Comparison

SDR Receiver vs iFTx

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

Head to head
About

SDR Receiver

This app demodulates and plays AM and FM radio signals received by compatible SDR hardware. It allows users to listen to various broadcasts, manage station lists, and adjust audio settings. Requires a separate radio and host computer for operation.

Highlights
  • Demodulate AM and FM signals
  • Manage station lists (import/export)
  • Adjustable squelch and LNA gain
  • Adjustable audio filters
  • Signal strength indicator
  • AirPlay audio streaming
  • Lock Screen controls
Features
Read full description

Demodulate and play AM and FM signals received by an RTL-SDR, Airspy HF+ or SDRplay radio. Requires a radio and a host computer which are not provided with SDR Receiver and must be separately installed and configured. Streams data from an rtl_tcp, hfp_tcp or rsp_tcp server application which are free and open source applications. The appropriate server application must be installed on the host computer and configured for the attached radio. SDR Receiver is a Software Defined Radio (SDR) that processes, demodulates and plays AM, narrowband FM and wideband FM signals. Listen to communications from aircraft (AM), amateur repeaters and VHF handhelds, police and fire, NOAA weather reports (narrowband FM) and commercial broadcasts (wideband FM). • Easily entered and managed lists of stations simplify station selection. • Export and import lists of stations in CSV or TSV format. • Adjustable squelch that works for both AM and FM signals. • Adjustable LNA gain (for RTL-SDR and SDRplay radios). • Adjustable audio high pass and low pass filters. • Audio AGC for AM, optimized for aircraft communications. • Selectable IQ Offset eliminates DC errors. • DC Blocker option reduces spurious errors. • Signal strength indicator that shows power level in the signal passband. • Multiple sampling rates to accommodate different network bandwidths. • Selectable 8-bit or 16-bit sample size streaming from Airspy HF+ and SDRplay radios. • Option to play audio over AirPlay to a HomePod, HomePod mini or any AirPlay compatible device. • Stream synchronized audio to multiple AirPlay 2 compatible devices. • Lock Screen shows controls and streaming station information. • Custom URLs enable another application on the same device to set the station and start streaming. • Supports VoiceOver. SDR Receiver processes signals that are streamed over the network from a host computer (Mac, PC or Raspberry Pi) that is attached by USB bus to an RTL-SDR, Airspy HF+ or SDRplay radio. An rtl_tcp server or equivalent application running on the host computer receives baseband IQ data from the radio and streams the sampled signals over the network to the iPhone or iPad running SDR Receiver. Requires an RTL-SDR, Airspy HF+ or SDRplay radio and a host computer which are not provided with the application. Support for 192 ksps and 384 ksps Airspy HF+ sampling rates requires Airspy HF+ firmware version R3.0.7 or later, and hfp_tcp version v.1.2.117 or later.

About

iFTx

This app enables seamless communication using FT8 and FT4 digital modes directly from your iOS device. Enjoy portable digital connections, effortless operation with a user-friendly interface, and reliable performance for global contact.

Highlights
  • FT8 and FT4 digital modes
  • Portable digital communication
  • Global operator connections
  • User-friendly interface
  • Integrated QSO logging
Features
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Introducing iFTx: The Essential iOS App for FT8 and FT4 Digital Modes! - Seamlessly Engage: iFTx brings FT8 and FT4 digital modes to your iOS device, enabling convenient and portable digital communication. - Anytime, Anywhere: Enjoy the flexibility to connect with operators globally from the comfort of your iOS device. - Effortless Operation: Navigate the user-friendly interface for quick setup and real-time messaging. - Reliable Performance: Experience clear signals and adapt to changing propagation conditions with ease. - Log Your Success: Keep track of your contacts effortlessly with integrated QSO logging.

Screenshots

SDR Receiver4 screens
iFTx4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: iFTx at $1.99 against SDR Receiver's $9.99. iFTx also leads on ratings volume (70 vs 15) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

SDR Receiver costs $9.99 and iFTx $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for SDR Receiver against 4.2 for iFTx. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 70 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of SDR Receiver's written reviews are positive against 72% of iFTx's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SDR Receiver ships an update every 4 months, iFTx every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SDR Receiver versus iFTx: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSDR ReceiveriFTx
Price$9.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.1 (15 ratings)4.2 (70 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.1% of reviews — better71.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1570 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTransition Technology Ventures, LLCChristoph Nadig

Customer experience

SDR Receiver

All ratings15 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral7.7%
Negative19.2%

iFTx

All ratings70 ratings
Positive75.7%
Neutral18.6%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive71.8%
Neutral18.8%
Negative9.4%

In-app purchases

None

SDR Receiver

No in-app purchases

None

iFTx

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SDR Receiver free?
SDR Receiver costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is iFTx free?
iFTx costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SDR Receiver or iFTx?
iFTx is rated higher. SDR Receiver averages 4.1 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while iFTx averages 4.2 from 70 ratings.
Do SDR Receiver or iFTx have ads?
Neither SDR Receiver nor iFTx shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SDR Receiver or iFTx?
SDR Receiver ships an update every 4 months, and iFTx every 6 months. Most recently, SDR Receiver was updated on October 14, 2026 and iFTx on October 16, 2026.

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