xCluster vs Greyline FT8
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
xCluster
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.
- 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
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xCluster is a visual display of dx cluster activity built for the iPad. DX spots are received via telnet or web services and displayed in a tabular form and plotted on a map of the world. You can filter the spots by call sign or band. Spots are created using the latitude and longitude of the dx station and spotter. The program has an internal call parsing component to determine the country for each call but can use QRZ.com for more accurate location data. Lookup priority is QRZ.com with the the call parser as a backup. DX spots can be displayed on a map or in a tabular form. Alerts for specific stations, bands or countries may be set and will be highlighted in the list and on the map. A number of major telnet clusters are built in along with DXSummit and PSK Reporter. PSK Reporter will display other stations that can hear your signal. You must be running WSJT-X or FLDIGI and have it configured correctly to work. You may contact the author with questions, suggestions or issues at support@w6op.com Features: Display dx spots on a map and in a list Predefined cluster servers and websites Filter by band and call sign Set alerts for display in the list and on the map Alerts can be set by country, band and call sign Save alerts in iCloud Built in call parser if QRZ.com is unavailable Freeform cluster command input Zoom and pan the map display
Greyline FT8
This app provides a portable digital ham radio experience for field operations on iOS devices. It automates callsign lookups, displays real-time spot data, and offers automated calling or manual control for QSOs. Features include intelligent frequency selection, audio delay adjustment, and direct logging to QRZ.
- Field-ready digital ham radio
- Automated callsign and DXCC lookups
- Real-time PSK Reporter spot data
- Automated CQ Gatherer and Hunter modes
- Intelligent automatic frequency selection
- Direct-to-QRZ logging and ADI export
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Greyline FT8 is a highly portable, capable amateur radio app designed specifically for field operation with an iOS device. I designed this app because I got very used to my full-stack FT8 solution: GridTracker, WSJT-X, PSK Reporter, WRL Desktop, several browser tabs, and more. But I didn't want the bulk and weight of a full Windows PC in the field. At the same time, while there are excellent and lightweight FT8 iOS solutions out there, they were lacking features I really wanted. Greyline is everything you need and nothing you don't. It automatically locates your grid square, performs callsign and calling station DXCC lookups (internet access required), and can even show you real-time spot data from PSK Reporter. Want to adjust your directional antenna? Now you've got the info you need to do it! Greyline also incorporates automated calling features. Gatherer mode calls CQ, responds to the first reply it gets, finishes the QSO and returns to calling CQ all without your input. On the other side of things, Hunter mode listens for CQ calls and pounces on them, finishing a QSO then returning to the live band to find the next. Or, take control of the conversation yourself with standard mode. That's the experience you're already used to from WSJT-X and other digital mode apps. Some other noteworthy features are: - Intelligent automatic free frequency selection - Dynamically adjusted audio delay for virtually drift-free message timing - PSK Reporter integrated Live Spots - Direct-to-QRZ, WRL and private Cloudlog logging and ADI export - Configurable waterfall settings - CQ addendums - CQ filtering for contesting and general courteous operation - Configurable retransmissions - Intelligent log recovery (didn't get that last 73 but want to log the contact anyway? Now you can!) - Log import and export - Antenna tuning - POTA Autospotting - One touch POTA activation and POTA.app-compatible ADIF export - Multiple POTA activation support - And so much more! Greyline uses audio VOX and not serial PTT. Most radios support this with simple cabling or an audio interface like a Digirig. For helpful tips on cabling and configuring popular radios, visit the Support URL below. Built by a ham, for hams, I'm very open to your feedback and hope Greyline can be your field companion. Want to share your own Field Notes (https://greylineft8.com/fieldnotes.html)? Email me at support@greylineft8.com!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: xCluster at Free against Greyline FT8's $3.99. xCluster also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Greyline FT8's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
xCluster is free to download; Greyline FT8 costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Greyline FT8 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of xCluster's written reviews are positive against 90% of Greyline FT8's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
xCluster ships an update monthly, Greyline FT8 every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | xCluster | Greyline FT8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.0 (5 ratings) | 4.9 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 90.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 15 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 — better | 26.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Bourget | JONATHAN MARK SCHULMAN |
Customer experience
xCluster
Greyline FT8
In-app purchases
xCluster
No in-app purchases
Greyline FT8
No in-app purchases









