# SpectrumView vs Bat Detector

The clearest difference is rating: Bat Detector at 5.0 against SpectrumView's 3.1. Bat Detector also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months). SpectrumView's advantage is review sentiment (63% vs 40%) and ratings volume (74 vs 2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Bat Detector holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpectrumView has 74 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of SpectrumView's written reviews are positive against 40% of Bat Detector's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SpectrumView ships an update every 10 months, Bat Detector monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpectrumView | Bat Detector |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrumview/id472662922/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bat-detector/id6504186190/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **74** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **63.0% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 136 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Oxford Wave Research Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/472662925) | [Phil Atkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1751268739) |

## 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


### Bat Detector

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bat-detector/id6504186190)

Listen to and record the ultrasonic sounds of bats using your iPhone or iPad. This app reveals bat acoustics through heterodyne detection and 16x time expansion, making their calls audible and musical. It also offers full-spectrum recordings triggered by bat sounds.

**Highlights:** Heterodyne bat detection without manual tuning, 16x time expansion for audible bat sounds, Full-spectrum recordings triggered by bat sounds, Real-time sound demodulation, Preserves harmonic relationships in bat calls, Supports European and global microbats

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpectrumView free?

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

### Is Bat Detector free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SpectrumView or Bat Detector?

Bat Detector is rated higher. SpectrumView averages 3.1 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Bat Detector averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do SpectrumView or Bat Detector have ads?

Neither SpectrumView nor Bat Detector shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SpectrumView or Bat Detector?

SpectrumView ships an update every 10 months, and Bat Detector monthly. Most recently, SpectrumView was updated on September 21, 2026 and Bat Detector on September 2, 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.*