# SWListener vs OMEC Open

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OMEC Open at none against SWListener's 1. OMEC Open also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). SWListener's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SWListener sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per year. OMEC Open asks for nothing beyond the download.

SWListener ships an update every 5 weeks, OMEC Open every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SWListener | OMEC Open |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.4 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swlistener-shortwave-guide/id1018238379/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **43** | — |
| Positive reviews | 6.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [md](https://appshunter.io/developer/502360039) | [1Control](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044212789) |

## 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


### OMEC Open

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/omec-open/id1672000823)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SWListener free?

SWListener is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is OMEC Open free?

OMEC Open is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SWListener or OMEC Open have ads?

Neither SWListener nor OMEC Open shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SWListener or OMEC Open?

SWListener ships an update every 5 weeks, and OMEC Open every 5 months. Most recently, SWListener was updated on November 1, 2026 and OMEC Open on November 3, 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.*