HAM vs GridCalc
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HAM
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.
- 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
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The ultimate utility App for every HAM-Radio Operator HAM-Toolbox provides a variety of useful Tools to help you operating your HAM-Radio. The Tools are ranging from activity monitoring Tools like DX-Cluster and PSK-Reporter, to Tools helping you with resource information like Bandplan, Glossar, AWG and many more Tools. HAM-Toolbox also has a built-in radio integration, so that you can directly tune to spots from the DX-Cluster and other tools. During logging, the appropriate fields for the frequency and mode will be automatically filled. With a one-time purchase you gain access to all of the following Tools on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. · TOOLS: + Band Conditions + POTA + DX-Cluster + PSK-Reporter + Reverse Beacon Network + Call-Lookup + Locator + Beacons (especially NCDXF) + Repeater + DTMF Generator + CW Encoder and Decoder + Frequency List + QSL Card Designer (design, preview, print and export your own QSL cards) · LOGBOOK: HAM-Toolbox comes with a fully featured Logbook. + Inspect and edit your existing QSOs + Easy-to-use logging interface + Maintenance (Data completion from QRZ.com, Duplicates finder, Mass change) + LOTW and QRZ.com log submission + Integrated Call-Lookup with possibility to update QSO + Worked/Needed statistics for CQ-Zones, ITU-Zones and DXCCs + Map with worked grid locators representation + iCloud-Sync with multiple devices (compatible with SDR-Control and SmartSDR) · Radio-Integration: + Frequency and Mode + Logbook integration + Direct tuning from various Tools like DXCluster, POTA, Frequency List + Supports all major Brands and Radios via Network or USB + YAESU: FT-710, FT-991, FT-DX10, FT-DX100 + Icom: IC-705, IC-7300mk2, IC-7300, IC-7610, IC-7760, IC-9700, IC-R8600, + Kenwood: TS-890, TS-990 + Elecraft: K4 + HamLib · CALCULATIONS: + Ohm's law + VSWR + Dipole-Antenna + Groundplane-Antenna + HB9CV-Antenna + Helix-Antenna + dB Conversion + Wavelength · RESOURCES: + Bandplan + Glossar + Morse + AWG + CTCSS-Codes + Formulas + Q-Codes + Abbreviations + Constants Find out more here: https://ham-toolbox.com Read the Manual: https://go-to.me/hamtoolbox-manual
GridCalc
This calculator app uses a grid interface to visualize every step of your calculations. It combines Reverse Polish Notation with a structured grid, allowing you to reference previous cells and see immediate recalculations when inputs change. Ideal for detailed, ad-hoc modeling on mobile.
- Visible grid for calculations
- Reverse Polish Notation (RPN)
- Incremental number entry
- Reference prior cells
- Immediate recalculation on input change
- Structured problem solving
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GridCalc is a new kind of calculator for iOS. It combines Reverse Polish Notation with a visible grid so every step of your work is structured and reviewable. Instead of a hidden stack or opaque formula bar, each value and operation lives directly in the grid. Enter numbers incrementally. Apply operations. Reference prior cells. Change any upstream input at any time and see immediate recalculation. GridCalc is built for people who think in steps and care about clarity: • Engineers and developers working through exact calculations • Finance and trading professionals modeling scenarios on the go • Students learning RPN and structured problem solving • Anyone who wants spreadsheet-level visibility without spreadsheet friction Designed for fast, ad-hoc modeling on mobile, GridCalc keeps your work visible, precise, and easy to continue later.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GridCalc at 5.0 against HAM's 4.0. GridCalc also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 69%) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). HAM's advantage is chart position (#150 vs unranked) and ratings volume (7 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
HAM costs $14.99 and GridCalc $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
GridCalc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of HAM's written reviews are positive against 100% of GridCalc's.
HAM ships an update monthly, GridCalc every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HAM | GridCalc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $14.99 |
| Rating | 4.0 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #150 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marcus Roskosch | ALAN WILLIAM DIPERT |
Customer experience
HAM
GridCalc
In-app purchases
HAM
No in-app purchases
GridCalc
No in-app purchases









