# MagicSDR vs FT8 Decoder

The clearest difference is price: FT8 Decoder at $1.99 against MagicSDR's $12.99. FT8 Decoder also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (50% vs 38%). MagicSDR's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 18 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

MagicSDR costs $12.99 and FT8 Decoder $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

FT8 Decoder holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of MagicSDR's written reviews are positive against 50% of FT8 Decoder's.

MagicSDR ships an update monthly, FT8 Decoder every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MagicSDR | FT8 Decoder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | [3.1 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicsdr-sdr-radio-receiver/id1563954272/reviews) | **[4.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ft8-decoder/id1592847401/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 37.9% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 18 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 65 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vladyslav Haliuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1563954274) | [HotPaw Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853) |

## What reviewers say

### MagicSDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicsdr-sdr-radio-receiver/id1563954272)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### FT8 Decoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ft8-decoder/id1592847401)

This application decodes FT8 digital signals from amateur radio bands. It can process audio from external sources or directly from an SSB radio or SDR. The app also generates FT8 modulated audio for experimentation.

**Highlights:** Decodes FT8 8FSK modulated signals, Processes external audio or SDR sound, Supports standard callsigns and 13-character messages, Generates FT8 message audio, Experiment with sending and receiving FT8 audio

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MagicSDR free?

MagicSDR costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FT8 Decoder free?

FT8 Decoder costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MagicSDR or FT8 Decoder?

FT8 Decoder is rated higher. MagicSDR averages 3.1 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while FT8 Decoder averages 4.3 from 8 ratings.

### Do MagicSDR or FT8 Decoder have ads?

Neither MagicSDR nor FT8 Decoder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MagicSDR or FT8 Decoder?

MagicSDR ships an update monthly, and FT8 Decoder every 18 months. Most recently, MagicSDR was updated on October 27, 2026 and FT8 Decoder on October 24, 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.*