Comparison

HamAlert vs Echo

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

Head to head
About

HamAlert

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
Read full description

This app is a companion to the HamAlert web site (hamalert.org) and lets you receive push notifications from HamAlert. HamAlert is a system that allows amateur radio operators to get notifications when a desired station appears on the DX cluster, the Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, POTA, WWFF Spotline, or PSK Reporter. Spots can be filtered by various criteria, including: • DXCC (both actual and callsign home DXCC) • Callsign • Island reference • Summit reference • Park reference • CQ zone • Continent • Band • Mode • Time and days of week • Source • Spotter callsign and DXCC

About

Echo

Tune into thousands of remote radio servers worldwide from your iPhone or iPad. Explore shortwave broadcasts, aviation communications, and more with a global interactive map and advanced tuning features. Enjoy uninterrupted background audio and a privacy-first experience.

Highlights
  • Global interactive map and search
  • Support for multiple SDR architectures
  • Scanner mode and OpenMHz archives
  • Pro-level tuning and analytics
  • Offline frequency library and logging
  • Uninterrupted background audio
  • Privacy-first design
Features
Read full description

Echo is the ultimate, natively-built iOS client for tuning into remote radio servers. Listen to anything, from anywhere. Dive into international shortwave broadcasts from Asia, monitor aviation communications over the Atlantic, discover mysterious numbers stations, or tune into distant FM stations across the globe, all from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Apple silicon. Featured in Radio World, on RTL-SDR.com, and in the SWLing Post. Radio World's Nick Langan praised Echo's "thoughtfully designed interface," said he has "loved using" the app, and later described Echo Pro's transcription as "very responsive." Designed for radio enthusiasts and curious listeners alike, Echo is a powerful aggregator that connects you to nearly 3,000 community-hosted Software Defined Radio (SDR) receivers. By integrating these reliable streams into a dedicated native environment, Echo delivers true background audio, high-performance mapping, and features that are difficult to achieve in a standard web browser. KEY FEATURES Global Interactive Map & Search Visually browse thousands of remote SDR servers worldwide using our smooth, native MapKit clustering engine, or instantly search nearly 3,000+ receivers by name or location. Unmatched SDR Compatibility Seamless support for KiwiSDR, OpenWebRX, WebSDR, and FM-DX Webserver architectures. Want to listen to a private node? Add your own unlisted servers with custom URL entry. Scanner Mode Automatically cycle through station lists at set intervals. Advanced Tuning & Analytics • Smart Manual Tuner: Instantly tune by entering kHz or MHz; Echo intelligently detects the band format. • Audio Engine Passthrough: Interfaces directly with server-side signal processors for broad compatibility with waterfall rendering, plugins, and decoding extensions. • Intelligent Profile Switching: Automatically switches to the correct server band profile as you tune on supported networks. Offline Frequency Library & Logging Search an offline, built-in EIBI database of over 9,000 global shortwave and utility frequencies. Save and log your favorite stations to your local device. Uninterrupted Background Audio Keep listening when your screen is locked or while using other apps. Our custom audio bridge intercepts complex SDR streams to provide true iOS background playback and lock-screen controls. ECHO PRO Take Echo further with recording, live transcription, translation, and iCloud sync. • Record the Airwaves: Record live radio and revisit important moments anytime. • Live Transcription: Turn live radio into on-screen text as you listen. • Translation: Transcribe foreign-language broadcasts and translate them into readable English. • iCloud Sync: Sync recordings, transcripts, translations, notes, favorites, saved servers, and supported settings across your Apple devices. Echo Pro requires a monthly or annual subscription. Privacy First Zero tracking. No analytics, no proprietary tracking servers, and no ad IDs. Your listening activity is not tracked. Echo Pro syncs supported data through your private iCloud account. Built with speed, aesthetics, and privacy in mind, Echo ensures a fast, premium listening experience. Start exploring the airwaves today! VoiceOver & Accessibility Support • Station cards, player, recording, and scanner controls announce meaningful context to VoiceOver • Scanner controls (play/pause/skip/favorite) are fully labeled and navigable • Station changes, server connections, and scanner state are announced in real-time • Reduce Transparency support: glass effects swap to solid backgrounds when enabled • Reduce Motion support: animations are simplified when enabled in iOS settings • Decorative elements hidden from assistive technology for a cleaner navigation experience Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

HamAlert1 screens
Echo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Echo at 4.9 against HamAlert's 4.0. Echo also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months). HamAlert's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Echo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. HamAlert asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Echo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 36 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of HamAlert's written reviews are positive against 100% of Echo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HamAlert ships an update every 5 months, Echo every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
HamAlert versus Echo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHamAlertEcho
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (34 ratings)4.9 (36 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3436 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperManuel KasperMark Garrison Jr.

Customer experience

HamAlert

All ratings34 ratings
Positive67.6%
Neutral8.8%
Negative23.5%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral9.5%
Negative23.8%

Echo

All ratings35 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

HamAlert

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Echo

Subscriptions2
  • Echo Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Echo Pro Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is HamAlert free?
HamAlert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Echo free?
Echo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HamAlert or Echo?
Echo is rated higher. HamAlert averages 4.0 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Echo averages 4.9 from 36 ratings.
Do HamAlert or Echo have ads?
Neither HamAlert nor Echo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HamAlert or Echo?
HamAlert ships an update every 5 months, and Echo every 9 days. Most recently, HamAlert was updated on November 2, 2026 and Echo on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons