Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst vs Decibel

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst is a free plug-in for monitoring the spectral content of mono or stereo audio in real time. It displays spectrum, instant curve and peak curve views, with continuous changes rendered using smooth interpolation. Users can zoom the display, choose among sizes and set absolute or relative thresholds. The interface supports skins, transparency and zoom customization, while MIDI control, automation and MIDI Learn provide ways to control the plug-in. A preset manager is included, and users can copy and paste a plug-in state between instances. FreqAnalyst is not a standalone app: it requires a compatible audio host and is available in VST, VST3, AAX and Audio Unit formats for macOS and Windows. The stated operating systems are macOS 10.9 or newer and Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11. It supports up to two channels. The maker says processing stops when the input is silent, so it uses no CPU while idle.

Decibel provides customizable real-time audio metering for sound engineers and video makers, and can also analyze tracks offline. Its modules measure loudness (LUFS), dynamics (TrueDyn), true peak, RMS, frequency content, and stereo phase. Users can drag a track into the app for offline analysis and export measurement statistics. Available analysis views include LUFS, histogram, spectrum, spectrogram, VU, digital meter, phase scope, stereo cloud, and super meter. Decibel comes as 64-bit AU, VST3, and AAX plugins, plus a standalone version. The product page lists compatibility with Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic Pro X, Ableton, Studio One, and Luna, as well as Premiere Pro; DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro are described as coming soon. It can connect unlimited iOS and Android displays over Wi-Fi or USB for real-time metering. Decibel is listed for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The maker says it complies with ATSC A/85, EBU R128, Netflix, and DVD/Blu-ray broadcast standards. Licenses are perpetual and include free updates, with no subscriptions.