Comparison

CW Trainer vs RST 599xp

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

Head to head
About

CW Trainer

Learn Morse code using the effective Koch method. This app introduces letters at full speed, adding new ones as proficiency increases, to build and improve your Morse code skills.

Highlights
  • Morse code learning
  • Koch method implementation
  • Proficiency-based learning
  • Skill improvement
Features
Read full description

CW Trainer — Learn & Practice Morse Code Become a real CW operator. CW Trainer takes you from your first letters all the way to real QSOs and contests, with a radio simulator that sounds and responds like the real thing. PROGRESSIVE KOCH METHOD Learn Morse code one letter at a time with the proven Koch method. A 40-lesson curriculum, per-character accuracy stats, and automatic progression when you're ready. QSO WITH AI OPERATOR Have realistic radio conversations with an intelligent operator. You call, copy, exchange RST, name, QTH — and if you miss something, the operator repeats it, just like on the air. Every QSO is with a different station from around the world, and you get a score and coaching at the end. CONTEST MODE Train for CQ WW and WPX contests in Search & Pounce or Running. Pile-ups, rapid exchanges, ever-changing callsigns, and realistic error handling. MAKE IT YOURS Speeds from 5 to 60 WPM, a level system from Bronze to Legend, daily reminders, and leaderboards to challenge other operators. TRY IT FREE, THEN DECIDE You can use the app with no sign-up and no payment: • the first 9 lessons of the Koch course • 5 Callsign Trainer sessions and 5 Pile-up sessions • 7 QSOs with the AI operator, Contest included • stats, leaderboard, ranks and achievements, always included When you want to go further there are two separate options: • Full unlock — one-time purchase, yours forever: all 40 Koch lessons, unlimited Callsign and Pile-up • DX Pass — monthly or annual subscription, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan: unlimited AI QSOs and Contest AI, with coaching after every QSO You can cancel the subscription at any time in your Apple settings. Purchases are tied to your Apple ID — use "Restore purchases" on a new iPhone. 73 and enjoy CW! This app uses Apple's Standard End User License Agreement: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula Privacy: https://md2tech.it/privacy.html

About

RST 599xp

This app simulates amateur radio CW QSOs with realistic call signs, signal levels, and speeds. It supports various QSO styles, including contest and rubber stamp, with features like pile-up reproduction and RIT control.

Highlights
  • CW QSO simulation
  • Realistic call signs and signal levels
  • Pile-up reproduction (up to 3 stations)
  • RIT and CW filter functions
  • Spectrum scope display
  • Contest and rubber stamp QSO styles
Features
Read full description

This app is a real CW QSO simulator for Amateur Radio. "599BK type QSO", "Rubber stamp type QSO" and "Contest type QSO" are supported. In addition, the call sign, signal level, CW speed, etc. that occur differ for each QSO in order to achieve realism. Furthermore, the call sign and CW speed of your own station that issues CQ can be set arbitrarily. 【Characteristic】 1. Reproduction of pile-up (Called from up to 3 stations at the same time) 2. "599BK","Rubber Stamp" and "AADX Contest" style support. 3.RIT and CW filter functions  Band Width(300Hz/600Hz) control supported. 4.Realistic signal meter according to audio signal level. 5.Status display showing TX / RX operation. 6.The spectrum scope display 【Other features】 1. Function to select the number of QSOs to communicate (5, 20) 2. QRN ON / OFF selection function 3. Function to select the call area (JA's, W / W) 4. Judgement of "RST, QRA and QTH" or "RST, QRA and WX" information. 5.Supported the ESC button for escaping from the long TX/RX. 6.Supported the Score Clear button of your Hi-Score Data. 7.Support the capture function of Hi-Score dialog. 8.Supported the QSB in the mode of "599BK / AADX" and "W/W" Supported keyboard input from Apple Silicon Mac. (Not compatible with iPadOS) A-Z, 0-9, / Enter:return ESC:esc BS:delete CQ:UpArrow AGN:DownArrow TU:[ LEFT:LeftArrow RIGHT:RightArrow

Screenshots

CW Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RST 599xp at 100% against CW Trainer's 44%. RST 599xp also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). CW Trainer's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On update cadence, ads and monetization model 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

CW Trainer is free to download; RST 599xp costs $2.99 up front. CW Trainer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. RST 599xp asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RST 599xp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of CW Trainer's written reviews are positive against 100% of RST 599xp's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CW Trainer ships an update every 3 months, RST 599xp every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
CW Trainer versus RST 599xp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCW TrainerRST 599xp
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating1.8 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermdkoji kamogawa

Customer experience

CW Trainer

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral11.1%
Negative44.4%

RST 599xp

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CW Trainer

Subscriptions1
  • DX Pass — Monthly$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • CW Trainer — Full Unlock$4.99
None

RST 599xp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CW Trainer free?
CW Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RST 599xp free?
RST 599xp costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CW Trainer or RST 599xp?
RST 599xp is rated higher. CW Trainer averages 1.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while RST 599xp averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do CW Trainer or RST 599xp have ads?
Neither CW Trainer nor RST 599xp shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CW Trainer or RST 599xp?
CW Trainer ships an update every 3 months, and RST 599xp every 2 months. Most recently, CW Trainer was updated on October 24, 2026 and RST 599xp on October 23, 2026.

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