Comparison

Mac Tools vs Grote Tri

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

Head to head
About

Mac Tools

This utility transforms your smartphone into a sound and vibration detection tool. It assists technicians in pinpointing issues in vehicles and machinery by analyzing rattles, squeaks, and grinding noises. Requires specialized hardware to function.

Highlights
  • Sound and vibration detection
  • Locates defective or worn parts
  • User-friendly interface
  • Analog and digital display options
  • Adjustable sound settings
  • Informative user guide
Features
Read full description

The Mac Tools SmartEAR1 Sound & Vibration Detection app was developed to help assist the service technician in locating and finding defective or worn parts in automobiles, heavy machinery or industrial equipment where vibration, rattles, squeaks and grinding sounds would be associated making the task very difficult or impossible to diagnose. When used with our specially designed hardware kits your smartphone will be transformed into a state of the art Sound & Vibration Detection Technicians Tool allowing for ease of locating and finding those troubled areas. NOTE: Additional hardware is required to use this app. For information on how to purchase hardware please contact your local Mac Tools Distributor or call 1-800-MAC-TOOLS Features: User friendly interface and intuitive operation. Sound level reading displays average, peak and real-time values. Sound level readings are displayed in either Analog or Digital. Analog and Digital readings have 2 display panels the user can choose from. Analog Meter or Analog Wave-Form. Digital Numeric or Digital Bar Graph. Background sound off-setting, sample rates, decibel off-setting can be manually be set. Reset/Refresh buttons reset/refresh values to default settings. Sound Level Reading Sampling Rate Decibel Off-set Master Volume Control User information guide includes informative facts about sound perception and permissible noise level exposure as well as a sound level comparison reference chart. Additional Information: Required: Any iOS device running iOS5.0+. Recommended: iPhone 4 and newer/ iPod Touch 4 and newer. Compatible: iPad 2 and newer.

About

Grote Tri

Features
Read full description

The Grote Tri-Color warning light has a large number of features built into it. You can now program these features using your iOS device with the Grote Tri-Color Programmer! The system works using the flash on your phone to send data to a sensor on the warning light. Simply set up your light as described in the manual, select your options, hold your phone flash near the sensor, and program your light in seconds! You can program: 1. Patterns for each of the 3 enable wires. 2. Which colors are enabled by each enable wire. 3. Phase 4. Functionality such as steady burn, cruise, and auto-dim. And then preview your pattern in the app!

Screenshots

Mac Tools4 screens
Grote Tri4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Grote Tri at every 3 weeks against Mac Tools's every 22 months. Grote Tri also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mac Tools ships an update every 22 months, Grote Tri every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Mac Tools versus Grote Tri: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMac ToolsGrote Tri
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 22 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJS Products, Inc.Grote Industries, Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Mac Tools

No in-app purchases

None

Grote Tri

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mac Tools free?
Mac Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Grote Tri free?
Grote Tri is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Mac Tools or Grote Tri have ads?
Neither Mac Tools nor Grote Tri shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mac Tools or Grote Tri?
Mac Tools ships an update every 22 months, and Grote Tri every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mac Tools was updated on October 15, 2026 and Grote Tri on October 13, 2026.

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