Smaart

Smaart is software for real-time analysis, with versions for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Its analysis views include RTA, spectrograph, magnitude, coherence, phase, and live impulse response. It also offers linear and logarithmic views, energy time curve, frequency, histogram, and SPL history. These views give users several ways to examine sound within the software. Smaart supports real-time analysis and has no plugin support. The product is associated with Woodstock, Connecticut, United States, and was founded in 2008. It is paid software starting at $159 per year, and a 30-day trial is available. There is no free plan. The listed platforms span desktop and mobile operating systems, while the analysis options range from phase and coherence to SPL history. Users considering Smaart should account for the paid model and the absence of plugin support.

Smaart offers a wide set of analysis views and is available on desktop and mobile platforms. The listed offer is paid, with a 30-day trial and no plugin support.

Smaart may suit users seeking real-time analysis software with multiple sound-analysis views across desktop and mobile platforms. It is not a fit for users who require plugin support or a free plan.

Smaart is professional acoustic measurement software for audio engineers, system technicians, and other users who need more than a basic spectrum readout. Its multiple editions and extensive analysis views reward careful selection; the main question is whether you need the full measurement set or a narrower SPL, real-time, or simplified workflow.

Overview

Rational Acoustics develops Smaart for professional audio work. The range is divided into Suite, RT, LE, and SPL editions, so the product can cover broad analysis or a defined measurement task without forcing every buyer into the top tier. Suite combines Real-Time, Impulse Response, and SPL modes. RT concentrates on Real-Time analysis, LE provides a simplified Real-Time implementation, and SPL is built around sound-level measurement.

The analysis workspace includes RTA, spectrograph, magnitude, coherence, phase, live impulse response, linear and logarithmic displays, energy time curve, frequency, histogram, and SPL history. That variety is useful when an engineer must move between spectral, timing, and level perspectives. It is less compelling for someone who only wants a lightweight meter. Smaart has real-time analysis but no plugin support, which matters if a plugin-based workflow is a requirement.

Key features

Measurement modes and automation

Suite is the flexible choice because all three principal modes are together. RT is a better match when real-time work is the priority, while LE trades advanced control for a more constrained setup. SPL focuses on multichannel metering, remote monitoring, and logging, making it the focused option for level-oriented deployments rather than a substitute for Suite's complete toolkit.

Every Smaart product includes an API. JSON commands over WebSocket expose measurement data and parameters programmatically, and the SDK is available free on request. That gives integrators a practical path to connect Smaart with their own control or reporting systems. Listed integrations include Eclipse Audio FIR Designer, Globcon, Lab Gruppen Lake Controller, Powersoft ArmoniaPlus, and Waves TRACT.

Trial and support

Demo installers are available for Suite, LE, and SPL. The 30-day demo expires, cannot be reactivated, and cannot be converted into a licensed version, so it is a one-time evaluation window rather than an ongoing fallback. Rational Acoustics provides a support website and a support-ticket form.

Pricing

Annual subscriptions are billed in full at the start of each year, provide one year of use, and renew automatically unless canceled before the period ends. Smaart LE costs $159 a year and suits buyers who want the simplified Real-Time edition at the lowest subscription price. RT is $279 a year for a broader Real-Time workflow. Suite is $399 a year for users who need Real-Time, Impulse Response, and SPL together.

Perpetual licenses require a larger upfront payment but do not use the annual-subscription model. Smaart SPL Perpetual costs $349 once and includes SPL mode with multichannel metering, remote monitoring, and logging. LE Perpetual is $499 once, with simplified Real-Time mode and advanced measurement settings preset and fixed. RT Perpetual costs $899 once and includes RTA, Spectrograph, Transfer Function, and Live Impulse Response. Suite Perpetual is $1,299 once and delivers the full Real-Time, Impulse Response, and SPL set.

The annual route lowers the initial commitment, while perpetual editions make more sense for users planning long-term use and willing to pay upfront. There is no free plan. The trial is useful for comparing editions, but its non-renewable, non-convertible 30-day limit means the purchase decision must be made within that period.

Platforms

Smaart is offered on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, with API access included across products. Windows on ARM is not supported, so ARM-based Windows hardware is outside the supported desktop configuration.

Who it's for

Smaart fits professional audio engineers, acoustic measurement specialists, system technicians, and teams building software around measurement data. Suite is the strongest choice for varied commissioning or analysis work; RT fits real-time specialists; LE is for buyers comfortable with fixed, simplified settings; and SPL suits multichannel level monitoring and logging. It is a poor fit for users seeking free software, plugin extensibility, or a basic meter without professional measurement requirements.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Suite unifies Real-Time, Impulse Response, and SPL modes for workflows that span several measurement tasks.
• Pro: Numerous analysis views support spectral, phase, timing, and level inspection in one application.
• Pro: The included WebSocket API and requestable SDK support custom automation and data pipelines.
• Con: Four editions and separate subscription and perpetual terms make product selection more involved.
• Con: Annual plans auto-renew and are billed for the full year upfront.
• Con: The 30-day demos expire permanently and cannot become licenses, while plugin support is absent.
• Con: Windows on ARM is unsupported.

Alternatives

Open Sound Meter is the better pick for a free, open-source desktop option with iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows support. MediaInfo suits free digital-media analysis across desktop, mobile, web, and self-hosted platforms rather than acoustic measurement. Open Audio Analyzer is a free cross-platform alternative.

Decibel is worth considering for a paid tool with a free trial on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. LiveSpec fits users wanting iOS and macOS access with monthly or annual All Access plans and a seven-day trial. ACRCloud is the alternative for API-centered media analysis with a 14-day full-API trial. TrueRTA is a lower-cost Windows choice with a free, never-expiring Level 1 edition and paid upgrades. Youlean Loudness Meter is the better fit for free loudness metering on macOS and Windows, including film, TV, and gaming presets.

Browse more options in Audio Analysis Software.

Verdict

Choose Smaart if you are an audio professional who needs deep measurement views, dedicated operating modes, or programmable access to measurement data. Its strongest reason to buy is the combination of broad analysis and edition-specific workflows. Look elsewhere if you need plugin support, a free plan, Windows on ARM compatibility, or a simpler and cheaper meter.