# ARRL magazines vs HamStudy.org

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HamStudy.org at 94% against ARRL magazines's 12%. HamStudy.org also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.8) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). ARRL magazines's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

ARRL magazines is free to download; HamStudy.org costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HamStudy.org holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HamStudy.org has 2.6K ratings behind it against 258, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of ARRL magazines's written reviews are positive against 94% of HamStudy.org's.

ARRL magazines ships an update every 4 months, HamStudy.org every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 6, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARRL magazines | HamStudy.org |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [1.8 (258 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442/reviews) | **[4.9 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamstudyorg/id1371288324/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 258 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 12.2% of reviews | **93.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#12** |
| Size | 126 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ARRL, American Radio Relay League, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/531766445) | [Signal Stuff](https://appshunter.io/developer/1371288323) |

## What reviewers say

### ARRL magazines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442)

Access the monthly ARRL membership journal, QST, on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. This publication offers news, construction projects, and tutorials for Amateur Radio enthusiasts. The digital version includes exclusive content not found in print.

**Highlights:** Monthly QST digital delivery, News and updates, Construction projects, Tutorials and guides, Exclusive digital content

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Offline reading support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔒 Authentication issues
- 👎 Unreliable login/logout
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Downloading issues causes app to freeze
- Inconsistent behavior across devices
- Disappearing downloaded content

**Requested features**

- Seamless integration with ARRL account
- Ability to resume reading from last page
- PDF export option


### HamStudy.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamstudyorg/id1371288324)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This app offers an intelligent study mode that tracks your progress and focuses on areas where you struggle. It allows you to tailor your study to specific chapters and topics from license manuals, with explanations for difficult questions. Practice exams are also available.

**Highlights:** Intelligent study algorithms, Vetted user-submitted explanations, Infinite practice exams, Study all US Amateur Radio question pools, International question pools, Multi-user support, Cross-device progress sync

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great study tool
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient way to prepare for exams
- 🚀 Comprehensive coverage of exam material
- 👍 Helpful explanations and hints

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app freezes
- 👎 Some explanations could be clearer
- 🔋 Battery drain when using app extensively

**Reported bugs**

- Email support not working
- Occasional freezing or crashing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to clear test history
- More detailed performance analytics
- Spell out acronyms and define technical terms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARRL magazines free?

ARRL magazines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HamStudy.org free?

HamStudy.org costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ARRL magazines or HamStudy.org?

HamStudy.org is rated higher. ARRL magazines averages 1.8 out of 5 from 258 ratings, while HamStudy.org averages 4.9 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do ARRL magazines or HamStudy.org have ads?

Neither ARRL magazines nor HamStudy.org shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ARRL magazines or HamStudy.org?

ARRL magazines ships an update every 4 months, and HamStudy.org every 3 weeks. Most recently, ARRL magazines was updated on July 6, 2026 and HamStudy.org on September 24, 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.*