Comparison

HamStudy.org vs Ham Shack

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

Head to head
About

HamStudy.org

This app offers an intelligent study mode that tracks your progress and focuses on areas where you struggle. It allows you to tailor your study to specific chapters and topics from license manuals, with explanations for difficult questions. Practice exams are also available.

Highlights
  • Intelligent study algorithms
  • Vetted user-submitted explanations
  • Infinite practice exams
  • Study all US Amateur Radio question pools
  • International question pools
  • Multi-user support
  • Cross-device progress sync
Features
Read full description

HamStudy is not your typical study app. Most study apps focus on practice exams, which is like studying for your math test by trying 20% of the questions on repeat. Study smarter with HamStudy. Instead of taking practice tests with random questions over and over, our intelligent Study Mode tracks your progress as you move through the questions—what you’ve seen, what you haven’t, and where you’re struggling—and focuses your study on the questions you need to see most. Full statistics are provided along the way, giving you insight into how many times you’ve gotten a question right or wrong as well as your overall study progress. Don’t worry, you can still take practice exams whenever you want. You won’t find a better tool to use alongside your favorite learning material. Through collaboration with some of the most recognized names in amateur radio, HamStudy allows you to simply choose from a selection of license manuals, then instantly adapts so you can match your study to the chapters, topics, and sections you’re used to†. Want to study just the questions from chapters 4 and 5? No problem. And when a question trips you up, just tap the Explain button to understand what you missed, review formulas, and read helpful study tips. Features: • HamStudy's intelligent study algorithms work with you to ensure you learn the questions, tracking your progress and adjusting the pace to keep you challenged but not frustrated. • Vetted user-submitted explanations help you avoid the pitfall of just memorizing answers. • Infinite practice exams. Fun fact: it takes around 70 practice exams before you’ll see every Technician question just once. Study more, test less! • Study all current US Amateur Radio question pools: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. Updates are downloaded automatically, and new pools are always included free when they are revised every four years. • English and Spanish translations included for US Amateur Radio pools. • Includes an ever-growing selection of international question pools, such as Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Argentina. • Supports multiple users on the same device, each with independent study history. • Sync your progress across all devices and study online with a free hamstudy.org account. • Share your progress with friends, instructors, or other HamStudy.org users and help each other keep progressing towards that next license exam! HamStudy is proud to be sponsored by Icom. † Disclaimer: HamStudy does not contain the actual instructional material from linked books, but works great with the book sitting on the table next to you! Images, names, and trademarks used with permission.

About

Ham Shack

This app combines amateur radio programming with real-time propagation data. Listen to news, podcasts, and educational content from the ham radio community. Access a dashboard with solar flux, sunspot numbers, and HF/VHF band conditions.

Highlights
  • Stream Ham Shack Radio live
  • View currently playing program
  • Check solar and geomagnetic conditions
  • Review HF band openings
  • Simple dark interface
Features
Read full description

Ham Shack brings amateur radio programming and propagation information together in one convenient app. Listen to Ham Shack Radio wherever you go, featuring amateur radio news, podcasts, educational programs, interviews, and original content from the ham radio community. The built-in propagation dashboard provides an easy-to-read overview of current radio conditions, including: • Solar flux • Sunspot numbers • Kp index • GOES X-ray activity • Estimated HF band conditions • VHF propagation information Whether you are at home in the shack, operating portable, or traveling to your next hamfest, Ham Shack helps you stay connected to amateur radio. Features: • Stream Ham Shack Radio live • View the currently playing program • Quickly reconnect to the audio stream • Check current solar and geomagnetic conditions • Review estimated openings for popular HF bands • Simple, dark interface designed for quick viewing Propagation information is intended as a general operating guide. Actual band conditions can vary by location, antenna system, time of day, season, and local interference. Ham Shack Radio is part of HamShackTV — Live, Learn, Transmit. Welcome to the shack.

Screenshots

HamStudy.org4 screens
Ham Shack3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ham Shack at Free against HamStudy.org's $3.99. Ham Shack also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). HamStudy.org's advantage is ratings volume (2.7K vs 1) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases 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

Ham Shack is free to download; HamStudy.org costs $3.99 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 — 4.9 for HamStudy.org against 5.0 for Ham Shack. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HamStudy.org has 2.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HamStudy.org ships an update every 3 weeks, Ham Shack weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
HamStudy.org versus Ham Shack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHamStudy.orgHam Shack
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (2.7K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.7K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB17 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSignal StuffJosh Marler

Customer experience

HamStudy.org

All ratings2,655 ratings
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.6%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews189 reviews
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.7%

Ham Shack

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

HamStudy.org

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Email support not working
  • Occasional freezing or crashing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to clear test history
  • More detailed performance analytics
  • Spell out acronyms and define technical terms

Ham Shack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

HamStudy.org

No in-app purchases

None

Ham Shack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HamStudy.org free?
HamStudy.org costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ham Shack free?
Ham Shack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HamStudy.org or Ham Shack?
Ham Shack is rated higher. HamStudy.org averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Ham Shack averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do HamStudy.org or Ham Shack have ads?
Neither HamStudy.org nor Ham Shack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HamStudy.org or Ham Shack?
HamStudy.org ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ham Shack weekly. Most recently, HamStudy.org was updated on October 14, 2026 and Ham Shack on September 30, 2026.

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