Comparison

RST 599 Pro vs pocketFORTH

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

Head to head
About

RST 599 Pro

This application simulates amateur radio CW QSOs with realistic call signs, signal levels, and speeds. It supports various QSO styles, pile-ups, and includes features like RIT, CW filters, and a spectrum scope for an immersive experience.

Highlights
  • Realistic CW QSO simulation
  • Pile-up reproduction (up to 5 stations)
  • Multiple QSO style support
  • RIT and CW filter functions
  • Spectrum scope display
  • Customizable call sign and CW speed
Features
Read full description

This app is a real CW QSO simulator for Amateur Radio. "599BK type QSO", "Rubber stamp type QSO" and "Contest type QSO" are supported. In addition, the call sign, signal level, CW speed, etc. that occur differ for each QSO in order to achieve realism. Furthermore, the call sign and CW speed of your own station that issues CQ can be set arbitrarily. 【Main features】 1. Reproduction of "pile-up" Called from up to 5 stations simultaneously. 2. "599BK","Rubber Stamp" and "AADX Contest" style support. 3.RIT and CW filter functions  Band Width(100-999Hz) control supported. 4.Landscape display support. 5.Realistic signal meter according to audio signal level. 6.Status display showing TX / RX operation. 7.The spectrum scope display 【Other features】 1. Select the number of QSOs to communicate. You can choose from 5,10,20,50,100. 2. Ability to select QRN. You can choose None, Weak, Norm, Hard. 3. Function to select Callsign Area. You can choose from JA's USA's or W / W. 4. Function to select SideTone. 5. Synchronized with CW BandPassFilter. 6. Judgement of "RST, QRA and QTH" or "RST, QRA and WX" information. 7.Supported the ESC button from the long TX/RX. 8.Supported the Score Clear button of Hi-Score. 9.Support the capture function of Hi-Score dialog. 10.Supported the QSB in the mode of "599BK / AADX" and "W/W" Supported keyboard input from Apple Silicon Mac. (Not compatible with iOS) [Support Key] A-Z, 0-9, / Enter:return ESC:esc BS:delete CQ:UpArrow AGN:DownArrow TU:[ LEFT:LeftArrow RIGHT:RightArrow

About

pocketFORTH

Features
Read full description

Discover one of the programming languages that helped shape modern computing. PocketFORTH is a modern FORTH environment inspired by the golden age of pocket computers and home computing, bringing the power of interactive programming directly to your iPhone and iPad. Whether you're a retro-computing enthusiast, a student, an electronics maker or simply curious to explore one of the most influential programming languages ever created, Pocket FORTH lets you write, run, edit and save FORTH programs through a clean, fast and completely offline interface. Designed for both learning and experimentation, Pocket FORTH combines the simplicity of the original language with modern features including live editing, dictionary browsing, source inspection, QR code sharing, persistent storage and a growing collection of built-in words compatible with classic FORTH systems.

Screenshots

RST 599 Pro4 screens
pocketFORTH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: pocketFORTH at Free against RST 599 Pro's $4.99. pocketFORTH also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). RST 599 Pro's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

pocketFORTH is free to download; RST 599 Pro costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RST 599 Pro ships an update every 2 months, pocketFORTH every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
RST 599 Pro versus pocketFORTH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRST 599 PropocketFORTH
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerkoji kamogawaLeonardo Del Nonno

In-app purchases

None

RST 599 Pro

No in-app purchases

None

pocketFORTH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RST 599 Pro free?
RST 599 Pro costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is pocketFORTH free?
pocketFORTH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RST 599 Pro or pocketFORTH have ads?
Neither RST 599 Pro nor pocketFORTH shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RST 599 Pro or pocketFORTH?
RST 599 Pro ships an update every 2 months, and pocketFORTH every 3 weeks. Most recently, RST 599 Pro was updated on November 3, 2026 and pocketFORTH on October 28, 2026.

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