Comparison

SDR vs RS

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

Head to head
About

SDR

Control your Icom radio remotely from your iPhone. View spectrum scope, waterfall, and access all radio controls over Wi-Fi or the internet. Supports various Icom models and includes features for ham radio operators.

Highlights
  • Spectrum scope and waterfall display
  • Full radio control
  • Remote operation over Wi-Fi/internet
  • FT8-Improved and JS8 modes
  • CW decoder and keyer
  • Speech transcription and translation
  • Logbook with ADIF import/export
Features
Read full description

Your Icom radio on your iPhone: at home over Wi-Fi or from anywhere over the internet. Made by a ham, for hams, with personal support included. SDR-Control Mobile shows the spectrum scope and waterfall of your Icom radio with all its controls. No extra hardware or software needed. WORKS WITH ■ IC-705 (Wi-Fi) ■ IC-7610, IC-7760, IC-9700, IC-7300 MK2 and the IC-R8600 receiver (radio on your network by cable) The app connects over the network only. The older IC-7300 (without MK2) has no network connection and can't be used. OPERATE ■ Spectrum scope and waterfall with band plan, DX Cluster and FT8 spots ■ Two VFOs, filters, preamp, attenuator, NB, NR, notch, AGC and more ■ Compact floating panels: tuning, PTT, CW, memories, macros, Command Bar, DTMF, RIT / ∆TX, D-Star ■ Your iPhone as microphone and speaker; the radio keeps playing in the background ■ Ready for iPhone Duo: the iPhone screens when folded, the large radio screen when open MODES ■ FT8-Improved with AutoAnswer and AutoCQ, plus the classic FT8 ■ JS8 keyboard chat ■ CW with decoder, keyer and CW keyboard ■ Speech: incoming voice transcribed and translated, your typed text sent as speech ■ SSTV, HF-Fax, APRS, WSPR and D-Star FT8-Improved, JS8, Speech and WSPR need iOS 26. TOOLS ■ Logbook with ADIF import and export, shared via iCloud with SmartSDR, FT-Control, TS-Control and K4-Control, on iPhone, iPad and Mac ■ DX Cluster, POTA, PSK Reporter, Call Lookup, Band Plan, Network Stats, Memories, Scanning ■ Controllers: MIDI, CTR2, HaliKey, Pryme, Flic ■ 4O3A Genius devices and Ultra Beam antennas MADE BY A HAM Made by Marcus, DL8MRE, who has been developing apps for Apple devices since 2009 and uses this app every day in his own shack, where all supported radios are on the desk. Personal online support and a detailed manual are included. Updates with new modes and features are free: no subscription, no in-app purchases. WHAT YOU NEED ■ One of the radios above, connected to your network ■ An iPhone with iOS 18 or later ■ For use over the internet: access to your home network from outside (see the manual) Manual: https://go-to.me/sdrcontrol-mobile-manual More apps: https://ham-radio-apps.com SDR-Control is developed independently and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Icom.

About

RS

This app expands D-STAR transceiver capabilities over the internet using Terminal or Access Point modes. It allows communication even outside of repeater range by routing signals through your device via cellular or Wi-Fi networks.

Highlights
  • Terminal mode for internet-based transceiver communication
  • Access Point mode to function as a Wireless LAN access point
  • Expands D-STAR capabilities beyond repeater range
  • Utilizes internet, LTE, or 5G networks for signal transmission
  • Requires public IP address for gateway operation
Features
Read full description

[Features] The RS-MS3I is an iPhone or iPad application designed to expand the DV mode capability of a D-STAR transceiver using a Terminal or an Access Point mode. These modes enable D-STAR operations by sending signals from the D-STAR transceiver over the Internet, even when that transceiver is out of the range of a D-STAR repeater. The transceiver sends your voice signals using an Internet, LTE, or 5G network, through an iPhone or iPad. 1. Terminal mode By operating the D-STAR transceiver through the iPhone or iPad, you can contact other D-STAR transceivers. In the Terminal mode, the transceiver will not transmit an RF signal, even if [PTT] is held down, because the microphone audio signal is transmitted through an Internet, LTE, or 5G network. 2. Access Point mode In this mode, the D-STAR transceiver functions as a Wireless LAN access point. The D-STAR transceiver repeats the received signal from the iPhone or iPad, to other D-STAR transceivers. Refer to the instruction manual (PDF) for setting details. The instruction manual can be downloaded from the ICOM website. (URL: https://www.icomjapan.com/support/manual/) [Device requirements] iOS15 or later [Usable transceivers] (As of March 2026) - ID-52A PLUS or ID-52E PLUS Note: - This application operates on iPhone or iPad as a gateway server on the D-STAR system. Therefore, a public IP address must be set on either the iPhone, iPad, or the Wireless LAN router. - Ask your mobile carrier or ISP for a public IP address. According to the contract, communication charges and/or communication packet limits may occur. - Ask your mobile carrier, ISP, or manufacturer of your iPhone, iPad, or router about public IP setting details. - Icom does not guarantee that the RS-MS3I works on all iPhone and iPad. It may not work properly, depending on the OS version, installed applications, or other reasons. - When a Bluetooth headset is connected to the transceiver, depending on the combination of your iPhone or iPad and the Bluetooth headset, sound may be interrupted, and communication may not be possible. In such cases, please disconnect the Bluetooth headset before use. - Turn OFF the Wireless LAN function when communicating through an LTE or 5G network. - Operate your transceiver with the RS-MS3I in compliance with appropriate regulations. - Icom recommends that you operate them with a club station license.

Screenshots

SDR4 screens
RS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SDR at 84% against RS's 14%. SDR also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.4) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). RS's advantage is price (Free vs $44.99) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads and in-app purchases 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

RS is free to download; SDR costs $44.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SDR holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SDR has 73 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of SDR's written reviews are positive against 14% of RS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SDR ships an update every 2 weeks, RS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
SDR versus RS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSDRRS
Price$44.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (73 ratings) — better2.4 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews84.3% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings73 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcus RoskoschICOM INCORPORATED

Customer experience

SDR

All ratings67 ratings
Positive89.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive84.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative10.0%

RS

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative71.4%

Bugs and requests

SDR

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
  • Frequency display overlaps buttons
  • FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels than WSJTX)
  • App crashes and leaves radio in transmit
  • Logbook export not functional after update
Show 7 more
  • Function button for horizontal scrolling not fully displayed
  • FT8 decode is useless and unreliable
  • Messed up radio, requiring reset
  • RX audio unusable outside home network (prior to 1.5.1)
  • Struggles with audio RX packets on remote cellular networks
  • Cannot work over mobile data with certain carriers (EE)
  • FT8 alerts sound but don't display

Requested features

14 requests
  • Develop for IC-7800
  • CarPlay support
  • Apple Watch add-on
  • Windows version
  • JS8call support
Show 9 more
  • More digital modes
  • Display memory bank names
  • Initiate memory scan from app
  • WSPR implementation
  • Tool for WSPR
  • More FT8/FT4 features (e.g., setting transmit frequency directly in FT8 view)
  • Send image to unit
  • KISS TNC support
  • Control digital modes (reflectors, etc.)

RS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SDR

No in-app purchases

None

RS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SDR free?
SDR costs $44.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RS free?
RS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SDR or RS?
SDR is rated higher. SDR averages 4.6 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while RS averages 2.4 from 5 ratings.
Do SDR or RS have ads?
Neither SDR nor RS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SDR or RS?
SDR ships an update every 2 weeks, and RS every 4 months. Most recently, SDR was updated on November 7, 2026 and RS on November 4, 2026.

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