Welding Journal vs OpenMHz
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Welding Journal
This publication delivers news and insights into the welding and metal fabricating industry. Stay updated on the latest products, trends, technology, and events through in-depth articles and advice.
- Industry news and trends
- Latest products and technology
- In-depth articles
- Photos and illustrations
- Cost-saving advice
- Related activities coverage
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The WELDING JOURNAL is the monthly publication of the American Welding Society (AWS), delivering news of the welding and metal fabricating industry. Stay informed on the latest products, trends, technology and events via in-depth articles, photos and illustrations, and timely, cost-saving advice. Also featured are articles and supplements on related activities, such as testing and inspection, maintenance and repair, design, training, personal safety and brazing and soldering. The WELDING JOURNAL app is free to download but you must be an AWS member in order to access the content (member ID and password required).
OpenMHz
Access live police and fire radio broadcasts from across the United States. Enjoy an ad-free experience with a 30-day archive to review past transmissions. Explore over 225 city, county, and state radio systems.
- Live police and fire radio streams
- 30-day transmission archive
- Over 225 US radio systems
- Ad-free experience
- No in-app purchases
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Listen live to Police and Fire radios from across the US. - Ad Free and no in-app purchases required! - Scroll back in time, with a 30 day archive. - Over 225 city, county and state radio systems! It is recorded using a Software Defined Radio, so unlike a scanner, all of the channels are captured and the each transmission is saved invdividually
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Welding Journal at 5.0 against OpenMHz's 3.9. Welding Journal also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). OpenMHz's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 23%) and ratings volume (175 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Welding Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenMHz has 175 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of Welding Journal's written reviews are positive against 59% of OpenMHz's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Welding Journal ships an update every 2 months, OpenMHz every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Welding Journal | OpenMHz |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 3.9 (175 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | 59.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 175 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #62 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nxtbook Media, LLC. | Luke Berndt |
Customer experience
Welding Journal
OpenMHz
Bugs and requests
Welding Journal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
OpenMHz
Reported bugs
12 issues- App freezes and requires force restart
- Archive feature doesn't properly reset when disabled
- Blank screen with no content loading
- Data stuck on old timestamps and not updating
- Logs not displaying or showing blank screens
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- App crashes when minimized and reopened
- Specific channels (Charlotte NC, Sacramento) not updating
- Audio plays out of order with incorrect timestamps
- Talk groups disappearing from feeds
- Spotty and breaking audio feeds
- Loading spinner stuck indefinitely
- App won't open or crashes on startup
Requested features
12 requests- Ability to bookmark or favorite systems and talk groups
- Custom group creation and naming
- Search functionality for talk groups instead of scrolling
- Background audio playback when screen is locked
- iPad landscape mode support
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- Save user preferences and last selected channels
- CarPlay support
- Map view with icons and geolocation
- Day/date indicators in archive listings
- Feedback/support contact option within app
- Meridian Mississippi frequencies
- Real-time audio instead of delayed playback
In-app purchases
Welding Journal
No in-app purchases
OpenMHz
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Welding Journal free?
Is OpenMHz free?
Which has better reviews, Welding Journal or OpenMHz?
Do Welding Journal or OpenMHz have ads?
Which is updated more often, Welding Journal or OpenMHz?
Other comparisons
