Comparison

DBHam vs Demod

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

Head to head
About

DBHam

Calculate the distance and bearing between two locations using the Maidenhead grid system. Originally designed for amateur radio operators, it helps determine proximity and direction to other radio enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Calculate distance
  • Calculate bearing
  • Maidenhead grid system
  • Amateur radio focused
  • Location annotation
Features
Read full description

Compute distance and bearing using Maidenhead location. This was originally intended for use by amateur radio operators who participate in microwave communications however it can be used by any ham in order to determine a distance and bearing to another radio amateur. If you want to see maps of the source and target with annotations and overlays as well as be able to touch the map to determine the grid at a particular point, then take a look at our App: DBHamPlus.

About

Demod

Transform your iPhone into a software-defined radio receiver. Connect to SDR servers to explore shortwave, ham radio, aircraft, and marine frequencies. Enjoy real-time displays and various demodulation modes.

Highlights
  • Real-time waterfall and spectrum display
  • AM, NFM, WFM, USB, LSB, and CW demodulation
  • Adjustable bandwidth, gain, and squelch
  • Save and recall favorite frequencies
  • Browse public SDR servers worldwide
  • AirPlay output and Lock Screen controls
Features
Read full description

Demod turns your iPhone into a software-defined radio receiver. Connect to an SDR server on your own network or anywhere on the internet and explore the airwaves — from shortwave broadcasts and ham radio to aircraft, marine, and FM. Demod is a client for the most common SDR servers: • rtl_tcp — for RTL-SDR dongles • SpyServer — for Airspy and RTL-SDR • KiwiSDR — HF web receivers • OpenWebRX — web SDRs (HF, VHF and UHF) There's no hardware to plug into your phone. Point Demod at a server you run (a Raspberry Pi, PC, or Mac with an SDR dongle), or browse hundreds of public servers around the world and start listening in seconds. FEATURES • Real-time waterfall and spectrum display — Metal-accelerated and smooth • Pinch to zoom, drag to tune, two-finger pan • AM, NFM, WFM, USB, LSB, and CW demodulation • Decode CW (Morse), RTTY, PSK31, and FT8 on-screen (beta) • Time-Shift: pause and rewind live radio, DVR-style • Record what you hear — with a pre-roll of the moment you tapped • Live Text: on-device transcription of what you're listening to, with on-device translation of the captions (iOS 18+) and a full-screen transcript reader • Identify: one-tap "what is this signal?" — measures the signal on-device, matches it against a built-in band plan, and suggests the right mode (works with Siri: "ask Demod what this signal is") • Scanner: scan your memories, a band range, or let Smart scan find active signals across the captured spectrum • Spectral noise reduction, noise blanker, and mains-hum notch • Browse public KiwiSDR, OpenWebRX, and SpyServer receivers worldwide — list or map view • Save and recall favorite frequencies — import and export as CSV • Direct-sampling and upconverter support for HF • AirPlay output and Lock Screen playback controls • Adjustable bandwidth, gain (auto or manual), squelch, and display layouts PRIVACY Demod collects no data. No accounts, no tracking, no ads. Recording, transcription, translation, and signal identification all run entirely on your device — audio and text never leave it. Your settings, recordings, and transcripts stay under your control. Built for radio hobbyists, shortwave listeners, scanner enthusiasts, and ham operators who want a fast, native receiver in their pocket. Note: Demod is a receiver client and requires an SDR server to connect to. You can use a server you run yourself or one of the many free public servers listed in the app.

Screenshots

DBHam1 screens
Demod3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Demod at 100% against DBHam's 40%. Demod also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.7) and update cadence (weekly vs every 29 months). DBHam's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 17.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

DBHam is free to download; Demod costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Demod holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of DBHam's written reviews are positive against 100% of Demod's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DBHam ships an update every 29 months, Demod weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
DBHam versus Demod: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDBHamDemod
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating2.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34 — better
Update frequencyEvery 29 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.3 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas SullivanAlphonse Romero

Customer experience

DBHam

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

Demod

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

DBHam

No in-app purchases

None

Demod

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DBHam free?
DBHam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Demod free?
Demod costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DBHam or Demod?
Demod is rated higher. DBHam averages 2.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Demod averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do DBHam or Demod have ads?
Neither DBHam nor Demod shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DBHam or Demod?
DBHam ships an update every 29 months, and Demod weekly. Most recently, DBHam was updated on October 12, 2026 and Demod on October 13, 2026.

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