# Q Codes vs Five Bells

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Q Codes | Five Bells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/q-codes/id1195337244/reviews) | **[4.7 (198 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **198** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **79.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jonathan Gibbs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1111944472) | [Mark Gould](https://appshunter.io/developer/1575372263) |

## What reviewers say

### Q Codes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/q-codes/id1195337244)

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.

**Highlights:** Standardized Q Code collection, Radiotelegraph communication codes, Amateur radio focus, Quick lookup functionality, Comprehensive code database

**In-app purchases:** none


### Five Bells

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984)

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.

**Highlights:** Traditional ship's bell simulation, Configurable bell sequences, Hourly single bell option, Scheduled quiet time, Maritime information for sailors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Regular Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lunch | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔔 Great bell sounds
- 👍 Exactly what users wanted
- 💡 Useful for time tracking
- 💰 Free with donation option
- 🌙 Quiet hours feature appreciated

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Quiet time feature doesn't work
- ⏰ Time incorrect/chiming late
- 🔇 Silence function doesn't work
- 🔊 Too loud, needs volume control
- 🔔 Half-hour bell can be annoying

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Q Codes free?

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

### Is Five Bells free?

Five Bells is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Q Codes or Five Bells?

Five Bells is rated higher. Q Codes averages 3.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Five Bells averages 4.7 from 198 ratings.

### Do Q Codes or Five Bells have ads?

Q Codes shows ads; Five Bells does not.

### Which is updated more often, Q Codes or Five Bells?

Q Codes ships an update every 8 months, and Five Bells every 2 months. Most recently, Q Codes was updated on October 1, 2026 and Five Bells on October 1, 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.*