Comparison

IP Scanner vs Spectrum SDR (RTL

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

Head to head
About

IP Scanner

This app scans your local network to identify all active devices. It offers fast results, customizable device information, and tools like PING and Wake on LAN. Save and manage past scans for easy reference.

Highlights
  • Fast network scanning
  • Customizable device names and icons
  • Save and review past scans
  • PING, Wake on LAN, Port Scan tools
  • Save and import custom device lists
  • Import/export scan results
Features
Read full description

IP Scanner for iOS scans your local area network to determine the identity of all active machines and internet devices on the LAN. Powerful results, yet easy, quick and intuitive to use. Key features: * Extremely fast scan results * Customizable results - assign your own names and icons to discovered devices * Save and consult past scans * PING, Wake on LAN and Port Scan tools built right in * Save and import custom device lists, or sync via iCloud * Import/export scan results via email or bonjour * Clean, professional design that is customizable and easy to use The free version has no restrictions at all on functionality and can identify up to 15 devices at a time. * To unlock unlimited devices in a scan, we offer an in-app upgrade to Pro. * For even more features, including realtime push notifications on network changes, a network DVR-style history browser and a true universal app bundle with native, optimized versions for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch, check out IP Scanner Ultra in the app store https://apple.co/3gz0tu6

About

Spectrum SDR (RTL

Explore radio signals with your RTL-SDR dongle. Listen to AM/FM/SSB/CW, view FFT and waterfall displays, and customize your experience. Requires a remote rtl_tcp instance over WiFi.

Highlights
  • Full frequency range support
  • AM, FM, SSB, CW reception
  • FFT and Waterfall displays
  • Adjustable sample rates
  • Bias tee and gain controls
  • Squelch functionality
  • Customizable display options
Features
Read full description

This application is about having a bit of fun with those amazing little RTL-SDR dongles, whilst listening to AM/FM/SSB/CW radio signals. It's nice and easy to use so why not give it a try? - Covers the full frequency range of your RTL-SDR dongle. - AM and FM, wide and narrow, SSB, CW. - FFT and Waterfall displays. - Sample rates 240000 Hz to 2160000 Hz. - Bias tee control. - 75 presets over 5 pages. - Gain controls. - Squelch. - Flexible display options, hide things you don't need to see. - Built-in help. The application needs to be connected to an instance of rtl_tcp running on a remote computer, most likely over WiFi. You will need a good network connection for this to work reliably when using the higher sample rates. It can be installed on an iPhone, iPad or Apple Silicon Mac. We hope you enjoy using this application.

Screenshots

IP Scanner4 screens
Spectrum SDR (RTL3 screens

Verdict

The call

IP Scanner and Spectrum SDR (RTL both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Spectrum SDR (RTL's written reviews are positive against 60% of IP Scanner's. Spectrum SDR (RTL also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). IP Scanner's advantage is ratings volume (889 vs 2) and device support (6 vs 3). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. IP Scanner sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Spectrum SDR (RTL 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for IP Scanner against 4.5 for Spectrum SDR (RTL. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IP Scanner has 889 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of IP Scanner's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spectrum SDR (RTL's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IP Scanner ships an update fortnightly, Spectrum SDR (RTL every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
IP Scanner versus Spectrum SDR (RTL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIP ScannerSpectrum SDR (RTL
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (889 ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews60.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings889 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS2626.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatia labs, inc.James Mainwaring

Customer experience

IP Scanner

All ratings889 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive60.2%
Neutral10.9%
Negative28.9%

Spectrum SDR (RTL

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

IP Scanner

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Unstable on macOS
  • Inconsistent scan results across devices
  • Loses custom device names after scans
  • Detects devices that are no longer on the network

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to print selected fields
  • Include notes in printouts
  • Resizable settings window
  • Option to block or remove devices
  • Improved device identification

Spectrum SDR (RTL

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

IP Scanner

One-time2
  • IP Scanner Pro Upgrade (iOS)$19.99
  • IP Scanner Pro Upgrade (MacOS)$19.99
1 purchases

Spectrum SDR (RTL

One-time1
  • Full Version$2.99

Questions

Is IP Scanner free?
IP Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spectrum SDR (RTL free?
Spectrum SDR (RTL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IP Scanner or Spectrum SDR (RTL?
IP Scanner is rated higher. IP Scanner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 889 ratings, while Spectrum SDR (RTL averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do IP Scanner or Spectrum SDR (RTL have ads?
Neither IP Scanner nor Spectrum SDR (RTL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IP Scanner or Spectrum SDR (RTL?
IP Scanner ships an update fortnightly, and Spectrum SDR (RTL every 11 days. Most recently, IP Scanner was updated on September 25, 2026 and Spectrum SDR (RTL on September 23, 2026.

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