# HAM Test Prep vs ARRL magazines

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HAM Test Prep at 97% against ARRL magazines's 12%. HAM Test Prep also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.8). ARRL magazines's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 — 575 and 258 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 97% of HAM Test Prep's written reviews are positive against 12% of ARRL magazines's.

HAM Test Prep ships an update every 6 months, ARRL magazines every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HAM Test Prep | ARRL magazines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (575 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-test-prep-general/id298756574/reviews)** | [1.8 (258 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **575** | 258 |
| Positive reviews | **96.9% of reviews** | 12.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 3 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | 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-general/id298756574)

Prepare for your Amateur Radio General license exam with a comprehensive question pool and practice tests. Review FCC rules, track your proficiency, and customize your study sessions. Includes features for vision-impaired users and dark mode support.

**Highlights:** General question pool access, Practice exams, Proficiency tracking, Immediate feedback option, View FCC rule text, Zoomable figures, Accessibility options

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent exam prep
- 👍 Very handy and easy to use
- 🎉 Helped pass exams on first try
- 📚 Great study guide and training aid
- 🏆 Effective way to learn and prepare

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔀 Randomize answers needed in practice tests
- 📊 Inconsistent progress tracking in study sections

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- Inconsistent behavior between iPhone and iPad versions

**Requested features**

- Add randomize answers option for practice tests
- Improve progress tracking and reset functionality in study sections


### 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 575 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 6 months, and ARRL magazines every 4 months. Most recently, HAM Test Prep was updated on September 21, 2026 and ARRL magazines on July 6, 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.*