# Black Spectacles vs AREchitect

The clearest difference is rating: AREchitect at 5.0 against Black Spectacles's 3.8. AREchitect also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Black Spectacles's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

AREchitect holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Black Spectacles has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Black Spectacles ships an update fortnightly, AREchitect monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Black Spectacles | AREchitect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-spectacles/id6754046991/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arechitect/id6782441769/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 79 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Black Spectacles, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1474708769) | [Bin Liu](https://appshunter.io/developer/6782441771) |

## What reviewers say

### Black Spectacles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-spectacles/id6754046991)

Prepare for ARE® and CSE® exams with engaging videos, flashcards, and quizzes. Download content for offline viewing anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Exam preparation, Engaging videos, Interactive flashcards, Quizzes, Offline video downloads

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### AREchitect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arechitect/id6782441769)

Prepare for architecture licensing exams with structured study materials and practice questions. Identify weak areas, review explanations, and track your progress towards exam readiness. Flashcards and timed mini-mock exams reinforce learning.

**Highlights:** Exam-style practice questions, Structured question sets, Detailed answer explanations, Performance insights for weak areas, Review Center for saved/missed questions, Timed Mini Mock exams, Study progress tracking, Flashcards for concept reinforcement

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Black Spectacles free?

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

### Is AREchitect free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Black Spectacles or AREchitect?

AREchitect is rated higher. Black Spectacles averages 3.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while AREchitect averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Black Spectacles or AREchitect have ads?

Neither Black Spectacles nor AREchitect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Black Spectacles or AREchitect?

Black Spectacles ships an update fortnightly, and AREchitect monthly. Most recently, Black Spectacles was updated on October 1, 2026 and AREchitect on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*