# Drone Scanner vs Spectrum SDR (RTL

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spectrum SDR (RTL at 100% against Drone Scanner's 16%. Spectrum SDR (RTL also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.9) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 months). Drone Scanner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (147 vs 2). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spectrum SDR (RTL sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Drone Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Spectrum SDR (RTL holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drone Scanner has 147 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of Drone Scanner's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spectrum SDR (RTL's.

Drone Scanner ships an update every 3 months, Spectrum SDR (RTL every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone Scanner | Spectrum SDR (RTL |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (147 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-scanner/id1644548782/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrum-sdr-rtl-sdr/id6764391865/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **147** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 15.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 41 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dronetag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527565212) | [James Mainwaring](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895761181) |

## What reviewers say

### Drone Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-scanner/id1644548782)

Transform your device into a drone scanner to track nearby flights in real-time. View detailed flight information, including pilot data and location history, on an interactive map. The app is updated to comply with current EU and US regulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time drone tracking, Detailed drone information, Interactive flight map, Support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi broadcasts, Flying zone highlighting, Data export functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works as advertised
- 🚀 Great app for Android
- 💡 Excellent Remote ID scanner

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Does not work on iOS
- 🐛 Unable to detect drones
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🔒 Collects personal information

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Unable to locate drones in proximity
- Inaccurate location tracking

**Requested features**

- Add support for WiFi-based Remote ID
- Add support for more drone models
- Allow changing units from metric to imperial


### Spectrum SDR (RTL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrum-sdr-rtl-sdr/id6764391865)

Explore radio signals with your RTL-SDR dongle. Listen to AM/FM/SSB/CW, view FFT and waterfall displays, and customize your experience. Requires a remote rtl_tcp instance over WiFi.

**Highlights:** Full frequency range support, AM, FM, SSB, CW reception, FFT and Waterfall displays, Adjustable sample rates, Bias tee and gain controls, Squelch functionality, Customizable display options

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone Scanner free?

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

### Is Spectrum SDR (RTL free?

Spectrum SDR (RTL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drone Scanner or Spectrum SDR (RTL?

Spectrum SDR (RTL is rated higher. Drone Scanner averages 1.9 out of 5 from 147 ratings, while Spectrum SDR (RTL averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Drone Scanner or Spectrum SDR (RTL have ads?

Neither Drone Scanner nor Spectrum SDR (RTL shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone Scanner or Spectrum SDR (RTL?

Drone Scanner ships an update every 3 months, and Spectrum SDR (RTL every 11 days. Most recently, Drone Scanner was updated on October 24, 2026 and Spectrum SDR (RTL on October 10, 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.*