Comparison

RepeaterPhone vs Echo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RepeaterPhone

Connect your mobile device to EchoLink or AllStarLink radio nodes, repeaters, and conferences. Features a push-to-talk interface, node directory search, and favorites for quick access. Supports Bluetooth headsets and includes a watch extension for convenient control.

Highlights
  • Push-to-talk interface
  • EchoLink/AllStarLink node connection
  • Node directory search
  • Favorite nodes
  • Bluetooth headset support
  • Watch extension control
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Note: This app is for licensed Amateur Radio operators only. RepeaterPhone provides the ability to connect your mobile device to EchoLink or AllStarLink nodes, including repeaters and conferences. Push to talk today! You will need an account with either the EchoLink or AllStarLink networks. Please see https://www.echolink.org or https://www.allstarlink.org, respectively, for more details - Push-to-talk interface - Browse or search the directory for available nodes - Mark favorites with a star for quick access - Supports various audio devices, including Bluetooth headsets - Fully integrated into your phone's recent call system - Includes a watch extension for dialing favorites and controlling push-to-talk - Sharing your device with a licensed family member? Switch accounts easily

About

Echo

Tune into thousands of remote radio servers worldwide from your iPhone or iPad. Explore shortwave broadcasts, aviation communications, and more with a global interactive map and advanced tuning features. Enjoy uninterrupted background audio and a privacy-first experience.

Highlights
  • Global interactive map and search
  • Support for multiple SDR architectures
  • Scanner mode and OpenMHz archives
  • Pro-level tuning and analytics
  • Offline frequency library and logging
  • Uninterrupted background audio
  • Privacy-first design
Features
Read full description

Echo is the ultimate, natively-built iOS client for tuning into remote radio servers. Listen to anything, from anywhere. Dive into international shortwave broadcasts from Asia, monitor aviation communications over the Atlantic, discover mysterious numbers stations, or tune into distant FM stations across the globe, all from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Apple silicon. Featured in Radio World, on RTL-SDR.com, and in the SWLing Post. Radio World's Nick Langan praised Echo's "thoughtfully designed interface," said he has "loved using" the app, and later described Echo Pro's transcription as "very responsive." Designed for radio enthusiasts and curious listeners alike, Echo is a powerful aggregator that connects you to nearly 3,000 community-hosted Software Defined Radio (SDR) receivers. By integrating these reliable streams into a dedicated native environment, Echo delivers true background audio, high-performance mapping, and features that are difficult to achieve in a standard web browser. KEY FEATURES Global Interactive Map & Search Visually browse thousands of remote SDR servers worldwide using our smooth, native MapKit clustering engine, or instantly search nearly 3,000+ receivers by name or location. Unmatched SDR Compatibility Seamless support for KiwiSDR, OpenWebRX, WebSDR, and FM-DX Webserver architectures. Want to listen to a private node? Add your own unlisted servers with custom URL entry. Scanner Mode Automatically cycle through station lists at set intervals. Advanced Tuning & Analytics • Smart Manual Tuner: Instantly tune by entering kHz or MHz; Echo intelligently detects the band format. • Audio Engine Passthrough: Interfaces directly with server-side signal processors for broad compatibility with waterfall rendering, plugins, and decoding extensions. • Intelligent Profile Switching: Automatically switches to the correct server band profile as you tune on supported networks. Offline Frequency Library & Logging Search an offline, built-in EIBI database of over 9,000 global shortwave and utility frequencies. Save and log your favorite stations to your local device. Uninterrupted Background Audio Keep listening when your screen is locked or while using other apps. Our custom audio bridge intercepts complex SDR streams to provide true iOS background playback and lock-screen controls. ECHO PRO Take Echo further with recording, live transcription, translation, and iCloud sync. • Record the Airwaves: Record live radio and revisit important moments anytime. • Live Transcription: Turn live radio into on-screen text as you listen. • Translation: Transcribe foreign-language broadcasts and translate them into readable English. • iCloud Sync: Sync recordings, transcripts, translations, notes, favorites, saved servers, and supported settings across your Apple devices. Echo Pro requires a monthly or annual subscription. Privacy First Zero tracking. No analytics, no proprietary tracking servers, and no ad IDs. Your listening activity is not tracked. Echo Pro syncs supported data through your private iCloud account. Built with speed, aesthetics, and privacy in mind, Echo ensures a fast, premium listening experience. Start exploring the airwaves today! VoiceOver & Accessibility Support • Station cards, player, recording, and scanner controls announce meaningful context to VoiceOver • Scanner controls (play/pause/skip/favorite) are fully labeled and navigable • Station changes, server connections, and scanner state are announced in real-time • Reduce Transparency support: glass effects swap to solid backgrounds when enabled • Reduce Motion support: animations are simplified when enabled in iOS settings • Decorative elements hidden from assistive technology for a cleaner navigation experience Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

RepeaterPhone4 screens
Echo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Echo at Free against RepeaterPhone's $7.99. Echo also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (100% vs 71%). RepeaterPhone's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#111 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Echo is free to download; RepeaterPhone costs $7.99 up front. Echo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. RepeaterPhone asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Echo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 89 and 36 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of RepeaterPhone's written reviews are positive against 100% of Echo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RepeaterPhone ships an update every 2 months, Echo every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
RepeaterPhone versus Echo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRepeaterPhoneEcho
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (89 ratings)4.9 (36 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings89 — better36
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#111 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWeston BustraanMark Garrison Jr.

Customer experience

RepeaterPhone

All ratings88 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive71.2%
Neutral10.2%
Negative18.6%

Echo

All ratings35 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

RepeaterPhone

Reported bugs

18 issues
  • Authentication failed on setup
  • App crashes with latest iOS
  • iPhone 16 Pro will not connect
  • Many Allstar nodes reject connection attempts
  • Crashes sometimes, interrupting calls
Show 13 more
  • Failed to load list of stations
  • Randomly disconnects
  • Hubs error out with 'Rejected: No authority found'
  • Crashes under iOS 17.6
  • App doesn’t work on Echolink
  • Connection closes when screen locks
  • Receive volume very low after iOS 16
  • Audio seems less than fully baked, low volume
  • Trying to change speakers mutes app
  • Private nodes stay keyed after unkeying
  • App reads 'Account not found'
  • Callsign beginning with a number times out at 45secs
  • Supermon stops reporting during local private node connection

Requested features

14 requests
  • DTMF presets on dial page
  • Apple CarPlay integration
  • CQ function inclusion
  • Organize nodes by location/group chat
  • See total people connected before connecting
Show 9 more
  • Search for nodes by location
  • More sorting for repeater list
  • Last heard map/list
  • Listen-only mode
  • Dialer for Allstar codes (*72 etc.)
  • Android app with PTT
  • Macros to hound and disconnect nodes
  • Map of AllStar node location
  • Adjustable mic level slider

Echo

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RepeaterPhone

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Echo

Subscriptions2
  • Echo Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Echo Pro Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is RepeaterPhone free?
RepeaterPhone costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Echo free?
Echo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RepeaterPhone or Echo?
Echo is rated higher. RepeaterPhone averages 4.4 out of 5 from 89 ratings, while Echo averages 4.9 from 36 ratings.
Do RepeaterPhone or Echo have ads?
Neither RepeaterPhone nor Echo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RepeaterPhone or Echo?
RepeaterPhone ships an update every 2 months, and Echo every 9 days. Most recently, RepeaterPhone was updated on November 3, 2026 and Echo on November 5, 2026.

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