# HamStudy.org vs Ham Shack

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 (#7 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | HamStudy.org | Ham Shack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.9 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamstudyorg/id1371288324/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-shack/id6798066342/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 93.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Signal Stuff](https://appshunter.io/developer/1371288323) | [Josh Marler](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798066344) |

## What reviewers say

### HamStudy.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamstudyorg/id1371288324)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Paid · Education, #66 Top Paid (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great study tool
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient way to prepare for exams
- 🚀 Comprehensive coverage of exam material
- 👍 Helpful explanations and hints

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app freezes
- 👎 Some explanations could be clearer
- 🔋 Battery drain when using app extensively

**Reported bugs**

- Email support not working
- Occasional freezing or crashing

**Requested features**

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


### Ham Shack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-shack/id6798066342)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*