Comparison

AntScope vs HAMSignal

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

Head to head
About

AntScope

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
Read full description

AntScope for iOS is a software designed to connect the RigExpert antenna analyzers with BLE option to Apple smartphones. This software allows to get information about your antenna system and visualize that information: - SWR chart (standing wave ratio) - Smith chart - All parameters mode Supported analyzers: - RigExpert Stick 230 - RigExpert Stick 230 BLE - Stick Pro - Stick XPro - Stick 500 - Match - Match U - AA-2000 - AA-3000

About

HAMSignal

This app provides real-time solar weather data and forecasts specifically for amateur radio operators. It alerts users to improving band conditions, offers propagation tools, and includes a QSO logbook with solar data. Designed to help operators maximize their on-air time.

Highlights
  • Real-time K-index, SFI, and A-index updates
  • Band opening push notifications
  • 27-day solar forecast
  • Grey zone and terminator overlay
  • PSK Reporter live data
  • QSO logbook with solar conditions
  • Contest mode dashboard
Features
Read full description

Know when a band opens from where you are. HAMSignal watches live NOAA solar data and tells you when HF conditions improve at your QTH — not just when a storm hits. Set your callsign and grid once, and your phone (or Apple Watch) buzzes when 10m, 15m, or 20m opens. BAND-OPENING ALERTS • A notification when a band opens from your grid square, checked in the background while you're away • Based on live SFI, K-index, and A-index, with a day/night model per band • Especially useful on 10m for Technician licensees, and more valuable as Solar Cycle 25 declines and openings get rarer LIVE CONDITIONS • All HF bands rated open, fair, or closed for day and night at your location • SFI, K-index, A-index, X-ray flux, and solar wind from NOAA SWPC • 27-day NOAA forecast and historical trends • Grey line / terminator map with your local sunrise and sunset • Point-to-point path predictor with MUF/LUF and best band WHAT CAN I WORK RIGHT NOW? (US) • Pick your license class and see which bands are open AND legal for you, with exact frequencies, modes and power limits • Built for new Technicians: see that 10m is open and exactly where you can use SSB, CW and FT8 • Based on the current FCC rules, with the rule cited on each row AM I BEING HEARD? • See which stations received your signal in the last hour, by band and mode, with signal reports and distance • Uses public PSK Reporter reports for your callsign (FT8, FT4, WSPR, JS8, CW skimmers) OPERATE • DX cluster spots and PSK Reporter activity • POTA self-spotting that queues offline and sends when you get signal, plus an SMS fallback • POTA and SOTA park and summit lookup • Amateur satellite passes (ISS, SO-50, RS-44, IO-117, and more) with correct up/down frequencies • Live APRS stations near you, plus your own repeater list • Offline QSO logbook with ADIF import POCKET TOOLS • Maidenhead converter, distance and bearing, UTC clock • Antenna length, coax loss, stub matching, Yagi designer, power/dB • Band plan, Q-codes, phonetics, Morse reference APPLE WATCH • Glanceable K-index, SFI, and best band • Complications for your watch face HAMSIGNAL PRO (one-time purchase, no subscription) • Unlimited band-opening alerts and custom space-weather alerts (free includes one of each) • Greyline sked alerts 30 minutes before sunrise and sunset at your QTH • DX spot alerts for your bands, modes or needed DXCC entities while Band Activity is open • Contest Mode dashboard • ADIF export for LoTW and POTA, Cabrillo contest logs and ARRL Field Day export (CSV stays free) • DXCC, Worked All States and VUCC award tracking Already bought HAMSignal? You have Pro automatically. Tap Restore in Settings if it doesn't show. No account. No ads. No subscription. Your log stays on your devices and in your own iCloud. Requires iOS 17 or later. Apple Watch app requires watchOS 10 or later.

Screenshots

AntScope4 screens
HAMSignal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: HAMSignal at 5.0 against AntScope's 2.3. HAMSignal also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 months). AntScope's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and review sentiment (21% vs 0%). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HAMSignal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AntScope has 58 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of AntScope's written reviews are positive against 0% of HAMSignal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AntScope ships an update every 3 months, HAMSignal every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
AntScope versus HAMSignal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAntScopeHAMSignal
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (58 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.4% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings58 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRig Expert Ukraine LtdStephen Thorn

Customer experience

AntScope

All ratings57 ratings
Positive28.1%
Neutral5.3%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive21.4%
Neutral11.9%
Negative66.7%

HAMSignal

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

AntScope

No in-app purchases

None

HAMSignal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AntScope free?
AntScope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HAMSignal free?
HAMSignal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AntScope or HAMSignal?
HAMSignal is rated higher. AntScope averages 2.3 out of 5 from 58 ratings, while HAMSignal averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do AntScope or HAMSignal have ads?
Neither AntScope nor HAMSignal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AntScope or HAMSignal?
AntScope ships an update every 3 months, and HAMSignal every 11 days. Most recently, AntScope was updated on October 21, 2026 and HAMSignal on October 22, 2026.

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