Comparison

RTA Pro vs PAcalculate

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

Head to head
About

RTA Pro

Transform your iOS device into a professional audio analysis tool. Analyze ambient noise frequencies, pinpoint room resonance, and set up sound systems for events. Features include custom calibration, multiple display modes, and adjustable speed settings.

Highlights
  • Real-time audio spectrum analysis
  • Frequency range 32Hz to 16kHz
  • Linear, dB(A), and dB(C) weightings
  • 1/3 Octave Bands, Octave Bands, and FFT display
  • Adjustable speed settings
  • Custom calibration options
Currently charting
Read full description

RTA Pro is a real time audio spektrum analyzer. It turns your iOS device into a powerful audio test system usually seen only in audio research laboratories and music studios. Such instruments are used to analyze the frequency spectrum of ambient noise, e.g. to be able to pinpoint frequencies which cause rumble in a room. Another use is the level setting setting of PA systems for concerts. Features: RTA Pro requires iOS11 or later and has been calibrated for the microphones of most iPhones. Custom calibration is also possible. The frequency range is 32Hz to 16kHz. Linear display, as well as weightings for measuring dB(A) and dB(C) is provided. Apart from 1/3 Octave Bands and Octave Bands, RTA Pro also features the display of a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The speed is adjustable to impulse, 128ms and 1 second.

About

PAcalculate

This app provides 28 calculators and reference information for professional audio sound reinforcement and lighting. It covers acoustics, audio electronics, cabling, and lighting calculations, making it a valuable tool for audio and lighting professionals.

Highlights
  • 28 calculators for pro-audio and lighting
  • Acoustics calculations (SPL, air absorption)
  • Audio electronics calculations (dBu/dBV, Q/B/W)
  • Cabling calculations (speaker cable loss)
  • Lighting calculations (DMX, RGB/CMY)
  • Reference info (pinouts, graphs)
Features
Read full description

28 calculators (47 calculations) for pro-audio sound reinforcement and lighting, as well as reference info and utilities. A super handy tool for people dealing with PA, sound reinforcement, sound systems, electro-acoustics, pro-audio and lighting Acoustics - SPL (sound pressure level) - SPL sum with phase, distance or time difference - Air absorption attenuation for a given humidity, temperature, frequency and distance - Ceiling speaker coverage - Time «» Distance - Audio frequency «» Wavelength (includes lambda/2 and 2*lambda/3 for line arrays or subwoofer arrays) - Transition distance for line arrays (near to far field) - End-fire and broadside array subwoofer modelling Audio electronics - dBu «» dBV «» Volts - Q «» B/W (bandwidth) - Limiter threshold, attack&releases times - Amplifier gain Cabling - Speaker cable: low impedance, high impedance (constant voltage line, 70V/100V). Calculates energy and level loss, system damping factor Lights DMX channel, RGB/RGBW/RGBA and CMY Useful reference info such as pinouts (proaudio and lighting) and graphs Utilities: Inclinometer, Flashlight / light with selectable intermittence (uses camera permission) Latest news from DoctorProAudio.com

Screenshots

RTA Pro4 screens
PAcalculate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PAcalculate at 100% against RTA Pro's 50%. PAcalculate also leads on price (Free vs $5.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). RTA Pro's advantage is chart position (#191 vs unranked). On update cadence, 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

PAcalculate is free to download; RTA Pro costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PAcalculate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of RTA Pro's written reviews are positive against 100% of PAcalculate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RTA Pro ships an update every 3 months, PAcalculate every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
RTA Pro versus PAcalculate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRTA ProPAcalculate
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (2 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#191 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthias SchorerJose Brusi

Customer experience

RTA Pro

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

PAcalculate

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

RTA Pro

No in-app purchases

None

PAcalculate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RTA Pro free?
RTA Pro costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PAcalculate free?
PAcalculate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RTA Pro or PAcalculate?
PAcalculate is rated higher. RTA Pro averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while PAcalculate averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do RTA Pro or PAcalculate have ads?
Neither RTA Pro nor PAcalculate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RTA Pro or PAcalculate?
RTA Pro ships an update every 3 months, and PAcalculate every 4 months. Most recently, RTA Pro was updated on October 8, 2026 and PAcalculate on October 1, 2026.

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