# RS vs HamAlert

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HamAlert at 67% against RS's 15%. HamAlert also leads on rating (4.0 vs 1.9). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HamAlert holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 76 and 34 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 15% of RS's written reviews are positive against 67% of HamAlert's.

RS ships an update every 8 months, HamAlert every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RS | HamAlert |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-ms1i/id1193842632/reviews) | **[4.0 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamalert/id1200759798/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **76** | 34 |
| Positive reviews | 14.7% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 34 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ICOM INCORPORATED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193842631) | [Manuel Kasper](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200759797) |

## What reviewers say

### RS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-ms1i/id1193842632)

Control compatible transceivers, share voice and pictures, and view station locations on a map. Access received station information, send text messages, and manage call sign and repeater lists. Customize transceiver and application settings for a streamlined experience.

**Highlights:** Transceiver DR functions, Send and receive voice and pictures, Map repeater and station locations, Read and edit received station information, Send and receive text messages, Manage call sign and repeater lists, Import/Export data

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works with IC-705
- 👍 Works with ID-52
- 👍 Map feature useful
- 👍 Past contacts visible
- 👍 Quick bug fixes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on map screen
- 🐛 Crashes when sending photos
- 🐛 Bluetooth connectivity issues
- 🐛 Not connecting to ID-52
- 🐛 Not connecting to iPhone

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when using map function
- App crashes on map screen
- App closes when opening map
- Not staying connected to the app
- Connection unsuccessful error message

**Requested features**

- Add support for ID-5100
- Add support for ID-51A Plus 2
- Add support for ID-50
- Add support for IC-705
- Improve repeater list


### 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 RS free?

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

### Is HamAlert free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RS or HamAlert?

HamAlert is rated higher. RS averages 1.9 out of 5 from 76 ratings, while HamAlert averages 4.0 from 34 ratings.

### Do RS or HamAlert have ads?

Neither RS nor HamAlert shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RS or HamAlert?

RS ships an update every 8 months, and HamAlert every 5 months. Most recently, RS was updated on October 24, 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.*