# AntScope vs SDR

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SDR at 84% against AntScope's 21%. SDR also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). AntScope's advantage is price (Free vs $44.99) and device support (3 vs 1). On ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

AntScope is free to download; SDR costs $44.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SDR holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 57 and 64 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of AntScope's written reviews are positive against 84% of SDR's.

AntScope ships an update every 3 months, SDR every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AntScope | SDR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $44.99 |
| Rating | [2.2 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/antscope/id1502248595/reviews) | **[4.5 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 57 | **64** |
| Positive reviews | 21.4% of reviews | **84.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#149** |
| Size | 27 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rig Expert Ukraine Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502248594) | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) |

## What reviewers say

### AntScope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/antscope/id1502248595)

Connect your RigExpert antenna analyzer to your smartphone for detailed antenna system analysis. Visualize SWR and Smith charts, and view all parameters in one place.

**Highlights:** Connects to RigExpert analyzers via BLE, SWR chart visualization, Smith chart visualization, All parameters mode, Supports RigExpert Stick 230 BLE

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### SDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509)

**Currently charting:** #149 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Control your Icom transceiver remotely or locally from your iPhone. Operate in all modes, log QSOs, and utilize integrated digital modes like FT8/FT4 and SSTV. No extra hardware is needed for global access.

**Highlights:** Remote transceiver operation, All mode control, Auto logging logbook, Integrated FT8/FT4 tool, Integrated SSTV receiver, Integrated CW decoder and keyer, DX-Cluster integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works perfectly with ICOM radios
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🌟 Feature-rich and comprehensive
- 💯 Stable and reliable performance
- 📱 Great for remote operation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels)
- 🐛 Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
- 🐛 UI elements can be cramped on iPhone
- 🐛 Some buttons are small and hard to press
- 🐛 Frequency display overlaps buttons

**Reported bugs**

- Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
- Frequency display overlaps buttons
- FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels than WSJTX)
- App crashes and leaves radio in transmit
- Logbook export not functional after update

**Requested features**

- Develop for IC-7800
- CarPlay support
- Apple Watch add-on
- Windows version
- JS8call support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AntScope free?

AntScope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SDR free?

SDR costs $44.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AntScope or SDR?

SDR is rated higher. AntScope averages 2.2 out of 5 from 57 ratings, while SDR averages 4.5 from 64 ratings.

### Do AntScope or SDR have ads?

Neither AntScope nor SDR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AntScope or SDR?

AntScope ships an update every 3 months, and SDR every 2 weeks. Most recently, AntScope was updated on October 17, 2026 and SDR on October 20, 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.*