# Ham Radio Reference vs DX Spots

The clearest difference is price: DX Spots at Free against Ham Radio Reference's $1.99. DX Spots also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). Ham Radio Reference's advantage is review sentiment (69% vs 29%) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

DX Spots is free to download; Ham Radio Reference costs $1.99 up front. DX Spots sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Ham Radio Reference asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ham Radio Reference holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Ham Radio Reference's written reviews are positive against 29% of DX Spots's.

Ham Radio Reference ships an update every 3 weeks, DX Spots every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ham Radio Reference | DX Spots |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-radio-reference/id521128828/reviews)** | [3.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dx-spots/id1127933539/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **68.8% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SnecaDev](https://appshunter.io/developer/458346072) | [Jonathan Gibbs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1111944472) |

## What reviewers say

### Ham Radio Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-radio-reference/id521128828)

Access essential amateur radio information on the go. Quickly find Q signals, grid squares, band plans, Morse code, and phonetic alphabets. Includes electronic formulas and calculators for common radio calculations.

**Highlights:** US & Canadian Amateur Band Limits, Country Codes, Band Plans (ARRL, ARC, IARU), Q Codes, Grid Square and Location, Morse Code, Electronic Formulas and Calculators

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### DX Spots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dx-spots/id1127933539)

This app provides a live feed of amateur radio spots from the DX Cluster network. It allows users to view current spots across all bands and modes, perform QRZ lookups, and submit their own spots to the network.

**Highlights:** Live DX Cluster feed, Amateur radio spots, All bands and modes, QRZ lookup, Submit spots

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DXSpots Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| DXSpots 3 Month Subscription | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| DXSpots 6 Month Subscription | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| DXSpots Yearly Subscription | $7.99 | per year |
| DX Spots - Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ham Radio Reference free?

Ham Radio Reference costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DX Spots free?

DX Spots is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ham Radio Reference or DX Spots?

Ham Radio Reference is rated higher. Ham Radio Reference averages 3.8 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while DX Spots averages 3.5 from 11 ratings.

### Do Ham Radio Reference or DX Spots have ads?

DX Spots shows ads; Ham Radio Reference does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ham Radio Reference or DX Spots?

Ham Radio Reference ships an update every 3 weeks, and DX Spots every 10 days. Most recently, Ham Radio Reference was updated on October 16, 2026 and DX Spots on October 12, 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.*