Comparison

SPL Meter vs Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA

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

Head to head
About

SPL Meter

This application functions as a professional-grade sound level meter, measuring decibels (dB) with advanced DSP algorithms. It offers adjustable filters, decay rates, and ranges, and can be calibrated for accuracy. It supports both internal and external microphones for versatile sound measurement.

Highlights
  • A and C weighting filters
  • ANSI Fast or Slow decay
  • 40dB to 120dB ranges
  • Adjustable calibration
  • Internal/External mic support
  • Universal app
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

SPL Meter is a professional-grade sound level meter, also known as a decibel or dB meter, for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Modeled after a traditional analog SPL meter, we have faithfully reproduced all the characteristics and qualities found in those meters, including the ballistics, ranges, filters, and decay rates. Under the hood we have advanced DSP-based algorithms that meet or exceed ANSI / IEC Type 1 standards. And starting with iOS 6, we can disable the mic filters and limiters, to get the real world performance of a hand-held SPL meter. And now, upgrade SPL Meter with iTestMic, our pro-grade test & measurement mic, made specifically for iOS devices. Using iTestMic with SPL Meter, you get a calibrated, accurate SPL Meter, that meets industry standards for Type 2 performance. See our website for more information. But don't compare us to a Radio Shack meter, ours is much more accurate! We have also included a digital LCD display, as shown in the image, to make this the best SPL meter available for iPhone or iPad. And this is something that the old analog meters never had! The screen will flip when you flip the phone over, so that you can point the iPhone mic directly at the sound source. (iPhone X does not support upside down mode) SPL Meter is a universal app -- buy once, and use on all of your iOS devices. SPL Meter is built by the same team that created the other great professional audio and acoustics apps on the store, Studio Six Digital. Built on the engine of our more expensive "SPL" app, SPL Meter's filters and decay rates meet or exceed ANSI type 1. This app is not a toy or a game. SPL Meter is the one audio app that everyone who works in audio must have on their phone! Not only have we made the best one, but we've priced it so you can't afford not to get it. *** FEATURES: FILTERS -- A and C weighting filters are provided. DECAY -- Choose ANSI Fast or Slow. RANGES -- 40dB to 120dB in 9 ranges. CALIBRATION -- Comes pre-calibrated for the typical iPhone or iPad built-in and headset mic, but you can adjust the calibration if you have a professional, calibrated meter to compare it to. Accesses our cloud-based iOS device calibration database, which we updates as new devices are released. INTERNAL / EXTERNAL MIC -- Select Internal to activate the included compensation filter, which is designed to flatten the frequency response of the built-in or headset mic. External will work with our iPhone Measurement Mic, to be released later this summer. See our website for more details. SPL Meter is bargain-priced to make it easy for anyone to check out one of our professional, accurate apps. Studio Six Digital is dedicated to making the iPhone and Touch a professional audio and acoustics test device. Check out our full line of professional-grade audio and acoustics apps: SPL, the professional digital iPhone sound level meter, SPL Graph, for recording SPL over time, RTA, a 1/3 octave real-time analyzer, FFT, for detailed acoustic analysis, ETC, the energy-time curve function, RT60, for automated octave-band decay time measurement, Speaker Pop, to test speaker polarity, and Generator, the iPhone signal generator. Also, if you are looking for more great acoustical and audio test apps, have a look at AudioTools, our premier app for audio professionals.

About

Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA

Analyze sound frequencies and decibel levels with this advanced tool. Ideal for tuning audio systems, it offers real-time spectrum analysis and sound metering for various applications.

Highlights
  • Octave Band Real-Time Analyzer
  • FFT Plot - Fast Fourier Transform
  • Integrated Sound Level Meter (dB-A)
  • Multispectral Harmonic Analyzer
  • Hold Max and Min Peaks
  • Various Window Functions
Features
Read full description

