Morse Elmer vs HamAlert
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Morse Elmer
Learn Morse Code effectively with this app. It utilizes proven methods like the Koch Method and Farnsworth spacing to accelerate your learning. Track your progress with detailed graphs and train anytime to become proficient.
- Learn Morse Code
- Koch Method training
- Farnsworth spacing
- Progress tracking
- Graphical results
- On-the-go training
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Morse Elmer is an app to help you learn Morse Code. Morse Elmer uses two well established methods to help you learn: The Koch Method and Farnsworth spacing. As you train Morse Elmer keeps track of your results, graphing them so you can monitor your progress. With Morse Elmer on your iOS device you'll have the tools to train whenever you want and the more frequently you train the quicker you'll become proficient. Learn more at: http://morseelmer.blogspot.com/
HamAlert
Receive instant push notifications for desired amateur radio contacts. Filter alerts by various criteria like callsign, band, mode, and location. Stay updated on DX spots from multiple sources.
- Push notifications for desired stations
- Filter spots by DXCC, callsign, and location
- Support for Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, DX cluster, PSK Reporter
- Filter by band, mode, and time
- Filter by spotter callsign and DXCC
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This app is a companion to the HamAlert web site (hamalert.org) and lets you receive push notifications from HamAlert. HamAlert is a system that allows amateur radio operators to get notifications when a desired station appears on the DX cluster, the Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, POTA, WWFF Spotline, or PSK Reporter. Spots can be filtered by various criteria, including: • DXCC (both actual and callsign home DXCC) • Callsign • Island reference • Summit reference • Park reference • CQ zone • Continent • Band • Mode • Time and days of week • Source • Spotter callsign and DXCC
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: HamAlert at Free against Morse Elmer's $0.99. HamAlert also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). Morse Elmer's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
HamAlert is free to download; Morse Elmer costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Morse Elmer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Morse Elmer has 192 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Morse Elmer's written reviews are positive against 67% of HamAlert's.
Morse Elmer ships an update every 2 months, HamAlert every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Morse Elmer | HamAlert |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (192 ratings) — better | 4.0 (34 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.2% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 192 — better | 34 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #173 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Morgan Jones | Manuel Kasper |
Customer experience
Morse Elmer
HamAlert
Bugs and requests
Morse Elmer
Reported bugs
7 issues- Incorrect Morse code for some letters
- Missing option to add letters (iOS 15+)
- Text not displaying in settings dialog (iPad Air)
- Drops last character in sequence reporting
- Volume extremely low on headphone/Bluetooth
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- App compatibility issues with current iOS versions
- Support link missing from app
Requested features
13 requests- Higher speed support (beyond current limits)
- Keyboard input mode for automatic scoring
- Sending/keying practice capability
- Extended session duration (30+ minutes)
- Morse code reference chart in-app
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- Variable temperature numbers in QSO mode
- More diverse QTH locations
- Standard iOS file picker integration
- File deletion and organization options
- Error-based scoring option
- Practice timer reset functionality
- Head copy practice mode
- Custom word list creation
HamAlert
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Morse Elmer
No in-app purchases
HamAlert
No in-app purchases
