# CommStudy vs SatNOGS

The clearest difference is rating: SatNOGS at 5.0 against CommStudy's 4.5. SatNOGS also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 20 months). CommStudy's advantage is ratings volume (49 vs 4) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CommStudy sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. SatNOGS asks for nothing beyond the download.

SatNOGS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CommStudy has 49 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

CommStudy ships an update every 20 months, SatNOGS every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CommStudy | SatNOGS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/commstudy/id337472575/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satnogs/id1669797826/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **49** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 91.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 42 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrick J Maloney LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297951499) | [Victor Belov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1356487489) |

## What reviewers say

### CommStudy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/commstudy/id337472575)

Prepare for your FCC Commercial License exam with this comprehensive study tool. Practice with sample questions and full elements, review figures, and track your proficiency across all topics. Take realistic practice exams and get immediate feedback to identify areas needing more study.

**Highlights:** Practice with sample and full FCC license exam elements, Review associated figures for questions, Track proficiency by subelement/topic, Realistic practice exams, Immediate feedback option, Resume in-progress tests, Configurable test settings

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Element 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Element 8 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Element 7R | $3.99 | one-time |
| Element 9 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Element 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Element 6 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Element 7 | $4.99 | one-time |


### SatNOGS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satnogs/id1669797826)

Access a global network of satellite ground stations to communicate with satellites and observe their data. The platform is open to all, with public observation results freely distributed. Resources are available for building your own ground station.

**Highlights:** Global ground station network access, Remote ground station operation, Satellite communication, Public observation data access, Ground station building resources

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CommStudy free?

CommStudy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SatNOGS free?

SatNOGS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CommStudy or SatNOGS?

SatNOGS is rated higher. CommStudy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while SatNOGS averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do CommStudy or SatNOGS have ads?

Neither CommStudy nor SatNOGS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CommStudy or SatNOGS?

CommStudy ships an update every 20 months, and SatNOGS every 5 months. Most recently, CommStudy was updated on September 30, 2026 and SatNOGS on October 1, 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.*