# HAM Test Prep Lite vs ARRL magazines

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HAM Test Prep Lite at 93% against ARRL magazines's 12%. HAM Test Prep Lite also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.8). ARRL magazines's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (258 vs 24). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HAM Test Prep Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARRL magazines has 258 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of HAM Test Prep Lite's written reviews are positive against 12% of ARRL magazines's.

HAM Test Prep Lite ships an update every 5 months, ARRL magazines every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HAM Test Prep Lite | ARRL magazines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-test-prep-lite-extra/id303414909/reviews)** | [1.8 (258 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **258** |
| Positive reviews | **92.5% of reviews** | 12.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **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 Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-test-prep-lite-extra/id303414909)

Prepare for your Amateur Radio Extra license exam with practice questions and tests. Review FCC rule text, track your proficiency, and utilize features like zoomable figures and immediate feedback. This lite version offers a sample of the full question pool.

**Highlights:** Practice question pool, Practice exams, Proficiency tracking, Immediate feedback option, Zoomable figures, Viewable FCC rule text, Resumable practice tests

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Lite free?

HAM Test Prep Lite is free to download, 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 Lite or ARRL magazines?

HAM Test Prep Lite is rated higher. HAM Test Prep Lite averages 4.6 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while ARRL magazines averages 1.8 from 258 ratings.

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

Neither HAM Test Prep Lite nor ARRL magazines shows ads.

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

HAM Test Prep Lite ships an update every 5 months, and ARRL magazines every 4 months. Most recently, HAM Test Prep Lite was updated on September 18, 2026 and ARRL magazines on October 9, 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.*