# ARRL magazines vs RST Decoder

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RST Decoder at 67% against ARRL magazines's 12%. RST Decoder also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.8) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). ARRL magazines's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (258 vs 7). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

RST Decoder holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARRL magazines has 258 ratings behind it against 7, 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 67% of RST Decoder's.

ARRL magazines ships an update every 4 months, RST Decoder every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on July 6, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARRL magazines | RST Decoder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (258 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrl-magazines/id531766442/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rst-decoder/id1519587362/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **258** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 12.2% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 126 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [ARRL, American Radio Relay League, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/531766445) | [koji kamogawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1488210713) |

## 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


### RST Decoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rst-decoder/id1519587362)

This application decodes Morse code from your microphone, acting as a practice tool to verify your keying accuracy. It offers advanced features like BPF and FFT decoders with automatic frequency and gain control, allowing for fine-tuning of reception parameters.

**Highlights:** Microphone Morse code decoding, Morse practice and keying check, BPF and FFT decoder options, Auto Frequency Detector (AFD), Auto Gain Control (AGC), Real-time CW signal display, Input signal recording/playback

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARRL magazines free?

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

### Is RST Decoder free?

RST Decoder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ARRL magazines or RST Decoder?

RST Decoder is rated higher. ARRL magazines averages 1.8 out of 5 from 258 ratings, while RST Decoder averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do ARRL magazines or RST Decoder have ads?

RST Decoder shows ads; ARRL magazines does not.

### Which is updated more often, ARRL magazines or RST Decoder?

ARRL magazines ships an update every 4 months, and RST Decoder every 2 months. Most recently, ARRL magazines was updated on July 6, 2026 and RST Decoder on September 8, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*