Comparison

RST Scope Pro vs MagicSDR

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

Head to head
About

RST Scope Pro

Read full description

This is an app for amateur radio operators with a narrow band of audio frequency, spectrum scope & waterfall display. You can get a rich display by microphone inputting the speaker output of a radio that does not have a spectrum scope or waterfall function. The FFT allows you to distinguish between the dot and dash of Morse code. [function] 1. Ability to change the speed of the waterfall 2. Ability to adjust the level of audio input 3. Function to switch the display band between wide and narrow 4. Display pause function (pause / cancel by touching the screen) 5. Display scaling for iPhone Display size. 6. Function to switch frequency resolution.(40Hz/20Hz/10Hz) 7. Function to switch between bar graph and line graph 8. Function to switch the cross hatch ON / OFF by longTap 9. Function to switch the USB/LSB by Left/Right Swipe 10.Recording/Playback function of Input Sound 11.File Listing function RST Scope(Free) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s9RvOFp52g

About

MagicSDR

Explore the radio frequency spectrum with interactive visualizations like panadapters and waterfalls. Demodulate and listen to various radio signals, and collect frequencies. This flexible application supports numerous SDR hardware protocols and offers access to hundreds of global servers for listening without special equipment.

Highlights
  • Panadapter and waterfall visualization
  • AM, SSB, CW, NFM, WFM demodulation
  • Frequency collection
  • Support for multiple SDR protocols
  • Access to global SDR servers
  • Screen gestures
  • Frequency bookmarks
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a real radio receiver. MagicSDR connects you to more than 600 live SDR (software defined radio) servers around the world — tune in to shortwave broadcasts, ham radio and utility stations right away. No antenna, no dongle, no hardware required. WHAT YOU CAN HEAR - International shortwave broadcasters from every continent - Ham radio operators on SSB and CW — contests, DXpeditions, everyday QSOs - Aviation, marine and utility stations - Time signals, beacons and digital modes Pick a receiver close to the signal you want: a server in Japan, Brazil or the Alps is one tap away. Somewhere the bands are always open. HAVE YOUR OWN SDR HARDWARE? MagicSDR also works as a fast native client for your own receivers. The app supports the SoapyRemote protocol, which means it works with any SDR device that has a SoapySDR driver. More supported protocols: - rtl_tcp — stream IQ data from the popular and affordable RTL-SDR dongles - Airspy network — connect to Airspy receivers shared over the network - Hermes-Lite — direct connection to the open-source Hermes-Lite 2 HF transceiver A POWERFUL RECEIVER WITH A TOUCH-FIRST UI - Wideband panadapter and waterfall with smooth pinch-to-zoom and pan gestures - AM, SSB (USB/LSB), CW, NFM and WFM demodulators - Adjustable filter bandwidth and noise-threshold squelch - Frequency bookmarks to collect and organize stations - Band plan overlay, so you always know where you are on the dial - Audio over UDP — feed external decoders such as FT8/WSJT-X or CW - Built-in EiBi shortwave schedule database — instantly see which broadcast station is on the air, in what language and when MADE FOR Ham radio operators, shortwave listeners (SWL), DXers, spectrum analysis — and anyone curious about what is on the air right now. Feedback and feature requests are always welcome — MagicSDR is in active development.

Screenshots

RST Scope Pro4 screens
MagicSDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RST Scope Pro at $1.99 against MagicSDR's $12.99. RST Scope Pro also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). 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

RST Scope Pro costs $1.99 and MagicSDR $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RST Scope Pro ships an update every 6 days, MagicSDR monthly. The most recent releases landed on March 12, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
RST Scope Pro versus MagicSDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRST Scope ProMagicSDR
Price$1.99 — better$12.99
Rating—3.1 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—37.9% of reviews
Number of ratings—10 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerkoji kamogawaVladyslav Haliuk

In-app purchases

None

RST Scope Pro

No in-app purchases

None

MagicSDR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RST Scope Pro free?
RST Scope Pro costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MagicSDR free?
MagicSDR costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do RST Scope Pro or MagicSDR have ads?
Neither RST Scope Pro nor MagicSDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RST Scope Pro or MagicSDR?
RST Scope Pro ships an update every 6 days, and MagicSDR monthly. Most recently, RST Scope Pro was updated on March 12, 2026 and MagicSDR on September 23, 2026.

Other comparisons