Comparison

CW Trainer vs QRQ CW

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

QRQ CW

Enhance your Morse Code reception speed with this convenient app. Practice daily for a few minutes to improve your skills with high-quality audio and accurate timing. A demo version offers full features with limited practice words, allowing you to try it before purchasing additional content.

Highlights
  • Improve Morse Code reception speed
  • Premium audio quality
  • Accurate Morse code timing
  • Adjustable speed from 15 to 60 WPM
  • Farnsworth timing options
  • Customizable preferences
Features
Read full description

Never has it been easier to obtain faster Morse Code reception skills (QRQ)! If you already know the Morse Code, this is probably the most convenient way to improve your skills. With this app you will improve your reception speed without any pressure. Use it every day for 5 minutes for one or two months and I guarantee you will improve with virtually no effort. With this demo version you get all the features enabled but with a limited set of practice words. No obligations - Try it out before you decide to purchase full practice content access. Main features: - Premium audio quality - no listening fatigue - Spoken disclosure of sent code - Waveform shaping to avoid tiring key clicks - Super accurate morse code timing - 15 to 60 WPM speed with down to 5 WPM Farnsworth timing - Many options to suit your preferences Practice sessions (demo with all features enabled): - A few (some 20 different) English words Practice sessions (when purchased "Full Content Access"): - 100 most common English words - 1 000 most common English words - 5 000 various English words - Max 4 character words - Ham Radio Abbreviations - Typical QSO phrases - Callsigns (International) - Callsigns (USA) - Numbers - 3, 4 and 5-digits - Contests - CQ Zone, Serial Numbers etc.

Screenshots

CW Trainer4 screens
QRQ CW4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: QRQ CW at 4.3 against CW Trainer's 1.8. QRQ CW also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). CW Trainer's advantage is review sentiment (44% vs 33%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. CW Trainer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and QRQ CW sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

QRQ CW holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of CW Trainer's written reviews are positive against 33% of QRQ CW's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CW Trainer versus QRQ CW: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCW TrainerQRQ CW
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.8 (4 ratings)4.3 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.4% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings47 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DevelopermdAke Liljenberg

Customer experience

CW Trainer

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

QRQ CW

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral28.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral66.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CW Trainer

Subscriptions2
  • DX Pass — Monthly$2.991 Month
  • DX Pass — Annual14 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • CW Trainer — Full Unlock$4.99
1 purchases

QRQ CW

One-time1
  • Full Content Access$2.99

Questions

Is CW Trainer free?
CW Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is QRQ CW free?
QRQ CW is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CW Trainer or QRQ CW?
QRQ CW is rated higher. CW Trainer averages 1.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while QRQ CW averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.
Do CW Trainer or QRQ CW have ads?
Neither CW Trainer nor QRQ CW shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CW Trainer or QRQ CW?
CW Trainer ships an update every 3 months, and QRQ CW every 3 months. Most recently, CW Trainer was updated on November 2, 2026 and QRQ CW on November 3, 2026.

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