version Prices] - Forever : $9.99 - 1 Year : $8.99 - 6 Months : $4.99 - 1 Month : $1.99 [ About Subscription ] • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable [ Usage ] https://yuuki.ws/apps/spectrum/help [EULA & Privacy Policy] https://yuuki.ws/apps/spectrum/EULA-PrivacyPolicy.html

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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

Spectrum3 screens
Spectrolite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spectrolite at 83% against Spectrum's 36%. Spectrolite also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.8). Spectrum's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Spectrum sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Spectrolite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spectrolite holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 151 and 51 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Spectrum's written reviews are positive against 83% of Spectrolite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spectrum ships an update every 3 weeks, Spectrolite every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Spectrum versus Spectrolite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpectrumSpectrolite
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (151 ratings)4.8 (51 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.0% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings151 — better51
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperY. MOCHIDUKIWaxing Wave

Customer experience

Spectrum

All ratings151 ratings
Positive43.0%
Neutral8.6%
Negative48.3%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive36.0%
Neutral11.2%
Negative52.8%

Spectrolite

All ratings51 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

Spectrum

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App won't launch - stuck on blank/grey/brown screen
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • Music library fails to load or display songs
  • Latency between audio and visualization (3+ seconds)
  • Audio not playing despite visuals responding
Show 10 more
  • Settings changes cause app to break
  • Microphone mode doesn't respond to sound
  • Visualizations unresponsive to actual music frequency
  • App freezes when accessing music button
  • Playlist shows album covers but not songs
  • Apple Music integration not working
  • iOS 14+ compatibility issues
  • iPad Pro compatibility issues
  • Watermark overlay blocking content during screen share
  • Typo in error message ('lator' instead of 'later')

Requested features

13 requests
  • Import audio files from device storage
  • Support for Spotify integration
  • Support for Google Play Music
  • Ability to import from GarageBand
  • File manager/iCloud Drive access
Show 8 more
  • Custom color and background options
  • tvOS app version
  • Bluetooth steering wheel controls
  • Download/export visualization videos
  • Full auto microphone input mode
  • Discrete frequency spectrum display
  • Apple Watch visualizer support
  • Text overlay and animation customization

Spectrolite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Spectrum

Subscriptions3
  • Premium - 1 month$1.991 Month
  • Premium - 6 months$4.996 Months
  • Premium - 1 year$8.991 Year
One-time5
  • Additional Contents 1$1.99
  • Additional Contents 2$1.99
  • Additional Contents 3$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Additional Contents 4$1.99
  • Premium$9.99
1 purchases

Spectrolite

One-time1
  • Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Spectrum free?
Spectrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spectrolite free?
Spectrolite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spectrum or Spectrolite?
Spectrolite is rated higher. Spectrum averages 2.8 out of 5 from 151 ratings, while Spectrolite averages 4.8 from 51 ratings.
Do Spectrum or Spectrolite have ads?
Neither Spectrum nor Spectrolite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spectrum or Spectrolite?
Spectrum ships an update every 3 weeks, and Spectrolite every 8 months. Most recently, Spectrum was updated on September 19, 2026 and Spectrolite on September 23, 2026.

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