Morse Code Reader and Decoder vs Five Bells
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Morse Code Reader and Decoder
Translate text to Morse code and vice versa, send signals using your device's flashlight, screen, or vibration. Includes practice lessons to learn Morse code at various difficulty levels.
- Text to Morse code translation
- Morse code to text decoding
- Flashlight signal transmission
- Screen blinking signals
- Vibration patterns
- Sound alerts
- Morse code learning lessons
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Morse Code Reader and Decoder is an iPhone app for translating text to Morse code and Morse code to text, sending Morse signals with your flashlight, screen, vibration or sound, and learning Morse code with practice lessons at three difficulty levels. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Text to Morse code translator: type any word or sentence and see it instantly as dots and dashes. • Morse code to text decoder: enter dots and dashes and read the message as plain English text. • Morse code flashlight: send your message as light signals with the iPhone flashlight. • Screen blinking: flash your message on the screen, useful when you need a visible signal without the flashlight. • Vibration: feel Morse code as vibration patterns, for silent practice or sending. • Sound: hear Morse code as classic beeps to train your ear. • Saved signals: save messages you send often so you can replay them in one tap. • Learn Morse code: practice letters, words and full sentences. • Three difficulty levels: start with single letters as a beginner and move up to sentences as you improve. HOW IT WORKS 1. Type a message, or enter Morse code you want to decode. 2. Read the translation in Morse code or in text. 3. Send it with flashlight, screen, vibration or sound, or save it for later. 4. Open practice mode to learn the Morse alphabet step by step. WHO IT'S FOR • Beginners who want to learn the Morse code alphabet and practice every day. • Amateur (ham) radio operators and students preparing for CW practice. • Scouts, campers and hikers who want to know how to signal with light. • Puzzle fans, escape room players, geocachers and teachers who need a quick Morse code converter. • Anyone curious about Morse code who wants a simple translator on their iPhone. GOOD TO KNOW The flashlight, screen and sound signals are for learning, practice and fun. This app is not a safety or emergency device. In an emergency, contact your local emergency services. ---------- Pro Morse Code Subscription Conditions: - Your subscription lasts 1 month, 6 months, or 1 year, depending on the subscription level chosen at the time of purchase. - You will be charged $2.99 for 1 month, $17.49 for 6 months, $19.99 for 1 year, depending on the subscription level chosen at the time of purchase. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription. - Your account will be charged for a renewed subscription within 24 hours prior to the end of current subscription. You will be charged $2.99 for 1 month, $17.49 for 6 months, or $19.99 for 1 year, depending on your subscription level. - You can manage your subscription and switch off the auto-renewal by accessing your account settings after purchase. - You cannot cancel the current subscription during the active subscription period. - Any unused part or time-span of a free trial period will be forfeited, as soon as you purchase a subscription. - You can view our Privacy Policy here: https://bataboki018.wixsite.com/ivanantic/copy-of-privacy-policy - You can view our Terms of Use here: https://bataboki018.wixsite.com/ivanantic/trems-of-use
Five Bells
This app replicates the traditional ship's bell system for marking time and watch changes. Users can configure bell sequences, set hourly chimes, and schedule quiet times. It also offers additional information for sailors.
- Traditional ship's bell simulation
- Configurable bell sequences
- Hourly single bell option
- Scheduled quiet time
- Maritime information for sailors
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For sailors or anyone interested in maritime tradition. The ship’s bell has traditionally been used to mark the passage of time and the changeover of watches aboard ships. Five Bells aims to replicate this tradition on your iPhone®. Bells can be configured to sound a traditional or simplified sequence. Alternatively, a single bell can be struck every hour. A scheduled quiet-time can be enabled to prevent bells from sounding during a scheduled period. Additional information relevant to sailors is also provided.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Five Bells at 79% against Morse Code Reader and Decoder's 30%. Five Bells also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Morse Code Reader and Decoder's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 239). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Morse Code Reader and Decoder sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Five Bells sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Five Bells holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Morse Code Reader and Decoder has 2.5K ratings behind it against 239, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Morse Code Reader and Decoder's written reviews are positive against 79% of Five Bells's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Morse Code Reader and Decoder | Five Bells |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (2.5K ratings) | 4.7 (239 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.2% of reviews | 79.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K — better | 239 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ivan Antic | Mark Gould |
Customer experience
Morse Code Reader and Decoder
Five Bells
User reviews
Morse Code Reader and Decoder
From 2.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and simple
- 💡 Helpful for learning Morse code
- 🚀 Great tool for learning Morse code
Room to improve
- 🐛 Sound/vibration issues
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 💰 Too many ads
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
Five Bells
From 239 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔔 Great bell sounds
- 👍 Exactly what users wanted
- 💡 Useful for time tracking
- 💰 Free with donation option
- 🌙 Quiet hours feature appreciated
Room to improve
- 🐛 Quiet time feature doesn't work
- ⏰ Time incorrect/chiming late
- 🔇 Silence function doesn't work
- 🔊 Too loud, needs volume control
- 🔔 Half-hour bell can be annoying
Bugs and requests
Morse Code Reader and Decoder
Reported bugs
3 issues- Freezes/crashes during use
- Conversion issues (incorrect translations)
- Sound not working
Requested features
4 requests- Add flashlight/camera Morse code translator
- Allow adjusting dot/dash timing
- Add sound settings (tone, frequency)
- Improve learning mode/progression
Five Bells
Reported bugs
9 issues- Quiet time feature doesn't work
- Time incorrect, chiming late
- Silence function doesn't work
- App doesn't work on Apple Watch, only one ding
- Number of bells doubled on iPad compared to iPhone
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- App strikes bells when it wants, not always when required
- Bells stopped working after iOS 17 upgrade
- App doubles strikes (e.g., 16 bells at noon)
- Developer webpage link goes to an error
Requested features
6 requests- Nicer clock interface
- Volume control or loud/medium/quiet switch
- Option to leave out half-hour bell
- Ability to have app on Apple Watch
- Choice of bell sounds
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Fix Apple Watch integration
In-app purchases
Morse Code Reader and Decoder
- Morse Code Monthly$2.991 Month
- Pro Morse Code 6 Months$17.496 Months
- Morse Code Pro Annually$19.991 Year
- Remove Ads$1.99
- Intermediate tutorial$1.99
- Advanced tutorial$2.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Morse Code Pro$3.99
Five Bells
- Regular Coffee$1.99
- Large Coffee$2.99
- Lunch$4.99
Questions
Is Morse Code Reader and Decoder free?
Is Five Bells free?
Which has better reviews, Morse Code Reader and Decoder or Five Bells?
Do Morse Code Reader and Decoder or Five Bells have ads?
Which is updated more often, Morse Code Reader and Decoder or Five Bells?
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