Comparison

Q Codes vs VibeSDR

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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

About

VibeSDR

This app acts as a versatile receiver client for various software-defined radio servers. It offers advanced display, tuning, and audio features, along with on-device decoders and voice control for a comprehensive radio experience.

Highlights
  • Connects to multiple SDR server protocols
  • GPU-rendered waterfall and spectrum display
  • Native background audio playback
  • On-device decoders for RTTY, NAVTEX, WEFAX, SSTV, Morse
  • Voice control via Siri
  • CarPlay and Apple Watch integration
  • Deep linking for station tuning
Features
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VibeSDR is a mobile-first software-defined radio (SDR) receiver — and far more than a single-server client. It speaks multiple SDR server protocols and does its own demodulation of the raw IQ with a clean-room DSP engine. Pair that with a GPU-rendered waterfall, native background audio, on-device decoders and maps, plus voice and in-car control, for a genuinely great SDR experience on any iPhone — whatever receiver is behind it. WHAT YOU CAN CONNECT TO • Remote SDR servers — native support for UberSDR, OpenWebRX / OpenWebRX+, and KiwiSDR, all behind one interface, with a directory chooser in the instance picker. • Networked rtl_tcp — connect to a remote rtl_tcp server and VibeSDR demodulates the raw IQ itself. DISPLAY & WATERFALL • Custom GPU waterfall and spectrum, rendered with a Skia shader for a smooth, high-frame-rate display independent of the server. • Portrait and landscape layouts, ProMotion 120 Hz, haptic tuning feedback. • Classic colour palettes (GQRX, KiwiSDR, CuteSDR, SdrDx, OpenWebRX), VFO glow controls, and a spectrum backdrop image. TUNING & CONTROLS • VFO drum with inertia scrolling and a dual-drum waterfall zoom. • Full mode set — USB, LSB, AM, SAM, FM, NFM, CW — with passband sliders. • Noise reduction, noise blanker, squelch, AGC, volume and mute. AUDIO • Native audio engines running outside any WebView, so playback survives app suspension. • Background audio on both platforms. • Lock-screen, Now Playing, CarPlay and Apple Watch controls with frequency + station metadata and station/bookmark skipping. • AAC recorder with share sheet. VOICE CONTROL • Siri — "Hey Siri, tune VibeSDR" then a frequency, a station name, or a band; it tunes with the right demodulator and step, even in the background over headphones, CarPlay or the lock screen. DECODERS & MAPS • On-device decoders — RTTY, NAVTEX, WEFAX, SSTV, Morse, and speech-to-text. • Server maps — HFDL aircraft, digital and CW activity maps, fully embedded. STATIONS & BOOKMARKS • Instance picker directory across UberSDR, OpenWebRX/OpenWebRX+ and KiwiSDR receivers, with country flags, favourites and an auto-connect default. • Bookmark and band-plan search with live EiBi schedules. • Visual Tuning System (VTS) — nearby-station bar, band-crossing popups and station skipping. • Live chat, and Share a tuned station as a tappable deep link. NEW: DEEP LINKING • Tap a vibesdr:// link to connect straight to a receiver and tune to the shared frequency — no hunting through the picker. VibeSDR is free software under the GNU GPL-3.0, built by Stuart Carr with AI assistance from Claude (Anthropic). VibeSDR is a receiver client and is not affiliated with the SDR servers it connects to.

Screenshots

Q Codes4 screens
VibeSDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: VibeSDR at 100% against Q Codes's 50%. VibeSDR also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.7) and ads (none vs shown). Q Codes's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). On in-app purchases, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Q Codes is free to download; VibeSDR costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VibeSDR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Q Codes has 7 ratings behind it against 1, 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 100% of VibeSDR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Q Codes ships an update every 8 months, VibeSDR every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 7, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Q Codes versus VibeSDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQ CodesVibeSDR
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating3.7 (7 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB52 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperJonathan GibbsStuart Carr

Customer experience

Q Codes

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

VibeSDR

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Q Codes

No in-app purchases

None

VibeSDR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Q Codes free?
Q Codes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VibeSDR free?
VibeSDR costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Q Codes or VibeSDR?
VibeSDR is rated higher. Q Codes averages 3.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while VibeSDR averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Q Codes or VibeSDR have ads?
Q Codes shows ads; VibeSDR does not.
Which is updated more often, Q Codes or VibeSDR?
Q Codes ships an update every 8 months, and VibeSDR every 2 weeks. Most recently, Q Codes was updated on July 7, 2026 and VibeSDR on September 19, 2026.

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