# Balo vs Handi

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Handi at none against Balo's 1. Handi also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 35 months) and device support (4 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Balo ships an update every 35 months, Handi every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Balo | Handi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handi-talky-commander/id6786154035/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mikhail Vyrtsev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1550996634) | [Ylian Saint-Hilaire](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786138083) |

## What reviewers say

### Balo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balo/id6445960440)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove watermark | $4.99 | one-time |


### Handi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handi-talky-commander/id6786154035)

This app serves as a central hub for amateur radio operators, enabling them to connect their transceivers to mobile devices. It facilitates radio programming, messaging, mapping, and packet-radio communications.

**Highlights:** Radio channel management, APRS messaging, Winlink email, Packet terminal, Interactive map, File exchange

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Balo free?

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

### Is Handi free?

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

### Do Balo or Handi have ads?

Neither Balo nor Handi shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Balo or Handi?

Balo ships an update every 35 months, and Handi every 2 days. Most recently, Balo was updated on October 10, 2026 and Handi on October 14, 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.*