# HAM Test Prep vs ARRL magazines

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HAM Test Prep at 98% against ARRL magazines's 12%. HAM Test Prep also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.8) and chart position (#162 vs unranked). ARRL magazines's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

ARRL magazines is free to download; HAM Test Prep costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HAM Test Prep holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 806 and 258 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 98% of HAM Test Prep's written reviews are positive against 12% of ARRL magazines's.

HAM Test Prep ships an update every 7 months, ARRL magazines every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HAM Test Prep | ARRL magazines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (806 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-test-prep-technician/id297951496/reviews)** | [1.8 (258 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **806** | 258 |
| Positive reviews | **98.0% of reviews** | 12.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#162** | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrick J Maloney LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297951499) | [ARRL, American Radio Relay League, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/531766445) |

## What reviewers say

### HAM Test Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-test-prep-technician/id297951496)

**Currently charting:** #162 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Prepare for your amateur radio Technician license exam with a comprehensive question pool and practice tests. Identify weak areas, review FCC rules, and practice with adjustable settings. Optimized for mobile devices with accessibility features.

**Highlights:** Technician question pool (July 2022-June 2026), Practice exams with immediate feedback, Proficiency tracking by question group, View FCC rule text, Zoomable and pannable figures, Resume in-progress tests, Accessibility options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent exam prep
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful diagnostics and feedback
- 🚀 Efficient study process
- 👍 Great practice tests

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lack of explanations for wrong answers
- 🔍 Repetitive questions in practice tests
- 📱 Not available on desktop/web

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Online/web version of the app
- Explanations for incorrect answers
- More diverse practice test questions


### ARRL magazines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442)

Access the monthly ARRL membership journal, QST, on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. This publication offers news, construction projects, and tutorials for Amateur Radio enthusiasts. The digital version includes exclusive content not found in print.

**Highlights:** Monthly QST digital delivery, News and updates, Construction projects, Tutorials and guides, Exclusive digital content

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Offline reading support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔒 Authentication issues
- 👎 Unreliable login/logout
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Downloading issues causes app to freeze
- Inconsistent behavior across devices
- Disappearing downloaded content

**Requested features**

- Seamless integration with ARRL account
- Ability to resume reading from last page
- PDF export option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HAM Test Prep free?

HAM Test Prep costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ARRL magazines free?

ARRL magazines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HAM Test Prep or ARRL magazines?

HAM Test Prep is rated higher. HAM Test Prep averages 4.9 out of 5 from 806 ratings, while ARRL magazines averages 1.8 from 258 ratings.

### Do HAM Test Prep or ARRL magazines have ads?

Neither HAM Test Prep nor ARRL magazines shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HAM Test Prep or ARRL magazines?

HAM Test Prep ships an update every 7 months, and ARRL magazines every 4 months. Most recently, HAM Test Prep was updated on October 15, 2026 and ARRL magazines on October 9, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*