SpectralBench
Free browser-based spectroscopy software — no download, no license keys, no Windows dependency
Spectragryph was one of the most popular free spectroscopy tools in the world — used by 22,500 researchers and cited in over 1,181 academic papers. It was the work of a single developer, Friedrich Menges, who maintained it as a labor of love alongside his day job.
In December 2024, Friedrich passed away after a battle with glioblastoma. The software has not been updated since June 2022, the licensing server is no longer maintained, and new users cannot activate the software. Thousands of researchers who relied on Spectragryph are now searching for an alternative.
SpectralBench was built to fill this gap — and go further. It runs in your browser, works on every platform, and adds modern capabilities like AI interpretation, a massive reference library, and real-time collaboration that desktop software could never offer.
| Feature | Spectragryph | SpectralBench |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows only | Any browser (Mac, Linux, Windows, iPad) |
| Status | Abandoned (developer died Dec 2024) | Actively developed |
| Cost | Free (licenses broken) | Free |
| Installation | 50MB download + license key | Zero install — open browser |
| File Formats | 90 formats | 7 format families + auto-detect text |
| Reference Library | 42 spectra (free tier) | 120,000+ spectra (open data) |
| AI Interpretation | None | Claude-powered spectral analysis |
| Collaboration | None | Shareable links, community library |
| ATR Correction | Basic | 4 crystal types with advanced optics |
| Baseline Correction | 2 methods | 4 methods (ALS, polynomial, SNIP, rubberband) |
| PCA | None | Gram-matrix PCA with variance plots |
| Curve Fitting | Manual | Levenberg-Marquardt (Gaussian, Lorentzian, pseudo-Voigt) |
| Export | Image only | CSV, JCAMP, SPC, JSON, MATLAB, SVG, PNG, PDF |
| Peak Assignment | Manual | Automated (FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis databases) |
Cross-platform access. Spectragryph only ran on Windows. If you use a Mac in the lab, Linux on your workstation, or an iPad at conferences, you were out of luck. SpectralBench runs in any modern browser — your spectra are accessible from any device, anywhere.
Modern analysis tools. SpectralBench offers capabilities Spectragryph never had: AI-powered spectral interpretation that explains your peaks in plain language, a library of 120,000+ reference spectra for instant matching, PCA for multivariate analysis, and automated peak assignment across FTIR, Raman, and UV-Vis databases.
Collaboration built in. Share your spectrum with a colleague via a single link — no file attachments, no format compatibility issues. Contribute to the community reference library. Generate PDF reports for publications. Desktop software was never designed for collaborative science.
Active development. SpectralBench is under active development with regular feature releases. Unlike orphaned desktop software, it will continue to evolve — adding new file formats, analysis methods, and integrations.
No download, no installation, no account. Just open your browser and go.
Drop your JCAMP-DX, SPC, CSV, or text file onto the viewer. Format is auto-detected.
Identify peaks, correct baselines, run PCA, match references, and export in any format.
SpectralBench currently supports 7 format families with intelligent auto-detection for delimited text files. If you have data from Spectragryph, export it as JCAMP-DX or CSV and open it directly.
Additional vendor-specific formats are on the roadmap. File format support is actively expanding — if you need a specific format, let us know.
Friedrich Menges, the sole developer of Spectragryph, passed away in December 2024 after a battle with glioblastoma. The software is no longer maintained, and no successor has been announced. License activations have stopped working for new users, and the last update was released in June 2022.
The Spectragryph download site remains online, but the software has not been updated since June 2022. New license activations fail because the licensing server is no longer maintained. Existing users with activated licenses can continue using it, but there will be no bug fixes, security patches, or new features.
SpectralBench is a free, browser-based alternative that works on any platform — Windows, Mac, Linux, and iPad — without installation. It includes features Spectragryph never had: AI-powered spectral interpretation, a 120,000+ reference spectrum library, shareable links, community library, PCA analysis, and advanced curve fitting.
SpectralBench supports JCAMP-DX (.dx, .jdx), SPC, CSV, and delimited text formats — the same formats Spectragryph can export to. If you have data saved in Spectragryph, export it to any of these formats and open it directly in SpectralBench.
Yes. SpectralBench runs entirely in your web browser — no installation or download required. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and even iPads. Unlike Spectragryph, which was Windows-only, SpectralBench is truly cross-platform.
Yes, SpectralBench is completely free for academic, research, and personal use. No account is required for core analysis features including file viewing, format conversion, peak identification, baseline correction, and curve fitting. All processing happens in your browser — your data never leaves your computer.