Comparison

HamAntCal vs Antenna Tools

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HamAntCal

This app helps amateur radio operators calculate the starting lengths for various antenna types. It supports both imperial and metric units and offers adjustable calculations for inverted vee antennas based on wire angle. Results require final trimming for precise tuning.

Highlights
  • Calculate antenna starting lengths
  • Supports feet/inches and metric units
  • Calculates for Dipoles, Inverted Vee, and Verticals
  • Adjustable Inverted Vee angle calculation
  • Frequency range 30 KHz to 500 MHz (Inverted Vee up to 60 MHz)
  • Updated interface and settings
Features
Read full description

HamAntCal Version 3.5 (Ham Antenna Calculator) will simply and intuitively calculate for you the starting length needed for constructing your antennas in feet/inches or in metric. It will calculate the starting length for "Dipole's", "Inverted Vee's", "Vertical's" and has a page for calculating 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 5/8 and "Full Wave" length. In this update: ▪HamAntCal has been updated to 64 bit and iPhone X ▪New updated interface and settings menu ▪New in app purchase to update features ▪This update requires iOS 8.2 and above. --------------------------------------- ▪ HamAntCal works in feet/inches as well as metric. ▪ The easy to use and intuitive interface makes it easy to calculate starting lengths for building your antennas. It will calculate the starting length for "Dipoles", "Verticals" and "Inverted Vee" antennas. There is also a page for calculating 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 5/8 and "Full Wave" length. ▪ I have come across a lot of different and conflicting information for calculating the length of an "Inverted Vee" antenna. Some say subtract 2 to 5 percent based on the angle of the wires. Others say to add a percentage based on the angle of the wires down from horizontal. I decided to test this before releasing this app. First I calculated for a "Dipole" using the "Dipole" calculator. Then I put together a "Dipole" with a support for the center insulator as well as the ends. I measured the resonant frequency with an antenna analyzer. Then I brought the ends down towards 45 degrees from horizontal. As the ends were lowered the resonant frequency increased. This means that the length of the "Inverted Vee" would need to be increased to stay resonant at the same frequency as the dipole. The "Inverted Vee" calculator has a slider that starts up with an angle of 45 degrees and can be adjusted down to 20 degrees continuously re-calculating as it is moved. This corresponds to about 4.5 to 2 percent added to the length of the "Inverted Vee". ▪ No antenna calculator can give exact results in every case. Much will depend on the wire used, the height above ground, the ground itself, nearby objects, etc…. It's always a good practice to add a little extra wire and then trim up to the desired frequency. ▪ This calculator will calculate from 30 Khz to 500Mhz for the "Dipole", "Vertical" and "Length" calculators. The maximum for the "Inverted Vee" calculator is 60MHz. ▪ This calculator does not give exact measurements and the results will need to be trimmed using an antenna analyzer or SWR meter to the exact frequency after installation. Leave some extra wire on each section for trimming and wrapping around the insulators. ▪ Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that can affect the resonant frequency of an antenna. At VHF and above even a small change in the length or diameter of an element can make a large change in the resonant frequency of an antenna even more so than at lower frequencies. This calculator just provides the starting length for building an antenna and proper matching methods will need to be used. ▪ Please be safe while building your antennas. Always use the proper safety equipment. Never build your antenna where it can come in contact with power lines, this includes the supports as well as the antenna itself and feed lines. BE SAFE! ▪ Although I have had good results using this calculator the results are not guaranteed. Always add some extra length and trim the antenna to frequency (it's much easier to trim than it is to add wire to the antenna). Please feel free to contact me with suggestions, problems, compliments, ideas for improvements or additions to HamAntCal. Your ratings are appreciated.

About

Antenna Tools

This utility app assists engineers, technicians, students, and radio enthusiasts with essential antenna and RF calculations. It simplifies complex formulas into easy-to-use calculators for designing, installing, or tuning antennas, providing fast and accurate results for field and lab use.

Highlights
  • Calculate antenna dimensions by frequency
  • Convert frequency to wavelength
  • Radio system setup tools
  • Quick technical calculations
  • Reliable field performance
Features
Read full description

Antenna Tools is a practical utility app designed to assist engineers, technicians, students, and radio enthusiasts with essential antenna and RF calculations. Whether you are designing, installing, or tuning antennas, this app provides fast and accurate results to support your work. Built for field and lab use, Antenna Tools simplifies complex radio frequency formulas into easy-to-use calculators. Key Features: Calculate antenna dimensions based on frequency. Instantly convert between frequency and wavelength. Useful tools for radio system setup and adjustments. Clean interface optimized for quick technical calculations. Reliable performance for field and workshop environments. Antenna Tools is a must-have companion for RF professionals, ham radio operators, and students working in wireless communication and antenna design.. in-app purchase included 
 Lifetime to Remove Ads Privacy Policy : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dn1gNdDP2AHL7sg-px4rxdLAcoGHlNB8/edit#heading=h.1ionsc3v3xmq Terms and Condition : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t-LREPKByKaM0UkbIo4o0E1gdAYs21Oe30EfGxenEss/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshots

HamAntCal4 screens
Antenna Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Antenna Tools at Free against HamAntCal's $0.99. Antenna Tools also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 31 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). HamAntCal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (57 vs 7). On in-app purchases, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Antenna Tools is free to download; HamAntCal costs $0.99 up front. HamAntCal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Antenna Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Antenna Tools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HamAntCal has 57 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HamAntCal ships an update every 31 months, Antenna Tools every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
HamAntCal versus Antenna Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHamAntCalAntenna Tools
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (57 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings57 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperState Road 41 Apps LLCNanjibhai Gorasiya

Bugs and requests

HamAntCal

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • No longer works with IOS 11 (historical)
  • App is wrong on inverted V
  • Inverted V issue: leg length calculation seems incorrect
  • Calculation for inverted V seems incorrect

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add support for UHF frequencies and higher
  • Add velocity factor and radiating element size as variables
  • Add suggestion: input target and measured frequency to show trim/add amount
  • Add Inverted Vee mode to calculate height to top and end-to-end distance
  • Add trap calculations for common bands
Show 5 more
  • Add full wave loop calculation
  • Improve UI: one page for frequency entry, browse antenna options with more room for info
  • Add 5/8 wave vertical calculation
  • Show how to build a yagi antenna
  • Add metric units

Antenna Tools

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HamAntCal

One-time1
  • Features upgrade$0.99
1 purchases

Antenna Tools

One-time1
  • Lifetime premium$9.99

Questions

Is HamAntCal free?
HamAntCal costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Antenna Tools free?
Antenna Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HamAntCal or Antenna Tools?
Antenna Tools is rated higher. HamAntCal averages 4.6 out of 5 from 57 ratings, while Antenna Tools averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do HamAntCal or Antenna Tools have ads?
Antenna Tools shows ads; HamAntCal does not.
Which is updated more often, HamAntCal or Antenna Tools?
HamAntCal ships an update every 31 months, and Antenna Tools every 4 months. Most recently, HamAntCal was updated on October 11, 2026 and Antenna Tools on October 16, 2026.

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