# iSDR vs Ham Radio Prep

The clearest difference is price: Ham Radio Prep at Free against iSDR's $0.99. Ham Radio Prep also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.5) and review sentiment (80% vs 52%). iSDR's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Ham Radio Prep is free to download; iSDR costs $0.99 up front. iSDR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ham Radio Prep sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ham Radio Prep holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ham Radio Prep has 2.2K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of iSDR's written reviews are positive against 80% of Ham Radio Prep's.

iSDR ships an update every 3 months, Ham Radio Prep every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iSDR | Ham Radio Prep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isdr/id480077371/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-radio-prep/id1525090989/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **2.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 51.7% of reviews | **79.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 36 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Confections LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/480077374) | [World Radio League Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525090991) |

## What reviewers say

### iSDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isdr/id480077371)

This app allows experimenters and amateur radio enthusiasts to build a portable software-defined radio receiver using their iOS device. It processes radio signals using the device's processor and offers various display and filtering modes. Additional hardware is required for live signal reception.

**Highlights:** Six receive mode settings (USB, LSB, CW, AM, FM, Binaural), Selectable bandwidth settings, 120 dB dynamic range signal strength meter, Three AGC settings (fast, slow, off), Spectrum, Waterfall, and Oscilloscope display modes, Supports downloaded audio-format spectrum files via iTunes, Embed center frequency in file names for automatic display

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wi-Fi Radio Control | Free | one-time |


### Ham Radio Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-radio-prep/id1525090989)

Prepare for your ham radio license exams with comprehensive study materials. Access video lessons, track your progress, and take practice tests designed to mirror the official FCC exams for all three license levels.

**Highlights:** Covers all 3 license levels, Premium video lessons, Progress tracking per lesson, FCC-style practice tests, Exam readiness dashboards

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Technician License Exam Course | $34.99 | one-time |
| In-App Video Bundle | $49.99 | one-time |
| General + Technician Course | $55.00 | one-time |
| Full Course Access, All Levels | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Very helpful
- 🚀 Excellent prep
- 👍 Clear and easy to understand
- 👍 Comprehensive lessons
- 👍 Effective study tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Requires payment after initial lessons
- 🐛 Sync issues between app and website
- 🐛 Slow video loading
- 🐛 Incorrect answers in practice tests

**Reported bugs**

- Lessons locked after initial free content
- Advertisements causing app to freeze
- Progress not tracking across platforms

**Requested features**

- Online proctoring for exams
- Improved sync between app and website
- More practice questions and tests


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iSDR free?

iSDR costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ham Radio Prep free?

Ham Radio Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iSDR or Ham Radio Prep?

Ham Radio Prep is rated higher. iSDR averages 2.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Ham Radio Prep averages 4.8 from 2.2K ratings.

### Do iSDR or Ham Radio Prep have ads?

Neither iSDR nor Ham Radio Prep shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iSDR or Ham Radio Prep?

iSDR ships an update every 3 months, and Ham Radio Prep every 2 weeks. Most recently, iSDR was updated on October 26, 2026 and Ham Radio Prep on October 29, 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.*