Comparison

SoundScope vs Spectrum

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

Head to head
About

SoundScope

This app provides real-time audio spectrum analysis with detailed visualizations. It offers advanced features for monitoring stereo width, phase correlation, and system audio, designed for professional audio work.

Highlights
  • Real-time FFT spectrum analysis
  • Frequency bars and line graph visualizations
  • Logarithmic and linear frequency scaling
  • Stereo, Mid/Side, and Phase Correlation analysis
  • System audio loopback
  • Microphone and audio interface input
Features
Read full description

This is SoundScope: Light - the light version of our app SoundScope Pro. SoundScope Pro is the professional audio spectrum analyzer built for Mac. Whether you're mixing a track, mastering a record, designing sound, or just curious about what your music looks and sounds like under the hood — SoundScope Pro gives you the precision tools to hear what your ears alone can't catch. — REAL-TIME FFT ANALYSIS — At the heart of SoundScope Pro is a high-resolution FFT engine with configurable sizes from 64 all the way to 32,768 — giving you everything from ultra-fast transient response to surgical frequency precision. Switch between TRANS, BAL, and MASTR presets instantly, or dial in the exact FFT size and overlap you need. — VISUALIZE YOUR AUDIO, YOUR WAY — Choose between two stunning visualization modes: crisp frequency bars with animated peak indicators, or a silky-smooth line graph with filled gradient area. Toggle logarithmic or linear frequency scaling. Set 16, 32, 64, or 128 bands. Freeze the display instantly with HOLD mode to analyze any moment in time. — FULL STEREO & M/S ANALYSIS — SoundScope Pro goes beyond a simple frequency visualizer. Monitor your Left and Right channels simultaneously with accurate VU meters and peak hold. Inspect stereo width with the Stereo Image visualizer. Analyze your mix in Mid/Side with dedicated M and S spectrum displays. Watch phase coherence in real time with the Phase Correlation meter — essential for mono compatibility checks. — SYSTEM AUDIO, ZERO SETUP — Capture your Mac's system audio output directly using Apple's ScreenCaptureKit — no virtual audio driver, no third-party installs required. Switch seamlessly between system audio loopback and any connected microphone or audio interface. — BUILT FOR PROFESSIONALS, DESIGNED FOR MAC — A dark, premium interface with 7 accent color themes. Rotary faders for sensitivity and overlap control. Persistent settings across sessions. Designed to live permanently on your desktop while you work. — FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS — • Real-time FFT spectrum analyzer — 64 to 32,768 FFT size • Bars and Line visualization modes with smooth animation • Logarithmic and Linear frequency scaling • 16 / 32 / 64 / 128 frequency bands • System audio loopback — no virtual driver needed (ScreenCaptureKit) • Microphone & audio interface input with source selector • Stereo VU meters (L/R) with peak hold • Stereo Image visualizer • Mid/Side (M/S) spectrum analysis • Phase Correlation meter for mono compatibility • Sensitivity (gain) rotary control • Overlap control 25%–93.75% for temporal resolution • HOLD mode — freeze and inspect any frame • 7 premium accent color themes • Settings persist between sessions

About

Spectrum

Features
Read full description

Spectrum turns your phone into a modern real-time audio analyzer - the clean, fast tool that older spectrum apps never gave you. See sound the moment it happens: a live FFT frequency spectrum and a scrolling spectrogram (waterfall), with automatic peak detection and the matching musical note. Built for a phone screen, with a beautiful dark and light theme - not a cramped desktop port. WHY SPECTRUM • Modern, readable interface - designed for touch, dark & light themes • Save your measurements and revisit them anytime (most analyzers forget everything the moment you close them) • Export the spectrogram as a high-resolution image, or your data as CSV • Works on both iPhone and iPad • Real peak frequency + musical note readout, in cents FEATURES • Real-time FFT spectrum, log or linear frequency axis • Spectrogram (waterfall) view • Tap the chart for a frequency cursor with dB and musical note • Peak hold and peak-frequency tracking • Musical note detection (A4 = 440 Hz) • A-weighting for perceived loudness • Adjustable FFT size (2048 / 4096 / 8192) • Save, name and organize measurements • Image & CSV export • 8 languages SPECTRUM PRO - one-time purchase, no subscription • 1/3 octave RTA view with per-band peak hold - the classic real-time analyzer used for live sound and room tuning • Tone generator: sine tones, 20 Hz-20 kHz logarithmic sweep, white & pink noise for testing speakers and room acoustics • Peak list: the strongest peaks with harmonics tagged • Up to 4 frequency markers on the chart • Calibration offset (±20 dB) to match a reference meter • Extra-high resolution 16384 FFT • High-resolution image export and no ads, forever Everything is processed on your device - no audio is ever uploaded. Microphone access is the only permission needed. Perfect for musicians, audio engineers, students, DIY speaker builders, hum & noise hunters, and anyone curious about the sounds around them.

Screenshots

SoundScope4 screens
Spectrum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SoundScope at none against Spectrum's 1. SoundScope also leads on ads (none vs shown). Spectrum's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Spectrum sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SoundScope asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SoundScope ships an update monthly, Spectrum every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Ā· 4 level
SoundScope versus Spectrum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoundScopeSpectrum
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB89 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWaldemar SchneiderSEONYONG LEE

In-app purchases

None

SoundScope

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Spectrum

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99

Questions

Is SoundScope free?
SoundScope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spectrum free?
Spectrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SoundScope or Spectrum have ads?
Spectrum shows ads; SoundScope does not.
Which is updated more often, SoundScope or Spectrum?
SoundScope ships an update monthly, and Spectrum every 8 days. Most recently, SoundScope was updated on October 4, 2026 and Spectrum on October 8, 2026.

Other comparisons