RST Decoder vs Tikal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RST Decoder
This application decodes Morse code from your microphone, acting as a practice tool to verify your keying accuracy. It offers advanced features like BPF and FFT decoders with automatic frequency and gain control, allowing for fine-tuning of reception parameters.
- Microphone Morse code decoding
- Morse practice and keying check
- BPF and FFT decoder options
- Auto Frequency Detector (AFD)
- Auto Gain Control (AGC)
- Real-time CW signal display
- Input signal recording/playback
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This is an App that decodes Morse code input from the microphone. It is a Morse practice App that you can use to check if you are keying the correct code. Signals with good S/N can be decoded correctly, but signals with bad S/N cannot be decoded correctly. Also, the performance will be degraded for extremely slow or fast signals. Usually about 5 to 10 characters are required for speed synchronization of Morse Code. Adjust the input signal so that the peak value changes from level 6 to level 7. Make fine adjustments to each parameter according to the reception status. [Additional Functions] -In addition to the decoder using BPF, a new decoder using FFT has been added so that it can be switched according to the usage. -AFD (Auto Frequency Detector) function has been added to the decoder using BPF, and BPF can be set automatically by pressing the AFD button. -The decoder using FFT automatically follows the strongest signal in the band by AFD (Auto Frequency Detector) and AGC (Auto Gain Control). You can also hold the AFD / AGC parameters by pressing the Lock button. * There will be a time lag of about 1 to 2 seconds for AFD tracking. [Control parameters] 1. Audio Input Level 2.BPF ON/OFF 3.BPF of Center Frequency 4.BPF of Band Width 5.CW Speed Control ON/OFF 6.CW Speed Control Low, Mid1, Mid2 or High 7.Delete All Decoded Text 8.Realtime CW Signal Display 9.Input signal recording / playback function *Japanese/KANA text is not supported. [Note] Since the signal after BPF is output to the audio output, it can also be used as an AF-CW filter. [URL of this App working example video] https://youtu.be/Pwp7W4m-m34
Tikal
This scientific calculator app emulates a 1978 Japanese pocket calculator with enhanced precision. It offers advanced functions, a shareable log, and a graph display for statistical mode. Enjoy a clean, ad-free experience with customizable display colors.
- Emulates 1978 Japanese pocket calculator
- Arithmetic, trigonometric, logarithmic, statistical functions
- High internal precision
- Graph display for statistical mode
- Shareable calculation log
- Customizable display colors (red, green, blue)
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This calculator app is loosely based on a pocket calculator designed in Japan in 1978. It provides arithmetic, trigonometric, logarithmic and statistical functions and fairly high internal precision with a display mode of 8 digits in portrait and 12 digits in landscape mode, which can be interchanged freely while entering numbers, and a scientific notation mode with 5/9 digits mantissa and 2 digits exponent. Internally it uses Decimals for primitive operations and Double floating point numbers for everything else, so in general it should be somehow more accurate than the original calculator model it was based on. I added a graph display for the statistical mode, a shareable calculation log, a manual (all accessible by tapping on the title line above the buttons) and a random number function that produces random numbers in the range [0..1]. The operational correctness is checked with unit tests. All examples from the original manual work with the same or with higher accuracy. There are about 45 unit tests until now covering different combinations, which should be sufficient for everyday educational or household calculations. The unit test set will be further expanded with future versions. The app does not store or transmit any data apart from the user-initiated log file sharing, it just needs permission to install and use the included 7 segment font for emulating the LCD display. There are no advertisements. The "OFF" Button exits the application immediately. Localizations for other languages are in preparation, this mainly concerns the manual and translations in the additional views. The main display uses a universal standard 7-segment display without localization options for clarity. The dark mode aims at a LED effect instead of LCD. Made the default blue instead of red, though there were no blue LEDs in 1978. In the settings you can choose from red, green or blue for now. The localizations may still contain errors and missing translations. Segment7Standard font license: SIL Open Font License (OFL) Link: https://www.fontspace.com/segment7-font-f19825 Music in App Previews: Excerpts from Gustav Holst, "The Planets": "Mercury the Messenger" and "Neptune the Mystic", performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gustav Holst, published by Columbia 1923, Recording in the Public Domain Link: https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Planets,_Op.32_(Holst,_Gustav) Known issues: - Klingon mode shows an obfuscated log that still does not make much sense.This is because Klingon ist not integrated into Unicode, and logging is probably not compatible with the Klingon honor code anyway. Written in Swift 5. This application is completely free of AI, so you can be fairly sure only human errors are to be reckoned with...
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: RST Decoder at Free against Tikal's $1.99. RST Decoder also leads on ratings volume (7 vs 1). Tikal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). On rating, in-app purchases, 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
RST Decoder is free to download; Tikal costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for RST Decoder against 5.0 for Tikal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RST Decoder has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
RST Decoder ships an update every 2 months, Tikal every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RST Decoder | Tikal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | koji kamogawa | PETER KOLLNER |
Customer experience
RST Decoder
Tikal
In-app purchases
RST Decoder
No in-app purchases
Tikal
No in-app purchases









