# FT8 Decoder vs HAM

The clearest difference is price: FT8 Decoder at $1.99 against HAM's $14.99. FT8 Decoder also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 18.6). HAM's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 18 months) and review sentiment (69% vs 50%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

FT8 Decoder costs $1.99 and HAM $14.99 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 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of FT8 Decoder's written reviews are positive against 69% of HAM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FT8 Decoder ships an update every 18 months, HAM monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FT8 Decoder | HAM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $14.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ft8-decoder/id1592847401/reviews)** | [4.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-toolbox/id1630108109/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **69.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#177** |
| Size | 1 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.4** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HotPaw Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853) | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### HAM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-toolbox/id1630108109)

**Currently charting:** #177 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

This utility app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for amateur radio operators, including band conditions, DX-Cluster monitoring, and a logbook. It features direct radio integration for tuning and automatic logging, along with various calculations and resource information.

**Highlights:** DX-Cluster and PSK-Reporter activity monitoring, Bandplan, Glossar, and AWG resource information, Built-in radio integration for direct tuning, Fully featured logbook with QSO editing, LOTW and QRZ.com log submission, Calculations for Ohm's law, VSWR, and antennas, CW Encoder and Decoder

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FT8 Decoder free?

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

### Is HAM free?

HAM costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

FT8 Decoder is rated higher. FT8 Decoder averages 4.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while HAM averages 4.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do FT8 Decoder or HAM have ads?

Neither FT8 Decoder nor HAM shows ads.

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

FT8 Decoder ships an update every 18 months, and HAM monthly. Most recently, FT8 Decoder was updated on September 21, 2026 and HAM on September 8, 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.*