# SDR vs RS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SDR at 78% against RS's 14%. SDR also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.4) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). RS's advantage is price (Free vs $49.99) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

RS is free to download; SDR costs $49.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SDR holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SDR has 70 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of SDR's written reviews are positive against 14% of RS's.

SDR ships an update every 2 weeks, RS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SDR | RS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $49.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-for-icom/id1614141094/reviews)** | [2.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-ms3i/id6670289770/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **70** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **78.0% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 55 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) | [ICOM INCORPORATED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193842631) |

## What reviewers say

### SDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-for-icom/id1614141094)

Control your Icom radio remotely from your iPad, whether at home via Wi-Fi or anywhere over the internet. View spectrum scope, waterfall, and access all radio controls, including microphone and speaker functionality. Supports various Icom models and offers multiple communication modes.

**Highlights:** Remote Wi-Fi and internet control, Spectrum scope and waterfall display, Full radio control interface, iPad as microphone and speaker, Multiple communication modes (FT8, JS8, CW, Speech), Integrated logbook with iCloud sync, DX Cluster and band plan integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### RS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-ms3i/id6670289770)

This app expands D-STAR transceiver capabilities over the internet using Terminal or Access Point modes. It allows communication even outside of repeater range by routing signals through your device via cellular or Wi-Fi networks.

**Highlights:** Terminal mode for internet-based transceiver communication, Access Point mode to function as a Wireless LAN access point, Expands D-STAR capabilities beyond repeater range, Utilizes internet, LTE, or 5G networks for signal transmission, Requires public IP address for gateway operation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SDR free?

SDR costs $49.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RS free?

RS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SDR or RS?

SDR is rated higher. SDR averages 4.2 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while RS averages 2.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do SDR or RS have ads?

Neither SDR nor RS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SDR or RS?

SDR ships an update every 2 weeks, and RS every 4 months. Most recently, SDR was updated on November 3, 2026 and RS on October 30, 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.*