Review Insights · App Store
Smaart RTA
Rational Acoustics LLC · 326 ratings · ★ 4.8
4.8
★★★★★
326 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 5 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"subscription"
5 negative reviews mention this · 100% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Only paid version available. Doesn’t seem to mention it in the App Store, but to use this app you MUST pay a subscription as in-app purchase. I’m not doing that, nor am I doing a free trial just to use this once. It looks nice from the demo, like audacity packaged up…" - Soren356fbjh
2
"trial"
4 negative reviews mention this · 80% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Only paid version available. Doesn’t seem to mention it in the App Store, but to use this app you MUST pay a subscription as in-app purchase. I’m not doing that, nor am I doing a free trial just to use this once. It looks nice from the demo, like audacity packaged up…" - Soren356fbjh
3
"free"
3 negative reviews mention this · 60% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Only paid version available. Doesn’t seem to mention it in the App Store, but to use this app you MUST pay a subscription as in-app purchase. I’m not doing that, nor am I doing a free trial just to use this once. It looks nice from the demo, like audacity packaged up…" - Soren356fbjh
📋 All 5 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
No free/limited option, forced subscription
Nothing in the app listing said anything about EVERY feature being locked behind a subscription. Only after downloading the app, and expecting a limited feature set, I am greeted with a forced subscription page as soon as it opens. Sure, there’s a 7 day trial, but even the cheapest plan option is $60 to purchase outright. This is yet another, greedy, “own nothing and be happy” company that wants to push everyone to subscribe and makes a buyout option insanely overpriced.
Subscription only
A forced subscription screen right at launch is an instant one-star for me. Users should be able to freely explore an app's interface, customize settings, and get a feel for its functionality before being prompted for credit card details. This current method is a major deterrent and should be reconsidered for a more user-friendly experience.
*EDIT* give credit where it’s due: the developers at Rational Acoustics reached out to me directly with a thoughtful and detailed explanation of the constraints they face due to Apple’s current rules around trials and purchases. They were transparent about the tradeoffs involved and acknowledged the value of what I was asking for.
I suggested they consider implementing a manual, time-limited trial period (e.g., 7 days of full functionality), something I’ve seen work well in other apps, and they were open to the idea. While I still hope to see a more user-friendly trial experience in a future update, I really appreciate the direct and respectful communication from the team.
Here’s hoping that as development continues, they’ll find a solution that allows curious users to explore the app before committing to a subscription. Until then, I’ll keep an eye on updates
*EDIT* give credit where it’s due: the developers at Rational Acoustics reached out to me directly with a thoughtful and detailed explanation of the constraints they face due to Apple’s current rules around trials and purchases. They were transparent about the tradeoffs involved and acknowledged the value of what I was asking for.
I suggested they consider implementing a manual, time-limited trial period (e.g., 7 days of full functionality), something I’ve seen work well in other apps, and they were open to the idea. While I still hope to see a more user-friendly trial experience in a future update, I really appreciate the direct and respectful communication from the team.
Here’s hoping that as development continues, they’ll find a solution that allows curious users to explore the app before committing to a subscription. Until then, I’ll keep an eye on updates
Subscription only
Any app that opens to only a subscription page is a 1 star app. At least allow me to look through the settings and explore the app.
Only paid version available
Doesn’t seem to mention it in the App Store, but to use this app you MUST pay a subscription as in-app purchase.
I’m not doing that, nor am I doing a free trial just to use this once.
It looks nice from the demo, like audacity packaged up but as a paid version.
I’m not doing that, nor am I doing a free trial just to use this once.
It looks nice from the demo, like audacity packaged up but as a paid version.
Subscription
Free download? There’s no way to preview the app without signing up for a subscription. You have to cancel the trial or be charged after 7 days.
Is there no way to see basic functionality without a subscription?
Is there no way to see basic functionality without a subscription?
Sentiment summary
96%
Positive (4-5★)
1%
Neutral (3★)
3%
Negative (1-2★)