Comparison

DTMF Decoder vs Drone Scanner (gen.2)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DTMF Decoder

This utility transforms your iPhone into a DTMF tone decoder. It listens to DTMF tones through the microphone and displays the dialed numbers. Decoded digits can be easily copied to the clipboard for further use.

Highlights
  • DTMF tone decoding
  • Microphone input
  • Displays dialed numbers
  • Copy to clipboard
  • Source code available
Features
Read full description

Turns your iPhone into a simple DTMF decoder. Simply hold the iPhone's microphone near to a clear source of DTMF tones (telephone "Touch Tones") and it will display the numbers being dialed. The decoded digits are also placed into a text area from which you can copy them to the clipboard. See it in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_QD8KFCJPw Source code freely available: https://github.com/veghead/ios-dtmf-decoder

About

Drone Scanner (gen.2)

Transform your iPhone into a real-time drone detection tool. See nearby drones, monitor their activity, and gain visibility into the skies. Enhance detection range with an optional dedicated hardware detector.

Highlights
  • Real-time drone detection
  • Monitor drone activity
  • Display pilot location
  • Map and list view
  • Supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi scanning
  • Compatible with Remote ID regulations
Features
Read full description

Drone Scanner by Dronetag transforms your iPhone into a real-time drone detection tool, allowing you to see what’s flying nearby, monitor drone activity, and gain visibility into the skies from your pocket. You can scan drones using your mobile device or connect to a Dronetag RIDER, our dedicated drone detector with significantly greater range. RIDER can detect drones up to 5 km (3 mi) away with its default antenna and up to 10 km (6 mi) with a directional antenna. New in the next-generation Drone Scanner: 
- A completely redesigned interface and an intuitive scans list - Recent scans are stored locally on your phone and can be exported to open formats - Scan using Dronetag RIDER for enhanced range and Wi-Fi scanning support on iPhones
 
Core Features: 
 - Detect drones using Bluetooth 4, Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi Beacon, and Wi-Fi NAN 
 - Display pilot location (if available) 
 - Monitor height, direction, and operation type 
 - Browse nearby drones on a map or in list view 
 - Compatible with EU, US, and Japanese Remote ID regulations 
 - Developed by Dronetag, a global leader in drone Remote ID solutions  Feature availability depends on your device and OS limitations. iOS restricts access to certain Wi-Fi channels - only Bluetooth-based scanning may work. If you're using Drone Scanner on an iOS device, some drones that transmit their identification data via Wi-Fi may not be visible to you. This is a system-level restriction, not a bug in the app.    How It Works:  Remote ID is a feature that transmits identification and flight data from drones using wireless signals like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Manufacturers implement this in different ways, using various technologies. Drone Scanner captures these signals using your phone’s built-in hardware - or via the Dronetag RIDER for extended detection range and higher reliability.

Screenshots

DTMF Decoder3 screens
Drone Scanner (gen.2)3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Drone Scanner (gen.2) at Free against DTMF Decoder's $0.99. Drone Scanner (gen.2) also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 19 months). DTMF Decoder's advantage is rating (2.5 vs 1.9) and review sentiment (40% vs 25%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Drone Scanner (gen.2) is free to download; DTMF Decoder costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DTMF Decoder holds the better App Store score, 2.5 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of DTMF Decoder's written reviews are positive against 25% of Drone Scanner (gen.2)'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DTMF Decoder ships an update every 19 months, Drone Scanner (gen.2) every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DTMF Decoder versus Drone Scanner (gen.2): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDTMF DecoderDrone Scanner (gen.2)
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating2.5 (17 ratings) — better1.9 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews40.4% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerdreadtech.comDronetag

Customer experience

DTMF Decoder

All ratings17 ratings
Positive29.4%
Neutral11.8%
Negative58.8%
Written reviews57 reviews
Positive40.4%
Neutral5.3%
Negative54.4%

Drone Scanner (gen.2)

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Bugs and requests

DTMF Decoder

Reported bugs

32 issues
  • Too many "double digits"
  • Generates errors
  • Phonal Tonal generates random (phantom) numbers
  • Never displays anything
  • Nothing would get the app to work
Show 27 more
  • Doesn't pick up tones
  • Doesn't work
  • Won't work with new iPhone update
  • Doesn't detect anything
  • Misses about half of the numbers
  • Poor performance
  • Only usable at full sensitivity, and works poorly then
  • Never identified even one digit
  • Unhappy with latest version
  • On/off switch serves no purpose
  • Decoded box works poorly
  • Doesn't decode hex
  • Doesn't work properly
  • Only gets about half of the numbers correct
  • Erkennung mangelhaft (poor recognition)
  • Couldn't recognise accurately
  • Only got the number 0 each time
  • 使え方 (not usable)
  • Doesn't work
  • Not working as stated
  • Barely works
  • Usually nothing detected
  • Only detected a couple of digits
  • Misses digits when sound is too loud
  • Display is too small
  • Doesn't support scrolling back
  • Stray false digits, especially 1's

Requested features

11 requests
  • Buffering for DTMF better
  • Ability to get this work with new iPhone update
  • History feature
  • Decode hex
  • Ability to decode faster (shorter) tones
Show 6 more
  • More sensitive and flexible detection
  • Translation into multiple languages
  • See each decode on a separate line
  • Continue decoding while app is closed (background operation)
  • DTMF tone generator
  • Shorten app name to "DTMF"

Drone Scanner (gen.2)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

DTMF Decoder

No in-app purchases

None

Drone Scanner (gen.2)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DTMF Decoder free?
DTMF Decoder costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drone Scanner (gen.2) free?
Drone Scanner (gen.2) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DTMF Decoder or Drone Scanner (gen.2)?
DTMF Decoder is rated higher. DTMF Decoder averages 2.5 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Drone Scanner (gen.2) averages 1.9 from 11 ratings.
Do DTMF Decoder or Drone Scanner (gen.2) have ads?
Neither DTMF Decoder nor Drone Scanner (gen.2) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DTMF Decoder or Drone Scanner (gen.2)?
DTMF Decoder ships an update every 19 months, and Drone Scanner (gen.2) every 5 weeks. Most recently, DTMF Decoder was updated on October 27, 2026 and Drone Scanner (gen.2) on October 24, 2026.

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