Comparison

Roughness vs Thorlabs Toolkit

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

Head to head
About

Roughness

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When it comes to the surface of workpieces, a large number of surface parameters are required in design and manufacture. Before installation or delivery, the workpieces are also verified in quality management. The roughness app from ZEISS provides information on the most common surface parameters with related formulas and graphs.

About

Thorlabs Toolkit

Features
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Get convenient access to photonics calculators, equations, and other information and resources when you download this free app! This application is being continually updated to offer new types of resources, as well as to expand existing categories, so be sure to check for updates. The current version of the app includes a collection of calculators that engineers and technicians at Thorlabs Lens Systems and elsewhere have used on the floor for over 15 years. Each calculator page includes the equations used in the calculations, as well as usage notes and information about assumptions included in the equations. Additional resources include brief summaries of ray tracing, lens theory, Snell’s Law, manufacturing tolerances, and evaluation of system resolution using the modulation transfer function (MTF). History Thorlabs Toolkit builds on the excellent foundation provided by the JML Optical Calculator. When JML Optical joined Thorlabs’ family as Thorlabs Lens Systems, it provided a wonderful opportunity to expand the app to share knowledge collected from across all of Thorlabs.

Screenshots

Roughness4 screens
Thorlabs Toolkit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Thorlabs Toolkit at every 4 months against Roughness's every 14 months. Thorlabs Toolkit also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Roughness ships an update every 14 months, Thorlabs Toolkit every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Roughness versus Thorlabs Toolkit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoughnessThorlabs Toolkit
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarl Zeiss AGThorlabs, Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Roughness

No in-app purchases

None

Thorlabs Toolkit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Roughness free?
Roughness is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Thorlabs Toolkit free?
Thorlabs Toolkit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Roughness or Thorlabs Toolkit have ads?
Neither Roughness nor Thorlabs Toolkit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Roughness or Thorlabs Toolkit?
Roughness ships an update every 14 months, and Thorlabs Toolkit every 4 months. Most recently, Roughness was updated on October 6, 2026 and Thorlabs Toolkit on October 10, 2026.

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