# FT8 Decoder vs SDR

The clearest difference is price: FT8 Decoder at $1.99 against SDR's $44.99. FT8 Decoder also leads on iOS requirement (15.4 vs 17.6). SDR's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 18 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

FT8 Decoder costs $1.99 and SDR $44.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SDR holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SDR has 64 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of FT8 Decoder's written reviews are positive against 84% of SDR's.

FT8 Decoder ships an update every 18 months, SDR every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FT8 Decoder | SDR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $44.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ft8-decoder/id1592847401/reviews) | **[4.5 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **64** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **84.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#115** |
| Size | 1 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| 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


### SDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509)

**Currently charting:** #115 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Control your Icom transceiver remotely or locally from your iPhone. Operate in all modes, log QSOs, and utilize integrated digital modes like FT8/FT4 and SSTV. No extra hardware is needed for global access.

**Highlights:** Remote transceiver operation, All mode control, Auto logging logbook, Integrated FT8/FT4 tool, Integrated SSTV receiver, Integrated CW decoder and keyer, DX-Cluster integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works perfectly with ICOM radios
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🌟 Feature-rich and comprehensive
- 💯 Stable and reliable performance
- 📱 Great for remote operation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels)
- 🐛 Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
- 🐛 UI elements can be cramped on iPhone
- 🐛 Some buttons are small and hard to press
- 🐛 Frequency display overlaps buttons

**Reported bugs**

- Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
- Frequency display overlaps buttons
- FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels than WSJTX)
- App crashes and leaves radio in transmit
- Logbook export not functional after update

**Requested features**

- Develop for IC-7800
- CarPlay support
- Apple Watch add-on
- Windows version
- JS8call support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FT8 Decoder free?

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

### Is SDR free?

SDR costs $44.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

SDR is rated higher. FT8 Decoder averages 4.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while SDR averages 4.5 from 64 ratings.

### Do FT8 Decoder or SDR have ads?

Neither FT8 Decoder nor SDR shows ads.

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

FT8 Decoder ships an update every 18 months, and SDR every 2 weeks. Most recently, FT8 Decoder was updated on September 21, 2026 and SDR on October 3, 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.*