# Ping vs XCAL

The clearest difference is rating: XCAL at 5.0 against Ping's 4.3. XCAL also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Ping's advantage is ratings volume (377 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ping sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. XCAL asks for nothing beyond the download.

XCAL holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ping has 377 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Ping's written reviews are positive against 100% of XCAL's.

Ping ships an update every 3 months, XCAL every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ping | XCAL |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (377 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ping-network-utility/id576773404/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcal-ismart/id1185372106/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **377** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 84.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Iurii Mozharovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/411678880) | [Innowireless Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1645003818) |

## What reviewers say

### Ping

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ping-network-utility/id576773404)

This network utility tests host reachability on IP networks. It supports both IPv4 and IPv6, with configurable settings for TTL, timeout, interval, and packet size. The app includes a library of favorite hosts and operates in the background.

**Highlights:** IPv4 and IPv6 support, Configurable TTL, timeout, interval, packet size, Favorite hosts library, Background mode, Free to use

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Golden Star | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Accurate ping results
- 🚀 Convenient for network diagnostics
- 👍 Useful for IT professionals
- 👍 Excellent for home/business users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Favorites list issues (disappearing/changing)
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior (showing host as down when it's up)
- 🔍 Lacks DNS resolution information
- 🔍 No background ping capability
- 🔍 Limited customization options (packet size, interval, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Sliders are difficult to use for precise settings
- Ping results not always accurate
- App becomes unresponsive or crashes at times

**Requested features**

- Add audible ping notification
- Implement dark mode
- Allow setting custom port for pinging
- Provide timestamp for ping history
- Extend ping interval options (up to 1 minute)


### XCAL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcal-ismart/id1185372106)

This application allows for Quality of Service and Quality of Experience testing across various network technologies. It runs as a standalone app on iPhones and supports automated testing for comprehensive network analysis.

**Highlights:** QoS and QoE testing, Supports all network technologies, Handheld stand-alone application, Automated testing capabilities, iPhone compatible

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ping free?

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

### Is XCAL free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ping or XCAL?

XCAL is rated higher. Ping averages 4.3 out of 5 from 377 ratings, while XCAL averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Ping or XCAL have ads?

Neither Ping nor XCAL shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ping or XCAL?

Ping ships an update every 3 months, and XCAL every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ping was updated on October 29, 2026 and XCAL on October 4, 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.*