Satellite Tracker vs Ham Radio Toolbox
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Satellite Tracker
Track satellites, the Sun, and the Moon with rise/set times and visibility calculations. Visualize Earth with 3D globe or 2D map views and customize tracking options. Offers free basic functionality with optional subscriptions for expanded satellite access.
- Satellite, Sun, and Moon tracking
- Rise/set times and visibility calculations
- 3D globe and 2D map Earth views
- Customizable tracking options
- Free basic functionality
- Optional satellite subscription plans
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Satellite Tracker is the follow on to our award winning HamSat series of applications. Satellite Tracker merges all the features of the iPhone and iPad versions providing you a single application that seamlessly optimizes the screen to the device you’re running it on (check out the various iPhone and iPad screen shots). The application will calculate the rise/set times and associated azimuth and elevation for the selected satellite, Sun or Moon given either the user entered or network retrieved location. There are two modes for satellite rise/set calculations. The first is for those folks wanting to know all overflights for a given location (like Ham radio operators) while the second mode computes only those passes where the satellite would be visible to a ground observer. In the ground observer mode, the calculations not only take into account that the ground is dark but also that the satellite is in sunlight (it even takes into account if the satellite becomes lit or unlit during the pass) In addition, you can see the Earth rendered either as a 3D globe or a 2D map using photo realistic texture maps for the Earth model. The orientation of the map is easily changed by a simple rotation of the device from portrait (3D) to landscape (2D). In either orientation you can zoom in and out as well as pan using the touch screen. There are more than a dozen controls provided to allow you to customize how the application works to meet your specific needs (type of Earth texture used, location, type of overflight calculated…) Finally, the application is now free to download and provides full functionality for tracking, viewing and communicating with the International Space Station (what was the capability of the ISS family of paid apps). The following subscriptions are available for tracking and communicating with a larger set of satellites: -HamSat (Annual and Monthly): Provides access to the NORAD and AMSAT two line element sets which cover all amateur related satellites. -ProSat (Annual and Monthly): Provides access to thousands of satellites grouped into the following categories (from www.celestrak.com): -100 (or so) Brightest -Last 30 Day’s Launches (or so) -Amateur Ham Radio Satellites -CubeSats -Disaster Monitoring -Earth Resources -Education -Engineering -Geodetic -Geostationary -GOES -GPS Operational -Intelsat -Iridium -Molniya -NOAA -Orbcomm -Search & Rescue (SARSAT) -Space & Earth Science -Space Station -Weather To get a feel for the apps, please checkout the iPad quickstart video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiHCGxV0WM8) and associated user’s guide (http://www.vosworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SatSeriesHD.pdf) or the iPhone quickstart video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuPccQI9oSg) and it’s user’s guide (http://www.vosworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SatSeries.pdf). Please note that InApp payments will be charged to your AppleID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. For more information, please visit our Terms of Service at http://www.vosworx.com/terms-of-service-for-app and our Privacy Policy at http://www.vosworx.com/privacy-policy-for-apps. Thanks to everyone who has sent in their questions/requests and keep them coming! -Craig (support@vosworx.com)
Ham Radio Toolbox
This app provides essential tools for amateur radio enthusiasts, including real-time propagation data, a DX cluster viewer, and a dipole calculator. It offers a streamlined interface for checking band conditions and planning communication strategies.
- Real-Time Propagation Data
- DX Cluster Viewer
- Dipole Calculator
- Band Maps
- No Account Needed
- No Personal Data Collected
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Ham Radio Toolbox is the all-in-one utility app built for amateur radio enthusiasts. Designed with both simplicity and power in mind, it combines the most essential ham tools into a single sleek interface. Whether you're chasing DX, tuning a new dipole, or just checking propagation conditions, Ham Radio Toolbox has you covered. Features: - Real-Time Propagation: Live solar and geomagnetic data to guide your QSO strategies. - DX Cluster Viewer: Stay informed of active DX spots from around the world. - Dipole Calculator: Quickly determine wire lengths based on band and frequency. - Band Maps: Visual overview of who’s on the air and where. Built by ham radio operators for ham radio operators, this app offers a professional, distraction-free experience with powerful tools at your fingertips. Perfect for operators who want everything in one place — portable, field, or shack use. No account needed. No personal data collected. Just pure radio utility.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ham Radio Toolbox at 4.7 against Satellite Tracker's 3.4. Ham Radio Toolbox also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). Satellite Tracker's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (44% vs 33%). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Satellite Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Ham Radio Toolbox asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ham Radio Toolbox holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ham Radio Toolbox has 198 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Satellite Tracker's written reviews are positive against 33% of Ham Radio Toolbox's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Satellite Tracker ships an update every 2 months, Ham Radio Toolbox every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Satellite Tracker | Ham Radio Toolbox |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (13 ratings) | 4.7 (198 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 198 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Craig Vosburgh | Nuno Facha |
Customer experience
Satellite Tracker
Ham Radio Toolbox
In-app purchases
Satellite Tracker
- Amateur Satellites Monthly$1.491 Month
- All Satellites Monthly$1.991 Month
- Amateur Satellites Annual$8.991 Year
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- All Satellites Annual$11.991 Year
Ham Radio Toolbox
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Satellite Tracker free?
Is Ham Radio Toolbox free?
Which has better reviews, Satellite Tracker or Ham Radio Toolbox?
Do Satellite Tracker or Ham Radio Toolbox have ads?
Which is updated more often, Satellite Tracker or Ham Radio Toolbox?
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