# SpectrumView vs BirdNET Live

The clearest difference is rating: BirdNET Live at 5.0 against SpectrumView's 3.1. BirdNET Live also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 63%) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). SpectrumView's advantage is ratings volume (74 vs 6) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

BirdNET Live 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 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of SpectrumView's written reviews are positive against 100% of BirdNET Live's.

SpectrumView ships an update every 10 months, BirdNET Live weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpectrumView | BirdNET Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrumview/id472662922/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdnet-live/id6776168518/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **74** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 62.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 346 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oxford Wave Research Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/472662925) | [Stefan Kahl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541842887) |

## 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


### BirdNET Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdnet-live/id6776168518)

Identify bird species by their songs and calls directly on your device, even offline. This app provides real-time spectrograms, species detections, and tools for structured bioacoustic research and surveys. Manage your sound library and contribute to scientific understanding.

**Highlights:** Offline sound identification, Real-time spectrogram, Species detection, Structured survey modes, Audio file analysis, Sound library management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpectrumView free?

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

### Is BirdNET Live free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SpectrumView or BirdNET Live?

BirdNET Live is rated higher. SpectrumView averages 3.1 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while BirdNET Live averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do SpectrumView or BirdNET Live have ads?

Neither SpectrumView nor BirdNET Live shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SpectrumView or BirdNET Live?

SpectrumView ships an update every 10 months, and BirdNET Live weekly. Most recently, SpectrumView was updated on October 9, 2026 and BirdNET Live on October 3, 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.*