# RTA vs Octave RTA

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Octave RTA at none against RTA's 2. Octave RTA also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (81% vs 61%). RTA's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 17 months) and price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

RTA costs $4.99 and Octave RTA $9.99 up front. RTA sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Octave RTA asks for nothing beyond the download.

Octave RTA holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Octave RTA has 154 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of RTA's written reviews are positive against 81% of Octave RTA's.

RTA ships an update every 3 months, Octave RTA every 17 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | RTA | Octave RTA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rta/id298839433/reviews) | **[4.4 (154 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octave-rta/id569156857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 27 | **154** |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | **80.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #143 | **#88** |
| Size | 30 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/291822462) | [ONYX Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/356553882) |

## What reviewers say

### RTA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rta/id298839433)

**Currently charting:** #143 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Analyze audio frequencies, test speakers, and tune rooms with this professional-grade acoustical analysis tool. It offers octave and 1/3 octave modes, peak hold, and averaging, with automatic microphone compensation for accurate results.

**Highlights:** Real-time acoustical analysis, Octave and 1/3 Octave modes, Peak Hold and Average modes, Automatic microphone compensation, Save, recall, and export graphs, Interactive touch GUI, Noise curve overlays

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| STC -- Transmission Loss | $9.99 | one-time |
| Reference Curve Files | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Good for quick analysis
- 👍 Accurate for price
- 👍 Useful for tuning
- 👍 Professional tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Freezes often
- 🐛 Incompatible with iOS updates
- 🐛 Screen display issues
- 🐛 Battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after iOS updates (iOS 13, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- App freezes or crashes on startup
- App only displays half the screen
- App does not save analysis readings to photo roll
- App stops working on older iPads after updates

**Requested features**

- Add German language support
- Add NC and NR curves
- Make background mode optional
- Improve compatibility with newer iOS versions
- Add option to overlay readings


### Octave RTA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octave-rta/id569156857)

**Currently charting:** #88 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

This real-time audio analysis app provides precision measurement and visualization for sound. It's designed for musicians and recording engineers, but useful for anyone interested in sound, especially for room or speaker tuning.

**Highlights:** Full, 1/3, and 1/6 Octave analysis, Adjustable FFT Size, Fast, Slow, and Infinite Averaging, Flat, A, and C weighted modes, Snapshot overlay for comparison, Lock mode for peak band tracking

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and precise measurements
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Great tool for sound engineers
- 💰 Good value for money
- ✅ Works well for feedback detection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Screen flashing/blinking issue
- 🐛 Gain adjustment not working
- 🐛 Microphone permission issues
- 🐛 Lack of advanced features
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Screen flashing/blinking on iPads
- Gain slider not working on some devices
- Microphone permission not appearing in settings
- App not working on iOS 14.2
- Display unstable and flashes wildly

**Requested features**

- Increase graph resolution (e.g., to 3dB)
- Alternative input sound sources (e.g., lightning audio)
- Standalone Mac app
- Alternative input sound sources (e.g., line in)
- Ability to switch to line input


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RTA free?

RTA costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Octave RTA free?

Octave RTA costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RTA or Octave RTA?

Octave RTA is rated higher. RTA averages 4.0 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Octave RTA averages 4.4 from 154 ratings.

### Do RTA or Octave RTA have ads?

Neither RTA nor Octave RTA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RTA or Octave RTA?

RTA ships an update every 3 months, and Octave RTA every 17 months. Most recently, RTA was updated on October 26, 2026 and Octave RTA on October 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, RTA or Octave RTA?

RTA currently peaks at #143 in the App Store charts, and Octave RTA at #88. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*