# SDR vs Packet Commander

The clearest difference is price: Packet Commander at Free against SDR's $44.99. Packet Commander also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). SDR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Packet Commander is free to download; SDR costs $44.99 up front. Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. SDR asks for nothing beyond the download.

Packet Commander holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 44 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of SDR's written reviews are positive against 100% of Packet Commander's.

SDR ships an update every 2 weeks, Packet Commander every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SDR | Packet Commander |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $44.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509/reviews) | **[4.9 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **64** | 44 |
| Positive reviews | 84.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#178** | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) |

## What reviewers say

### SDR

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

**Currently charting:** #178 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

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


### Packet Commander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365)

This app provides a classic terminal experience for packet radio communication on mobile devices. It offers powerful terminal features, smart connection management, and real-time over-the-air traffic monitoring. It's designed for amateur radio operators to connect with nodes, BBS, and decode traffic.

**Highlights:** Full-screen terminal for packet nodes and BBS, Classic color themes and adjustable layout, YAPP protocol support for file transfers, Location-aware digipeater routing, Seamless iCloud sync, Over-the-air traffic decoding, Auto-discovery of TNCs

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Subscription | $8.99 | per year |
| One-Time Purchase | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SDR free?

SDR costs $44.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Packet Commander free?

Packet Commander is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SDR or Packet Commander?

Packet Commander is rated higher. SDR averages 4.5 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while Packet Commander averages 4.9 from 44 ratings.

### Do SDR or Packet Commander have ads?

Neither SDR nor Packet Commander shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SDR or Packet Commander?

SDR ships an update every 2 weeks, and Packet Commander every 2 months. Most recently, SDR was updated on September 24, 2026 and Packet Commander on September 21, 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.*