ACARS vs SWLog
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ACARS
View ACARS aircraft transmissions on your iOS device without a bulky computer. Requires a radio scanner tuned to the aircraft band. Save decodes to a file or transfer to your computer.
- View ACARS transmissions on iOS
- Save decoded packets to a file
- Transfer data to computer via iTunes
- Built-in aircraft model database
- Add custom plane information
- Color-coded packet fields
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Want to display ACARS transmissions, without using a bulky computer? ACARS lets you view ACARS aircraft transmissions on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. A radio/scanner capable of tuning the 118-136 MHz aircraft band is required. Just set it next to the radio's speaker, tune in an ACARS frequency, and watch the decodes. Or, for even better reception, use a pair of earbuds, plugged into the radio’s headphone jack, rather than the internal speaker. You can save decoded ACARS packets to a file to view later, or transfer to your computer via iTunes. Aircraft model information for many planes in a built in database is displayed along with the decoded packets. You can also add your own plane information to the database. Packet fields are color coded on iOS 6 and later. Buy your copy right now, and start decoding and displaying ACARS transmissions in minutes.
SWLog
Log amateur radio QSOs and broadcast transmissions on your mobile device. Supports QRZ lookups and various broadcast schedule queries for station identification. Features GPS integration and local log browsing, with the ability to upload to a main logging program.
- Log amateur radio QSOs
- Log broadcast transmissions
- QRZ lookups
- Broadcast schedule lookups
- GPS integration
- Upload logs to main program
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SWLog is a mobile companion application to the full SWLog suite or logging and radio control applications. SWLog allows amateur radio and broadcast (shortwave, AM/FM, and utility) transmissions to be logged locally and later uploaded to the main logging program. QRZ can be used for lookups for amateur radio logs. For broadcast logs, various program schedules from ADDX, AOKI, EIBI, FCC, HFCC, ILGRadio, and SWSkeds are queried to aid in identifying the station. Features of this app include: * Download a preset list of locations, radios, and broadcast program schedules * Add an amateur radio QSO * Supports QRZ lookups * Monitor POTA spots * Add a POTA spot * Add a broadcast log * Supports lookups to various program schedules * GPS integration including calculating the current grid square to 10 characters * View/Browse locally added logs * Upload logs to the main logging program
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SWLog at Free against ACARS's $2.99. SWLog also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 12 months). ACARS's advantage is review sentiment (41% vs 25%) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 16.1). On ads, in-app purchases 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
SWLog is free to download; ACARS costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ACARS ships an update every 12 months, SWLog fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ACARS | SWLog |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (14 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 41.4% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 16.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 305 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Black Cat Systems | Robert Sillett |
Customer experience
ACARS
SWLog
In-app purchases
ACARS
No in-app purchases
SWLog
No in-app purchases









