Q Codes vs Five Bells
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Q Codes
Access a comprehensive collection of standardized radiotelegraph communication codes, primarily for amateur radio use. This utility allows for rapid searching and lookup of any Q Code.
- Standardized Q Code collection
- Radiotelegraph communication codes
- Amateur radio focus
- Quick lookup functionality
- Comprehensive code database
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Q Codes are a standardized collection of codes developed for radiotelegraph communication especially amateur radio. This tool is designed for quick look up of any Q Code
Five Bells
This app replicates the traditional ship's bell system for marking time and watch changes. Users can configure bell sequences, set hourly chimes, and schedule quiet times. It also offers additional information for sailors.
- Traditional ship's bell simulation
- Configurable bell sequences
- Hourly single bell option
- Scheduled quiet time
- Maritime information for sailors
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For sailors or anyone interested in maritime tradition. The ship’s bell has traditionally been used to mark the passage of time and the changeover of watches aboard ships. Five Bells aims to replicate this tradition on your iPhone®. Bells can be configured to sound a traditional or simplified sequence. Alternatively, a single bell can be struck every hour. A scheduled quiet-time can be enabled to prevent bells from sounding during a scheduled period. Additional information relevant to sailors is also provided.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Five Bells at 4.7 against Q Codes's 3.7. Five Bells also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (79% vs 50%). Q Codes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). 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. Five Bells sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Q Codes asks for nothing beyond the download.
Five Bells holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Five Bells has 198 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Q Codes's written reviews are positive against 79% of Five Bells's.
Q Codes ships an update every 8 months, Five Bells every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Q Codes | Five Bells |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (7 ratings) | 4.7 (198 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 79.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 198 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jonathan Gibbs | Mark Gould |
Customer experience
Q Codes
Five Bells
Bugs and requests
Q Codes
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Five Bells
Reported bugs
9 issues- Quiet time feature doesn't work
- Time incorrect, chiming late
- Silence function doesn't work
- App doesn't work on Apple Watch, only one ding
- Number of bells doubled on iPad compared to iPhone
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- App strikes bells when it wants, not always when required
- Bells stopped working after iOS 17 upgrade
- App doubles strikes (e.g., 16 bells at noon)
- Developer webpage link goes to an error
Requested features
6 requests- Nicer clock interface
- Volume control or loud/medium/quiet switch
- Option to leave out half-hour bell
- Ability to have app on Apple Watch
- Choice of bell sounds
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Fix Apple Watch integration
In-app purchases
Q Codes
No in-app purchases
Five Bells
- Regular Coffee$1.99
- Large Coffee$2.99
- Lunch$4.99
