# 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 (#164 vs unranked). ARRL magazines's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) 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 $2.99 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 — 312 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.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HAM Test Prep | ARRL magazines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (312 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-test-prep-extra/id298760002/reviews)** | [1.8 (258 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **312** | 258 |
| Positive reviews | **97.7% of reviews** | 12.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#164** | — |
| Size | 5 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-extra/id298760002)

**Currently charting:** #164 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Prepare for your Amateur Radio Extra license exam with a comprehensive question pool and practice tests. Review FCC rules, get immediate feedback, and track your proficiency across question groups. Features include accessibility options and customizable test settings.

**Highlights:** Extra Question Pool (effective July 1, 2024), Practice Exams, Proficiency Tracking, Immediate Feedback, View FCC Rule Text, Zoomable Figures, Accessibility Options

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Effective exam preparation and high pass rates
- 📱 Convenient mobile access for studying anytime
- 🎯 Accurate and current question pools
- 📊 Tracks progress and identifies weak areas
- 🎮 Randomized questions prevent memorization by position

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during use
- ❌ Limited practice modes (only randomize tests)
- 🔧 Confusing logic and navigation initially
- 📍 No 'where I left off' bookmark feature

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes almost every time a menu item is selected
- Cannot reset review question selection
- Crashes during long study or test sessions

**Requested features**

- Bookmark or 'where I left off' feature for resuming sessions
- Ability to reset review question selection
- Option to randomize answer order in practice question pools
- Non-randomized practice mode alongside randomized tests


### 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 $2.99, 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 312 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 4 months, and ARRL magazines every 4 months. Most recently, HAM Test Prep was updated on September 26, 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.*