# SmartSDR™ vs HamAlert

The clearest difference is price: HamAlert at Free against SmartSDR™'s $79.99. HamAlert also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). SmartSDR™'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). On ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

HamAlert is free to download; SmartSDR™ costs $79.99 up front. SmartSDR™ sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. HamAlert asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmartSDR™ holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 132 and 34 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of SmartSDR™'s written reviews are positive against 67% of HamAlert's.

SmartSDR™ ships an update every 2 weeks, HamAlert every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartSDR™ | HamAlert |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $79.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (132 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartsdr-flexradio-systems/id1089157289/reviews)** | [4.0 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamalert/id1200759798/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **132** | 34 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 57 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) | [Manuel Kasper](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200759797) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartSDR™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartsdr-flexradio-systems/id1089157289)

Control your FlexRadio SDR device from your iPad or iPhone. Access nearly all features of the desktop client, including digital modes, signal analysis, and remote operation via SmartLink. Requires compatible FlexRadio hardware.

**Highlights:** FT8 and FT4 support, SSTV TX and RX, APRS TX and RX, CW Decoder and keyer, Weather Fax decoder, Slice and Panadapter management, SmartLink remote access

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Region 1,2 and 3 Band Plan | Free | one-time |
| DX-Cluster | $5.99 | one-time |
| Griffin PowerMate BT Controller support | $5.99 | one-time |
| MidiController support | $5.99 | one-time |
| Logbook Add-on | $5.99 | one-time |
| Flic 2 Button support | $5.99 | one-time |
| Voice Macros | $5.99 | one-time |
| 4O3A Genius Device support | $9.99 | one-time |
| FT8 | $19.99 | one-time |
| FlexRadio Device access | $64.99 | one-time |


### HamAlert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamalert/id1200759798)

Receive instant push notifications for desired amateur radio contacts. Filter alerts by various criteria like callsign, band, mode, and location. Stay updated on DX spots from multiple sources.

**Highlights:** Push notifications for desired stations, Filter spots by DXCC, callsign, and location, Support for Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, DX cluster, PSK Reporter, Filter by band, mode, and time, Filter by spotter callsign and DXCC

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartSDR™ free?

SmartSDR™ costs $79.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is HamAlert free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SmartSDR™ or HamAlert?

SmartSDR™ is rated higher. SmartSDR™ averages 4.3 out of 5 from 132 ratings, while HamAlert averages 4.0 from 34 ratings.

### Do SmartSDR™ or HamAlert have ads?

Neither SmartSDR™ nor HamAlert shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartSDR™ or HamAlert?

SmartSDR™ ships an update every 2 weeks, and HamAlert every 5 months. Most recently, SmartSDR™ was updated on November 1, 2026 and HamAlert on October 20, 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.*