CW Trainer vs MorseLab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Morse code learning
- Koch method implementation
- Proficiency-based learning
- Skill improvement
Read full descriptionHide 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
MorseLab
Read full descriptionHide full description
Everything Morse code, in one place — learn it, translate it, scan it and decode it. Free to start. No account, no login, and it works offline. Most Morse apps pick one lane: a trainer, OR a translator, OR an SOS light. MorseLab brings it all together in one clean, gamified app — in 16 languages. TRANSLATE BOTH WAYS • Type text or paste Morse (.- / ...) — instant two-way conversion • Play it back as an audio tone, flashlight/torch blink, full-screen flash, or vibration • Adjustable playback speed, copy and share • Built-in SOS beacon for emergencies SCAN TO MORSE • Point your camera or pick a photo from your gallery • On-device text recognition reads printed text in any language • Edit the recognised text, then turn it into Morse DECODE LIVE AUDIO • Hold your mic up to a Morse beep and watch the text appear • Tolerant of some background noise — decode signals on the fly LEARN MORSE (KOCH METHOD) • Proven Koch lessons add one character at a time • Reach 90% to unlock the next character • "Tap what you hear" listening drills • Quick-reference trainer: tap any letter to see and hear its code • Build a daily streak GAMES & QUIZZES • 60-second Timed Blitz against the clock • A shared Daily Challenge — a fresh 12-question set every day • Category quizzes, with best scores and accuracy tracked PROGRESS & PROFILE • Levels, XP, day streaks, achievements and a practice calendar • Personal records for every mode • Export and import your progress as JSON LEARN IT: EDUCATION SECTION • Basics and terms: dits, dahs, timing, prosigns and Q-codes • Pronunciation (di-dah) — tap to hear it • Memory-hook mnemonics and picture hooks (an emoji for every letter) • Interactive Morse tree — walk the dits and dahs to each letter • Letter shapes for visual learners • NATO phonetic alphabet (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie…) with pronunciation • The classic International Morse Code chart, with pinch-to-zoom DAILY REMINDER • An optional daily notification with a rotating Morse fact or tip and a gentle practice nudge • Personalised with your name, at a time you choose (6 AM by default) MADE TO FEEL RIGHT • Light, dark and system themes • Share the app with a friend via QR code WHO IT'S FOR • Amateur and ham radio operators and licence students • Preppers and emergency, survival and signalling fans • Students, teachers and Scouts • Accessibility users • Escape-room, puzzle and geocaching hobbyists • Aviation and maritime enthusiasts • Anyone curious about Morse code PRIVACY-FRIENDLY No account, no sign-up. Your Morse messages and learning progress stay on your device, and the camera, microphone and text recognition all run on-device — nothing you scan or decode is uploaded. MorseLab is ad-free and uses only privacy-respecting analytics and crash reporting to fix bugs and improve the app. Made with care by an independent developer. Start free — learn it, translate it, scan it and decode it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MorseLab at none against CW Trainer's 3. MorseLab also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). CW Trainer's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. CW Trainer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. MorseLab asks for nothing beyond the download.
CW Trainer ships an update every 3 months, MorseLab weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CW Trainer | MorseLab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | md | Bimal Khatri |
In-app purchases
CW Trainer
- DX Pass — Monthly$2.991 Month
- DX Pass — Annual14 Days trial$14.991 Year
- CW Trainer — Full Unlock$4.99
MorseLab
No in-app purchases









