# Morse Code Reader and Decoder vs Five Bells

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 (2.4K vs 198). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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 2.4K ratings behind it against 198, 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 October 4, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Morse Code Reader and Decoder | Five Bells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morse-code-reader-and-decoder/id1372696136/reviews) | **[4.7 (198 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 198 |
| Positive reviews | 30.2% of reviews | **79.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ivan Antic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367134411) | [Mark Gould](https://appshunter.io/developer/1575372263) |

## What reviewers say

### Morse Code Reader and Decoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morse-code-reader-and-decoder/id1372696136)

Convert text to Morse code and vice versa. Transmit messages using flashlight, screen blinking, vibration, or sound. Includes practice modes for learning Morse code.

**Highlights:** Text to Morse code conversion, Morse code to text conversion, Flashlight transmission, Screen blinking transmission, Vibration transmission, Sound effect transmission, Morse code practice modes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Morse Code Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Morse Code 6 Months | $17.49 | per 6 months |
| Morse Code Pro Annually | $19.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate tutorial | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advanced tutorial | $2.99 | one-time |
| Morse Code Pro | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and simple
- 💡 Helpful for learning Morse code
- 🚀 Great tool for learning Morse code

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sound/vibration issues
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 💰 Too many ads
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Freezes/crashes during use
- Conversion issues (incorrect translations)
- Sound not working

**Requested features**

- Add flashlight/camera Morse code translator
- Allow adjusting dot/dash timing
- Add sound settings (tone, frequency)
- Improve learning mode/progression


### Five Bells

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984)

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.

**Highlights:** Traditional ship's bell simulation, Configurable bell sequences, Hourly single bell option, Scheduled quiet time, Maritime information for sailors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Regular Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lunch | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔔 Great bell sounds
- 👍 Exactly what users wanted
- 💡 Useful for time tracking
- 💰 Free with donation option
- 🌙 Quiet hours feature appreciated

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Morse Code Reader and Decoder free?

Morse Code Reader and Decoder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Five Bells free?

Five Bells is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Morse Code Reader and Decoder or Five Bells?

Five Bells is rated higher. Morse Code Reader and Decoder averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Five Bells averages 4.7 from 198 ratings.

### Do Morse Code Reader and Decoder or Five Bells have ads?

Morse Code Reader and Decoder shows ads; Five Bells does not.

### Which is updated more often, Morse Code Reader and Decoder or Five Bells?

Morse Code Reader and Decoder ships an update every 2 months, and Five Bells every 2 months. Most recently, Morse Code Reader and Decoder was updated on October 4, 2026 and Five Bells on October 1, 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.*