# NAVTEX Pad vs FT8 Decoder

The clearest difference is rating: FT8 Decoder at 4.3 against NAVTEX Pad's 1.9. FT8 Decoder also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 27%) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). NAVTEX Pad's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.4). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

NAVTEX Pad costs $2.99 and FT8 Decoder $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

FT8 Decoder holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of NAVTEX Pad's written reviews are positive against 50% of FT8 Decoder's.

NAVTEX Pad ships an update every 17 months, FT8 Decoder every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NAVTEX Pad | FT8 Decoder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | [1.9 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/navtex-pad/id385592736/reviews) | **[4.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ft8-decoder/id1592847401/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 27.3% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 17 months** | Every 18 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 3 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Black Cat Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/301047032) | [HotPaw Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853) |

## What reviewers say

### NAVTEX Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/navtex-pad/id385592736)

Decode NAVTEX and RTTY marine weather transmissions on your iOS device. View safety messages and weather reports without a dedicated receiver. Save and transfer decoded text for later use.

**Highlights:** Decodes NAVTEX transmissions, Decodes RTTY (BAUDOT & ASCII), Saves received text, Transfers text to computer, Displays NAVTEX schedules, No dedicated receiver needed

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### FT8 Decoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ft8-decoder/id1592847401)

This application decodes FT8 digital signals from amateur radio bands. It can process audio from external sources or directly from an SSB radio or SDR. The app also generates FT8 modulated audio for experimentation.

**Highlights:** Decodes FT8 8FSK modulated signals, Processes external audio or SDR sound, Supports standard callsigns and 13-character messages, Generates FT8 message audio, Experiment with sending and receiving FT8 audio

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NAVTEX Pad free?

NAVTEX Pad costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FT8 Decoder free?

FT8 Decoder costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NAVTEX Pad or FT8 Decoder?

FT8 Decoder is rated higher. NAVTEX Pad averages 1.9 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while FT8 Decoder averages 4.3 from 8 ratings.

### Do NAVTEX Pad or FT8 Decoder have ads?

Neither NAVTEX Pad nor FT8 Decoder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NAVTEX Pad or FT8 Decoder?

NAVTEX Pad ships an update every 17 months, and FT8 Decoder every 18 months. Most recently, NAVTEX Pad was updated on October 9, 2026 and FT8 Decoder on October 8, 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.*