Comparison

SmartSDR™ vs HFpager

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SmartSDR™

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
Read full description

The Official FlexRadio Systems® Client for iPhone and iPad. Your FLEX-6000, FLEX-8000 or Aurora radio, at home over Wi-Fi or from anywhere with SmartLink™. Made by a ham, for hams, with personal support included. Works with any radio firmware: SmartSDR v1, v2, v3 and v4, including the newest release. WORKS WITH ■ FLEX-6300, FLEX-6400, FLEX-6400M, FLEX-6500, FLEX-6600, FLEX-6600M, FLEX-6700 ■ FLEX-8400, FLEX-8400M, FLEX-8600, FLEX-8600M ■ AU-510, AU-510M, AU-520, AU-520M (Aurora) OPERATE ■ Panadapter and waterfall with band plan, DX Cluster, POTA and FT8 spots ■ Slices, filters, TNFs, memories, profiles (TX, microphone, global), transverters, equalizers ■ SmartLink™ remote access, MultiFlex™, SmartControl, APD / SmartSignal™ ■ CWX with side tone and live sending, software paddle and straight key ■ Compact floating panels: CWX, Tune Stack, macros, Command Bar, DTMF, RIT / XIT ■ Firmware Update of your radio, right from the app ■ Your iPhone or iPad as microphone and speaker; the radio keeps playing in the background ■ Ready for iPhone Duo, iPad split screen and Apple Vision Pro MODES ■ FT8-Improved with AutoAnswer and AutoCQ, the classic FT8 and the FT8 Skimmer ■ JS8 keyboard chat ■ CW with decoder, keyer, ESM and CW keyboard ■ Speech: incoming voice transcribed and translated, your typed text sent as speech ■ SSTV, HF-Fax, APRS and WSPR FT8-Improved, JS8, Speech and WSPR need iOS 26. TOOLS ■ Logbook with ADIF import and export, shared via iCloud with SDR-Control, FT-Control, TS-Control and K4-Control, on iPhone, iPad and Mac ■ DX Cluster, POTA, PSK Reporter, Call Lookup, Band Plan, Network Stats ■ 4O3A Genius devices (Power, Tuner, Antenna and Rotator Genius), Ultra Beam antennas ■ HomeKit: switch your radio, antenna switches and other devices ■ Controllers: MIDI, CTR2, HaliKey, Pryme, Flic, PowerMate MADE BY A HAM Made by Marcus, DL8MRE, who has been developing apps for Apple devices since 2009 and uses this app every day in his own shack. Personal online support and a detailed manual are included. Updates with new modes and features are free: no subscription, no in-app purchases. WHAT YOU NEED ■ One of the radios above, on your network ■ An iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or later ■ For SmartLink™: a radio set up for SmartLink (SmartSDR v2 or later) Manual: https://go-to.me/smartsdr-manual More apps: https://ham-radio-apps.com

About

HFpager

This utility app enables the exchange of short text messages through audio and radio channels using IFSK modulation. It offers basic reception and transmission functions for free, with a subscription unlocking all features and removing ads.

Highlights
  • IFSK modulation for audio messaging
  • Send and receive short text messages
  • Utilizes audio and radio channels
  • Basic functions free
  • Subscription removes restrictions and ads
Read full description

The program is designed to generate and receive an audio signal using IFSK (Incremental Frequency Shift Keying) modulation. Used to exchange short text messages via any audio and / or radio channel. For a detailed description, see the project website https://nvis.club/hfproxys/hfpager/hf-pager Basic functions work without a subscription: reception / transmission. With a subscription, all restrictions are removed and there is no advertising. Privacy Policy and User Agreement: https://ildd.ru/bi/hfpager/hfpager_politica/

Screenshots

SmartSDR™4 screens
HFpager4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: HFpager at Free against SmartSDR™'s $79.99. HFpager also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.6). SmartSDR™'s advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

HFpager is free to download; SmartSDR™ costs $79.99 up front. HFpager sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. SmartSDR™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SmartSDR™ holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartSDR™ has 132 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of SmartSDR™'s written reviews are positive against 71% of HFpager's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SmartSDR™ ships an update every 2 weeks, HFpager every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
SmartSDR™ versus HFpager: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmartSDR™HFpager
Price$79.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (132 ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews75.6% of reviews — better71.4% of reviews
Number of ratings132 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.612.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcus RoskoschDmitry Likhtarov

Customer experience

SmartSDR™

All ratings132 ratings
Positive79.5%
Neutral4.5%
Negative15.9%
Written reviews90 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral6.7%
Negative17.8%

HFpager

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral28.6%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SmartSDR™

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

HFpager

Subscriptions1
  • Подписка 12 месяцев7 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is SmartSDR™ free?
SmartSDR™ costs $79.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is HFpager free?
HFpager is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SmartSDR™ or HFpager?
SmartSDR™ is rated higher. SmartSDR™ averages 4.2 out of 5 from 132 ratings, while HFpager averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SmartSDR™ or HFpager have ads?
HFpager shows ads; SmartSDR™ does not.
Which is updated more often, SmartSDR™ or HFpager?
SmartSDR™ ships an update every 2 weeks, and HFpager every 3 months. Most recently, SmartSDR™ was updated on November 8, 2026 and HFpager on November 3, 2026.

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