# SWListener vs Shortwave Guide

The clearest difference is price: SWListener at $0.99 against Shortwave Guide's $8.99. Shortwave Guide's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (20% vs 6%). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SWListener costs $0.99 and Shortwave Guide $8.99 up front. SWListener sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per year. Shortwave Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

SWListener ships an update every 6 weeks, Shortwave Guide every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SWListener | Shortwave Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $8.99 |
| Rating | **[1.4 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swlistener-shortwave-guide/id1018238379/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **41** | — |
| Positive reviews | 6.5% of reviews | **20.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 45 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [md](https://appshunter.io/developer/502360039) | [Vladyslav Haliuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1563954274) |

## What reviewers say

### SWListener

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swlistener-shortwave-guide/id1018238379)

Discover shortwave radio broadcasts with this app. View current transmissions, detailed information like language and target, and explore station schedules. Find broadcasts by frequency or station name.

**Highlights:** Find broadcast schedules, View current transmissions, Get transmission details, Search by frequency, Browse station schedules, Sort stations by name

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SWListener premium | $2.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for looking up stations
- 👍 Handy for identifying stations
- 👍 App works great (after fixes)
- 👍 Accurate station identification
- 👍 Automatically shows stations on air

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ App does nothing
- ❌ Blank screens
- ❌ Total fraud/scam
- ❌ Zero functionality
- ❌ Crashes constantly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Blank screens
- Zero functionality
- No sound
- No reception

**Requested features**

- Add selection by language
- Add selection by target area
- Fetch free SW schedule updates from EIBI and HFCC
- Customer support to show screenshots
- Dark mode option


### Shortwave Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-guide/id1629061921)

This application displays a real-time schedule of shortwave radio broadcasts worldwide, sourced from the EiBi database. Users can rescan for updates, view specific frequencies, and update the entire broadcast schedule database.

**Highlights:** Worldwide shortwave broadcast schedule, Real-time station listings, Frequency viewing, Database updates, EiBi database integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SWListener free?

SWListener costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Shortwave Guide free?

Shortwave Guide costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SWListener or Shortwave Guide have ads?

Neither SWListener nor Shortwave Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SWListener or Shortwave Guide?

SWListener ships an update every 6 weeks, and Shortwave Guide every 2 months. Most recently, SWListener was updated on September 27, 2026 and Shortwave Guide on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*