MiniMeters vs Smaart

MiniMeters is an audio metering application and plug-in suite for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The standalone app can monitor stereo input or supported system output, or receive audio from its Audio Server plug-in. Its modules display VU, waveform, spectrogram, spectrum, stereometer, loudness, and oscilloscope measurements. Users can arrange meters in a horizontal bar, separate them into windows, or use Quad Layout. MiniMeters can record audio directly and clip the previous 10 or 60 seconds of received audio. Individual plug-ins come in VST3, CLAP, and Audio Unit formats, and require a compatible host. The maker describes it as a display tool for measurements, not an audio processor. The no-time-limit demo is limited to Waveform and Loudness modules and places demo text on screen. The paid product costs 20.00 USD once, with a minimum price of $20 USD, and includes the standalone app, Audio Server plug-in, and meter plug-ins. Minimum requirements include Windows 10, macOS 10.15, or Linux kernel 5.4.0-174; macOS 14.2 is required for audio output capture.

Smaart is professional audio acoustic test and measurement software from Rational Acoustics, a company founded in 2008. Its Suite edition includes Real-Time, Impulse Response, and SPL measurement modes; other editions are RT, LE, and SPL. Analysis views include RTA, spectrograph, magnitude, coherence, phase, live impulse response, linear and logarithmic views, energy time curve, frequency, histogram, and SPL history. Each product includes an API for accessing measurement data and parameters through JSON commands over WebSocket, with an SDK available free upon request. Listed integrations include Eclipse Audio FIR Designer, Globcon, Lab Gruppen Lake Controller, Powersoft ArmoniaPlus, and Waves TRACT. Smaart is available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, but does not support Windows on ARM. Demo installers for Suite, LE, and SPL expire after 30 days and cannot be reactivated or converted to a license. Annual subscriptions provide one year of use and renew automatically unless canceled before the term ends. Pricing includes subscriptions from $159 a year and perpetual licenses from $349, paid once.