Spectrum Analyzer is full of fantastic advanced features you won’t find elsewhere easily! This app offers a fast and accurate spectrum analysis suitable for both amateur hi-fi enthusiasts and professional A/V engineers. This incredibly precise, pro level tool is perfect for tuning your home cinema, car stereo, subwoofers, and more. Spectrum analyser gives insight into your sounds and deconstructs the audio spectrum, showing the levels of the various frequencies in your audio signal. The built-in sound meter provides high-quality measurement results when measuring ambient noise levels in a multitude of real-life scenarios. Features include- ● Octave Band Real-Time Analyzer ● FFT Plot - Fast Fourier Transform ● Smooth HD Graphics ● Multispectral Harmonic Analyzer ● Integrated Sound Level Meter (dB-A weighted) FFT Features ● FFT size from 256 to incredible 16384 ● Hold Max and (unique feature) Min peaks ● Linear and Logarithm scales ● Various window functions: Rectangle, Hanning, Hamming, Tukey, Cosine, Lanczos, Blackman ● Max frequency live tracking ● Selected frequency live tracking ● Fullscreen mode Octave RTA features ● Bars and unique spline plot modes ● Full, 1/3, 1/6 octave modes ● Hold max mode ● Selected bar tracking. And much more... Please feel free to contact us with any questions, problems or ideas via e-mail support@lspapps.com. Privacy Policy - https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/42622625 Terms of Use https://www.iubenda.com/terms-and-conditions/42622625

Screenshots

SPL Meter3 screens
Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA at Free against SPL Meter's $0.99. Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (3K vs 29). SPL Meter's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 44%) and chart position (#54 vs unranked). On update cadence, 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

Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA is free to download; SPL Meter costs $0.99 up front. SPL Meter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA has 3K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of SPL Meter's written reviews are positive against 44% of Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SPL Meter ships an update every 3 months, Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
SPL Meter versus Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSPL MeterAudio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (29 ratings)4.5 (3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.9% of reviews — better43.6% of reviews
Number of ratings293K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#54 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew SmithMarina Polyanskaya

Customer experience

SPL Meter

All ratings29 ratings
Positive75.9%
Neutral3.4%
Negative20.7%
Written reviews170 reviews
Positive72.9%
Neutral10.6%
Negative16.5%

Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA

All ratings3,042 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews484 reviews
Positive43.6%
Neutral7.4%
Negative49.0%

User reviews

SPL Meter

From 29 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✅ Accurate sound level measurements when calibrated
  • 💰 Excellent value at $0.99 price point
  • 📱 Works across multiple Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod)
  • 🎯 Simple and intuitive user interface
  • 🔧 Analog meter design looks professional and authentic

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent and unstable meter readings
  • 💳 Pricing discrepancies (advertised as $0.99 but charged $6.99)
  • 📐 UI scaling issues on various screen sizes and orientations
  • 🔍 Text and meter display too small to read easily
  • 🖼️ Outdated retro interface design

Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA

From 3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent audio analysis tool
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
  • 💡 Customizable frequency range
  • 🔍 Accurate real-time spectrum visualization

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • 🔁 Constant prompts to upgrade to Pro version
  • 🔌 High battery consumption
  • 📊 Inaccurate frequency tracking in some modes

Bugs and requests

SPL Meter

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Meter readings change completely and are not stable
  • App crashes on iPhone 6s Plus with jumbled screen display
  • Screen scaling issues on iPad models
  • Display glitches when rotating device between portrait and landscape
  • Greyed out settings after installation
Show 6 more
  • Blurry UI and low resolution after updates
  • App fails to respond or shows 999dB reading
  • Incompatibility with iOS 8 and iOS 10.3.2
  • Screen only fills bottom-left corner of display
  • Microphone not responding with external mics
  • Feedback/screeching with certain external microphones

Requested features

12 requests
  • Larger meter display in landscape mode
  • Digital-only display option without analog meter face
  • Peak hold and min/max reading indicators
  • Time-based decibel graph visualization
  • Linear response visual option in addition to logarithmic
Show 7 more
  • Lighter display theme for outdoor readability
  • Larger digital numbers for better visibility
  • Data capture and note-tagging functionality
  • Three-point calibration system
  • Octave band analysis
  • Automatic range selection
  • Improved knob/dial controls (less touchy)

Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing and crashing on certain devices
  • Incorrect frequency readings in Octave RTA mode
  • Inability to switch between microphone sources

Requested features

4 requests
  • External microphone support
  • Ability to save and compare measurement results
  • More detailed instructions and tutorials
  • Vertical orientation option

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SPL Meter

One-time1
  • Controls & Ad-Free$0.99
2 purchases

Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Access3 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Spectrum Analyzer Pro$7.99

Questions

Is SPL Meter free?
SPL Meter costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA free?
Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SPL Meter or Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA?
Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA is rated higher. SPL Meter averages 4.0 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA averages 4.5 from 3K ratings.
Do SPL Meter or Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA have ads?
Neither SPL Meter nor Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SPL Meter or Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA?
SPL Meter ships an update every 3 months, and Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA every 5 months. Most recently, SPL Meter was updated on October 27, 2026 and Audio Spectrum Analyzer dB RTA on October 22, 2026.

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