Comparison

MorseKey vs ARRL magazines

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

Head to head
About

MorseKey

Practice sending Morse Code with this simple touchscreen keyer. Adjust tone frequency and volume, or use the iambic keyer for speed training. Ideal for learning and practicing Morse Code transmission.

Highlights
  • Touchscreen Morse code key
  • Adjustable tone frequency
  • Adjustable volume
  • Iambic keyer (mode A)
  • Adjustable dot speed
Features
Read full description

This is a very simple touchscreen-based Morse Code straight key. Practice sending Morse Code on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Touch the display screen and the device will sound out a tone. The duration of the tone is controlled by how long you touch the device screen. Send Dots using quick touches, and Dashes by touches held down 3 times longer. The tone frequency is adjustable from 300 Hz to 1200 Hz in the Settings. The volume can be adjusted to a lower level as well. There is also an iambic keyer (mode A) with adjustable dot speed available. A Morse Code tutorial is not included. You can find one on Wikipedia or on the ARRL website. Also see MorseTest, in the iPhone App Store, another educational Morse Code application by HotPaw Productions.

About

ARRL magazines

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
Read full description

If you're a member of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, install this app and have QST, the ARRL membership journal, delivered to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch every month! QST entertains and informs with news, construction projects, tutorials and much more. That's why it is the most widely read Amateur Radio publication in the world. The digital version of QST goes even further with content not found in the printed journal. Privacy & Terms of Conditions: http://www.arrl.org/online-privacy-policy

Screenshots

MorseKey1 screens
ARRL magazines4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MorseKey at 67% against ARRL magazines's 12%. MorseKey also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.8). ARRL magazines's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (258 vs 28). On price, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MorseKey holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARRL magazines has 258 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of MorseKey's written reviews are positive against 12% of ARRL magazines's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MorseKey ships an update every 12 months, ARRL magazines every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MorseKey versus ARRL magazines: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMorseKeyARRL magazines
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (28 ratings) — better1.8 (258 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better12.2% of reviews
Number of ratings28258 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB126 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHotPaw ProductionsARRL, American Radio Relay League, Inc.

Customer experience

MorseKey

All ratings28 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral5.8%
Negative27.5%

ARRL magazines

All ratings258 ratings
Positive15.9%
Neutral3.1%
Negative81.0%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive12.2%
Neutral5.7%
Negative82.1%

Bugs and requests

MorseKey

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ARRL magazines

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

3 requests
  • Seamless integration with ARRL account
  • Ability to resume reading from last page
  • PDF export option

In-app purchases

None

MorseKey

No in-app purchases

None

ARRL magazines

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MorseKey free?
MorseKey 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, MorseKey or ARRL magazines?
MorseKey is rated higher. MorseKey averages 4.5 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while ARRL magazines averages 1.8 from 258 ratings.
Do MorseKey or ARRL magazines have ads?
Neither MorseKey nor ARRL magazines shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MorseKey or ARRL magazines?
MorseKey ships an update every 12 months, and ARRL magazines every 4 months. Most recently, MorseKey was updated on September 18, 2026 and ARRL magazines on July 6, 2026.

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