# HAM vs xCluster

The clearest difference is price: xCluster at Free against HAM's $14.99. xCluster also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 69%). HAM's advantage is chart position (#177 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

xCluster is free to download; HAM costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for HAM against 4.0 for xCluster. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 5 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of HAM's written reviews are positive against 100% of xCluster's.

HAM ships an update monthly, xCluster every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HAM | xCluster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-toolbox/id1630108109/reviews) | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcluster/id1644543785/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#177** | — |
| Size | 83 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) | [Peter Bourget](https://appshunter.io/developer/1644543787) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### xCluster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcluster/id1644543785)

Visualize DX cluster activity on a world map and in a list. Filter spots by call sign or band, and set custom alerts for specific stations or countries. Integrates with popular DX services and provides call parsing for location data.

**Highlights:** Display DX spots on map and list, Filter by band and call sign, Set custom alerts, Integrates with DXSummit and PSK Reporter, Built-in call parser, Zoom and pan map

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HAM free?

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

### Is xCluster free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HAM or xCluster?

HAM and xCluster are both rated 4.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do HAM or xCluster have ads?

Neither HAM nor xCluster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HAM or xCluster?

HAM ships an update monthly, and xCluster every 3 weeks. Most recently, HAM was updated on September 8, 2026 and xCluster on September 21, 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.*