# SpectrumView vs Lumen

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SpectrumView at 63% against Lumen's 25%. SpectrumView also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0.1). Lumen's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SpectrumView sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Lumen asks for nothing beyond the download.

SpectrumView ships an update every 10 months, Lumen every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpectrumView | Lumen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.1 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrumview/id472662922/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **74** | — |
| Positive reviews | **63.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oxford Wave Research Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/472662925) | [UNext Learning Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599046900) |

## What reviewers say

### SpectrumView

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrumview/id472662922)

This app provides real-time audio analysis with a dynamic spectrogram and spectrum analyzer. Visualize audible and inaudible frequencies, measure tones, get feedback on speech, identify sounds, and calibrate instruments. Access recordings and snapshots easily.

**Highlights:** Real-time spectrogram and spectrum analyzer, Configurable sample rate and frequency resolution, Record, pause, and playback audio files, Generate snapshots of spectrum data, Web file transfer, Tap data cursor for precise frequency and level, Musical notes or frequency display on tap

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Enable peak hold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Access iTunes and SoundCould | $0.99 | one-time |
| Generate data snapshot | $0.99 | one-time |
| Enable Log Scale | $1.99 | one-time |
| Disable recording length limit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Enable pinch to zoom | $1.99 | one-time |
| Enable Web File Transfer | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate and reliable spectrogram visualization
- 🎯 Highly configurable FFT and sampling settings
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive user interface
- 📊 Excellent for analyzing speech, music, and animal sounds
- ⚙️ Useful for professional audio calibration and research

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Aggressive in-app purchase model for basic features
- 🔐 Unexplained location permission requests
- 📉 Linear frequency scale wastes screen space
- ⏱️ Slow app startup times
- 🎯 Limited frequency range (8kHz cap in recent versions)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup after updates
- Crashes when attempting to zoom on spectrograms
- Crashes when playing files from iTunes library
- Microphone hijacking error messages
- Pinch-to-zoom and pan features not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Logarithmic frequency scale for audio analysis
- Adjustable time scale/window for spectrograms
- Ability to analyze audio from music library/iTunes
- Longer-term averaging for spectrum analyzer
- A-weighting frequency selection


### Lumen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumen/id1636279777)

This app offers a personalized online learning experience with 24/7 access to course materials, live classes, and collaborative tools. Monitor your progress, interact with professors and peers, and manage your assignments and schedule all in one place.

**Highlights:** 24/7 online learning access, Live classes and professor interaction, Peer collaboration and discussions, Performance tracking and assessments, Offline content downloads, Assignment submission and reminders

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpectrumView free?

SpectrumView is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Lumen free?

Lumen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SpectrumView or Lumen have ads?

Neither SpectrumView nor Lumen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SpectrumView or Lumen?

SpectrumView ships an update every 10 months, and Lumen every 2 weeks. Most recently, SpectrumView was updated on September 21, 2026 and Lumen on September 23, 2026.

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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.*