Comparison

ToneScope vs Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT

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

Head to head
About

ToneScope

This audio analysis tool offers real-time and offline sound signal processing. It utilizes a multirate FFT for high frequency resolution and efficiency on iOS devices. All data processing is done locally, ensuring user privacy.

Highlights
  • Real-time audio analysis
  • Offline sound signal analysis
  • Multirate FFT processing
  • High frequency resolution
  • On-device processing
  • Local audio recording
Features
Read full description

ToneScope helps you see and understand sound in real time. ToneScope transforms complex audio into visual representations that are easy to interpret. Whether you're exploring music, investigating environmental noise, or simply curious about the sounds around you, ToneScope makes sound easier to understand. It uses a multirate FFT approach to achieve high frequency resolution at low frequencies while remaining efficient for real-time use on iOS. Users can analyze audio in real time or record sound locally and analyze it later. All processing is performed entirely on-device. Optional audio recordings are saved locally under user control. No data is transmitted, uploaded, or collected. Designed and developed by Newton Niu.

About

Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT

Analyze live audio frequencies from your device's microphone. Identify peak frequencies, hums, and room modes with detailed spectrum views and capture analysis. Compare sound changes over time and export data for further study.

Highlights
  • Live frequency spectrum display
  • 5-second capture and analysis
  • Peak frequency and level identification
  • Adjustable dB range
  • Comparison of sound changes
  • Specialized analysis modes (Voice, Machine, Room)
  • CSV export
Features
Read full description

Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT shows the live frequency spectrum of any sound your iPhone microphone hears, then lets you capture a 5-second average and read the result: the strongest frequency in Hz, the top components and where the energy sits. ▶ See the spectrum live • 32 bands from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, computed with a 2048-point FFT • Four views: Bars with peak hold, Line, Waterfall and Spectrogram • Peak frequency and peak level update as you listen • Min / Max traces in the Bars view, tap a bar for a cursor readout, freeze the display to study it • Adjustable dB range from 30 to 120 dB ▶ Capture 5 seconds, get an answer Tap Capture 5 s under the graph and hold the sound steady. The app power-averages the spectrum over five seconds and shows a result card: • Strongest component in Hz, with the musical note and cents in Voice mode • Up to three top components with their levels • Share of the detected energy in the low, mid and high part of the selected range • Strongest band level and the FFT resolution of the measurement If the sound is too quiet in that range, the card says so instead of inventing a peak. ▶ Compare before and after Save a capture as a reference (up to 10). Make a change — move a speaker, add treatment, adjust a machine — capture again in the same mode and the card shows the average band-level difference in dB. References can also be overlaid on the live spectrum. ▶ Pick the job • Voice: 80–4000 Hz, shows the note of the strongest pitch • Machine: 20–2000 Hz, looks for 50/60 Hz mains hum and its harmonics • Room: 20–500 Hz, the low end where room modes build up ▶ Export and share • Export a CSV of the live spectrum or of a 5-second capture • Share a short text summary of a capture ▶ Extras • Calibration offset from −20 to +20 dB in 0.5 dB steps to line up with a reference meter • Pink noise generator, unlocked for 24 hours by watching a short ad • Interface in 30 languages ▶ Good to know Levels are relative to the microphone's full scale (dBFS). A phone microphone is not a certified sound level meter, so use the numbers to find frequencies and compare changes, not for compliance measurements. Audio is analysed in memory while you listen and is not saved as a recording. For musicians checking a tone, home studio and hi-fi owners chasing a boomy note, and anyone tracking down a hum from a fridge, fan or transformer.

Screenshots

ToneScope4 screens
Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ToneScope at 4.6 against Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT's 2.6. ToneScope also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ToneScope holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 5 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ToneScope ships an update every 10 days, Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ToneScope versus Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterToneScopeSpectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (5 ratings) — better2.6 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings55
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB95 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperNewton NiuKyu-Hee Jang

Customer experience

ToneScope

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

ToneScope

No in-app purchases

None

Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ToneScope free?
ToneScope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT free?
Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ToneScope or Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT?
ToneScope is rated higher. ToneScope averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT averages 2.6 from 5 ratings.
Do ToneScope or Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT have ads?
Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT shows ads; ToneScope does not.
Which is updated more often, ToneScope or Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT?
ToneScope ships an update every 10 days, and Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT every 5 days. Most recently, ToneScope was updated on October 31, 2026 and Spectrum Analyzer+ Audio FFT on November 5, 2026.

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