# SDR vs RS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SDR at 84% against RS's 14%. SDR also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.0) 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.

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

SDR holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SDR has 64 ratings behind it against 3, 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.

SDR ships an update every 2 weeks, RS every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SDR | RS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $44.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509/reviews)** | [3.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-ms3i/id6670289770/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **64** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **84.1% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 47 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) | [ICOM INCORPORATED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193842631) |

## What reviewers say

### SDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509)

Control your Icom transceiver remotely or locally from your iPhone. Operate in all modes, log QSOs, and utilize integrated digital modes like FT8/FT4 and SSTV. No extra hardware is needed for global access.

**Highlights:** Remote transceiver operation, All mode control, Auto logging logbook, Integrated FT8/FT4 tool, Integrated SSTV receiver, Integrated CW decoder and keyer, DX-Cluster integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works perfectly with ICOM radios
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🌟 Feature-rich and comprehensive
- 💯 Stable and reliable performance
- 📱 Great for remote operation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels)
- 🐛 Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
- 🐛 UI elements can be cramped on iPhone
- 🐛 Some buttons are small and hard to press
- 🐛 Frequency display overlaps buttons

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Develop for IC-7800
- CarPlay support
- Apple Watch add-on
- Windows version
- JS8call support


### RS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-ms3i/id6670289770)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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 4.5 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while RS averages 3.0 from 3 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 October 20, 2026 and RS on October 20, 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.*