Comparison

Ripplizer vs Spectre

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

Head to head
About

Ripplizer

Visualize sound as dynamic ripples on your screen. Reacts to music from your microphone or directly from files, with customizable colors and motion. Enjoy a serene visual experience without ads or accounts.

Highlights
  • Sound-to-ripple visualization
  • Microphone or song input
  • Customizable ripple colors and motion
  • External display support
  • On-screen controls for sensitivity and themes
  • Screen stays on
Features
Read full description

Sound is a wave in the air. Ripplizer lets you see it — as ripples spreading across water. Music from a speaker, an instrument you're playing, a clap of your hands: whatever reaches your iPhone or iPad's microphone, Ripplizer draws ripples in time with its rhythm. Put on some music and let it wash over the screen. RIPPLES THAT MOVE WITH THE MUSIC • Every beat and hit sets off a new ripple • Bass, mids and highs each have their own color and motion — bass rolls out slow and wide, highs stay small and light • The whole screen pulses on the beat, and ripples swell with the volume • Reacts the same whether the sound is quiet or loud • When all is quiet, a soft rain of ripples falls PLAY A SONG • Pick a song in the Files app and Ripplizer plays it, drawing ripples straight from the song • No microphone involved, so it reacts even while you listen through earphones or headphones SIMPLE TO USE • Tap anywhere to send out a ripple of your own • A tap also opens a small panel for sensitivity, color themes (Water, Sunset, Classic) and the sound source (microphone or a song) • The screen stays on while you watch • Connect an external display to show just the ripples on the big screen PRIVACY Microphone audio is analyzed on the spot and never recorded or saved. No network access, no ads, no accounts. Note: You can play music from the same device (for example in Apple Music) while using Ripplizer. It can't react while you listen through earphones or headphones, because the sound doesn't reach the microphone; pick a song from the Files app instead. Apple Music tracks are protected and can't be picked. Music playing on the same device may drop out for a moment when you open Ripplizer or switch to another app. iOS reconfigures audio input and output when the microphone starts or stops; playback itself keeps going.

About

Spectre

This audio analysis utility provides real-time FFT and oscilloscope views for sound input. Customize waveform display, control sample rates, and zoom in for detailed analysis on iOS devices.

Highlights
  • FFT Analysis
  • Oscilloscope
  • Customizable Waveform
  • Linear & Logarithmic Forms
  • Pause/Play Controls
  • Zoom Functionality
Features
Read full description

Spectre is an iOS audio analysis utility designed to be useful and visually appealing, making use of retina displays. Feature Highlights: • FFT(Fast Fourier Transform) Analysis • Oscilloscope • Customizable Features: Wave Amplitude, Sample/Time Control, Line Width • Linear & Logarithmic Wave Forms • Pause/Play Controls • Zoom in/out on the Waveform! • Optimized for iPhone 3,4,5 and iOS 7 Currently this app takes input from standard input, and external mics. Cross-app sound analysis coming soon! Waveform recording also coming soon!

Screenshots

Ripplizer4 screens
Spectre4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ripplizer at Free against Spectre's $0.99. Ripplizer also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 96 months). Spectre's advantage is review sentiment (40% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

Ripplizer is free to download; Spectre costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.0 for Ripplizer against 3.0 for Spectre. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of Ripplizer's written reviews are positive against 40% of Spectre's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ripplizer ships an update every 5 months, Spectre every 96 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Ripplizer versus Spectre: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRipplizerSpectre
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.0 (3 ratings)3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews40.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 96 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DevelopericotMichael Hand

Customer experience

Ripplizer

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Spectre

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

In-app purchases

None

Ripplizer

No in-app purchases

None

Spectre

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ripplizer free?
Ripplizer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spectre free?
Spectre costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ripplizer or Spectre?
Ripplizer and Spectre are both rated 3.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Ripplizer or Spectre have ads?
Neither Ripplizer nor Spectre shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ripplizer or Spectre?
Ripplizer ships an update every 5 months, and Spectre every 96 months. Most recently, Ripplizer was updated on October 31, 2026 and Spectre on October 18, 2026.

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