Comparison

Spectrometry vs Professor Index

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

Head to head
About

Spectrometry

This application allows students and teachers to conduct spectrometry experiments using a wireless spectrometer. It measures and analyzes absorbance, transmittance, and fluorescence, supporting full spectrum analysis and Beer's law experiments. The software offers tools for calibration, comparison, and data plotting for educational purposes.

Highlights
  • Measure absorbance, transmittance, fluorescence
  • Full spectrum analysis
  • Beer's law and kinetics experiments
  • Compare multiple spectra
  • Calibrate dark and reference spectra
  • Plot absorbance and transmittance
  • Determine unknown concentration
Read full description

PASCO Spectrometry is specifically designed for all levels of students and teachers to integrate spectrometry into the teaching and learning of physics, chemistry and biology. Simply connect a PASCO Wireless Spectrometer (PS-2600) and insert a solution to measure absorbance, transmittance and fluorescence of solutions. The Spectrometry software specifically supports full spectrum analysis along with Beer’s law and kinetics experiments. Use a PASCO Fiber Optics Cable (PS-2601) to easily analyze the spectrum of light emissions.   Key features: • Measure and analyze intensity, absorbance, transmittance and fluorescence. • Auto-set the integration time to determine optimum spectrum • Compare multiple spectra to each other and to a set of reference lines of common elements including Hydrogen, Helium, Mercury and more • Quickly calibrate dark and reference spectra for solution spectrometry • Plot absorbance and transmittance on the same graph • Apply a linear fit to determine relationships • Determine unknown concentration based on standard curves and user feedback • Calculate inverse and natural logarithmic data with built-in calculator functions • Annotate the graph • Take Snapshots of pages for journaling and assessments Common user experience across platforms: Spectrometry provides the same user experience for tablets and computers. No matter the mix of technology in the classroom or the school, teachers and students all share the same user experience--placing the learning experience in the forefront and simplifying classroom management. Awards: • 2015 SIIA CODiE award, Best Education App for a Mobile Device (Finalist) • 2015 BETT award, Digital Devices (Finalist) for the Spectrometer + Spectrometry app Equipment and accessory: The Wireless Spectrometer (PS-2600) and the Fiber Optic Accessory (PS-2601) can be found at pasco.com/spectrometer About PASCO: PASCO Scientific brings a rich history of innovation and support for science education, with 50 years of service to educators around the world.

About

Professor Index

This app allows college students to rate and review professors and courses, providing insights into teaching effectiveness and course relevance. Students can compare professor profiles and make informed enrollment decisions based on peer feedback.

Highlights
  • Rate and review professors
  • Get feedback on future professors
  • Compare professor profiles
  • Make data-informed enrollment decisions
  • Gamified review incentives
Features
Read full description

Professor Index (PI) is a user-friendly mobile app that enables college students to voice their opinions on various aspects of their higher educational experience, ranging from the effectiveness of their professors’ teaching methodologies to the relevance of their course materials. Students can rate and review their professors, request and get feedback about their future professors and courses at a glance, compare different professor profiles, and ultimately, make data-informed class enrollment decisions. To enhance engagement and response rates, PI uses gamification and nudging algorithms to incentivize students to actively review their professors by rewarding meaningful, objective, and fair reviews.

Screenshots

Professor Index4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Professor Index at 4.5 against Spectrometry's 4.0. Professor Index also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (59 vs 4). Spectrometry's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Professor Index holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Professor Index has 59 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Spectrometry's written reviews are positive against 88% of Professor Index's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spectrometry ships an update every 6 months, Professor Index monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Spectrometry versus Professor Index: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpectrometryProfessor Index
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.5 (59 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better88.0% of reviews
Number of ratings459 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPASCO scientificProfessor Index, LLC

Customer experience

Spectrometry

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Professor Index

All ratings59 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral1.7%
Negative10.2%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative8.0%

In-app purchases

None

Spectrometry

No in-app purchases

None

Professor Index

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spectrometry free?
Spectrometry is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Professor Index free?
Professor Index is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spectrometry or Professor Index?
Professor Index is rated higher. Spectrometry averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Professor Index averages 4.5 from 59 ratings.
Do Spectrometry or Professor Index have ads?
Neither Spectrometry nor Professor Index shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spectrometry or Professor Index?
Spectrometry ships an update every 6 months, and Professor Index monthly. Most recently, Spectrometry was updated on October 20, 2026 and Professor Index on October 30, 2026.

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