Comparison

Packet Pad vs Starting Strength Network

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

Head to head
About

Packet Pad

Decode and view packet radio transmissions directly on your mobile device. Listen to packet frequencies or connect your radio for enhanced audio quality. Save received text for later review or transfer it to your computer.

Highlights
  • View packet radio transmissions
  • Decode 1200 baud packet
  • Display raw APRS packets
  • Save received text
  • Transfer data to computer
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Packet Pad lets you view Packet Radio transmissions on your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Just set it next to your radio, tune in a Packet frequency, and watch the decodes. Or for even better quality decodes, connect a patch cable from your radio's audio output to the microphone jack, or a USB sound device plugged into the USB-C port of your device. Raw APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) packets are also displayed. You can also save your received text to view later, or transfer to your computer via iTunes. Note: Only 1200 baud packet is decoded. The app is receive only, packets are not transmitted.

About

Starting Strength Network

Access exclusive video podcasts, subscriber-only forums, and Q&A sessions. Engage with content creators and influence future material. Enjoy unlimited access across all your devices with a monthly subscription.

Highlights
  • Exclusive video podcasts
  • Subscriber-only forum
  • Q&A videos and live streams
  • Comment on videos
  • New premium content
  • Subscriber input on content ideas
Features
Read full description

Access to premium Starting Strength Content including. Starting Strength podcast episodes on video. Not available anywhere else. Access to a subscriber-only forum Subscriber-only Q&A videos and live streams. The ability to comment on videos, and access to new premium content that won’t be available anywhere else. Direct input from subscribers on new content ideas. ▷ Already a Member? Sign-In to access your subscription. ▷ New? Try it for free! Subscribe in the app to get instant access. Starting Strength Network offers an auto-renewing Monthly Subscription with a Free Trial. You'll receive unlimited access to content on all your devices. Payment is charged to your Account at confirmation of purchase. Pricing varies by location and is confirmed prior to purchase. After the free trial, subscription automatically renews at the monthly rate unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial period. Subscription automatically renews each month unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Cancel anytime in Account Settings. For more information see our: -Terms of Service: https://network.startingstrength.com/pages/terms-of-service -Privacy Policy: https://network.startingstrength.com/pages/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Packet Pad2 screens
Starting Strength Network3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Starting Strength Network at 100% against Packet Pad's 53%. Starting Strength Network also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (5.0 vs 3.8). Packet Pad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). On ads and device support 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

Starting Strength Network is free to download; Packet Pad costs $2.99 up front. Starting Strength Network sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Packet Pad asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Starting Strength Network holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 67 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Packet Pad's written reviews are positive against 100% of Starting Strength Network's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Packet Pad ships an update every 13 months, Starting Strength Network every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Packet Pad versus Starting Strength Network: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPacket PadStarting Strength Network
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.8 (17 ratings)5.0 (67 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1767 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#191 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlack Cat SystemsAsgaard Funding, LLC

Customer experience

Packet Pad

All ratings17 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative23.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive53.3%
Neutral10.0%
Negative36.7%

Starting Strength Network

All ratings67 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Packet Pad

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Starting Strength Network

Subscriptions2
  • Starting Strength App Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Starting Strength Network Year$74.991 Year

Questions

Is Packet Pad free?
Packet Pad costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Starting Strength Network free?
Starting Strength Network is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Packet Pad or Starting Strength Network?
Starting Strength Network is rated higher. Packet Pad averages 3.8 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Starting Strength Network averages 5.0 from 67 ratings.
Do Packet Pad or Starting Strength Network have ads?
Neither Packet Pad nor Starting Strength Network shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Packet Pad or Starting Strength Network?
Packet Pad ships an update every 13 months, and Starting Strength Network every 5 weeks. Most recently, Packet Pad was updated on October 17, 2026 and Starting Strength Network on October 13, 2026.

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