BYU vs Spectrometry
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BYU
Access a suite of university services designed for students. Manage academic tasks, campus resources, and personal accounts all in one place. This app streamlines your university experience.
- BYU Learning Suite
- Add/Drop Classes
- Testing Center access
- Cannon Commons information
- Cougar Cash management
- Digital ID Card
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The BYU Mobile App Suite contains a variety of newly designed mobile services developed by the Office of Information Technology at Brigham Young University, all within a single App. Features Include: - BYU Learning Suite - Add / Drop Classes - Testing Center - Cannon Commons - Cougar Cash - ID Card - And More… The perfect app for any True Blue Cougar.
Spectrometry
This application allows students and teachers to conduct spectrometry experiments using a wireless spectrometer. It measures and analyzes absorbance, transmittance, and fluorescence, supporting full spectrum analysis and Beer's law experiments. The software offers tools for calibration, comparison, and data plotting for educational purposes.
- Measure absorbance, transmittance, fluorescence
- Full spectrum analysis
- Beer's law and kinetics experiments
- Compare multiple spectra
- Calibrate dark and reference spectra
- Plot absorbance and transmittance
- Determine unknown concentration
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PASCO Spectrometry is specifically designed for all levels of students and teachers to integrate spectrometry into the teaching and learning of physics, chemistry and biology. Simply connect a PASCO Wireless Spectrometer (PS-2600) and insert a solution to measure absorbance, transmittance and fluorescence of solutions. The Spectrometry software specifically supports full spectrum analysis along with Beer’s law and kinetics experiments. Use a PASCO Fiber Optics Cable (PS-2601) to easily analyze the spectrum of light emissions. Key features: • Measure and analyze intensity, absorbance, transmittance and fluorescence. • Auto-set the integration time to determine optimum spectrum • Compare multiple spectra to each other and to a set of reference lines of common elements including Hydrogen, Helium, Mercury and more • Quickly calibrate dark and reference spectra for solution spectrometry • Plot absorbance and transmittance on the same graph • Apply a linear fit to determine relationships • Determine unknown concentration based on standard curves and user feedback • Calculate inverse and natural logarithmic data with built-in calculator functions • Annotate the graph • Take Snapshots of pages for journaling and assessments Common user experience across platforms: Spectrometry provides the same user experience for tablets and computers. No matter the mix of technology in the classroom or the school, teachers and students all share the same user experience--placing the learning experience in the forefront and simplifying classroom management. Awards: • 2015 SIIA CODiE award, Best Education App for a Mobile Device (Finalist) • 2015 BETT award, Digital Devices (Finalist) for the Spectrometer + Spectrometry app Equipment and accessory: The Wireless Spectrometer (PS-2600) and the Fiber Optic Accessory (PS-2601) can be found at pasco.com/spectrometer About PASCO: PASCO Scientific brings a rich history of innovation and support for science education, with 50 years of service to educators around the world.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spectrometry at 100% against BYU's 55%. Spectrometry also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.6). BYU's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BYU holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BYU has 7.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of BYU's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spectrometry's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
BYU ships an update every 2 weeks, Spectrometry every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BYU | Spectrometry |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (7.1K ratings) — better | 4.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7.1K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brigham Young University | PASCO scientific |
Customer experience
BYU
Spectrometry
Bugs and requests
BYU
Reported bugs
4 issues- Constant log-outs and need to re-authenticate
- Mobile ordering and Cougar Cash integration issues
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Outdated or incorrect information in some areas
Requested features
4 requests- Integrate with Learning Suite for full functionality
- Add ability to view/manage Cougar Cash and dining plan
- Improve search and navigation capabilities
- Provide more personalized and customizable features
Spectrometry
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BYU
No in-app purchases
Spectrometry
No in-app purchases
