Comparison

SWList vs FT Ham

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

Head to head
About

SWList

Discover and identify shortwave radio stations with access to curated EiBi and Aoki lists. Explore stations by frequency, band, or search criteria, and view detailed transmission information, including location on a map.

Highlights
  • Access EiBi and Aoki curated lists
  • Discover stations by frequency or band
  • Search by station name, country, or language
  • Connect to radio receivers via Hamlib
  • Filter for currently broadcasting stations
  • View station transmission details
  • Display transmitter location on map
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

SWList gives you access to the popular EiBi and Aoki lists, helping you easily discover and identify shortwave radio stations. The EiBi list, curated by Eike Bierwirth, is a highly valued resource within the SWL community.  The Aoki list, curated by Shigenori Aoki, is also widely used and recognized for its reliability. SWList offers four convenient ways to explore radio stations: - Enter a listening frequency to display stations transmitting nearby. - Select a specific radio band to view all stations within it. - Search by station name, country, or broadcast language. - Retrieve the frequency manually or automatically from your radio receiver, if connected via Hamlib. You can also filter results to show only stations that are currently broadcasting. For each station, detailed information is available, including transmission location, target area, and spoken language. If the transmitter’s location is available, you can display it on a geographic map and calculate the distance from your location. SWList also supports light and dark modes to suit your viewing preferences.

About

FT Ham

Decode and transmit FT8/FT4 amateur radio signals directly from your mobile device. Features real-time decoding, automatic QSO sequencing, and an integrated logbook with ADIF export. All processing is done offline and locally on your device.

Highlights
  • Real-time FT8/FT4 decoding
  • Offline audio transmission
  • Automatic QSO sequencing
  • Live waterfall display
  • Integrated logbook with ADIF export
  • Customizable message composer
Features
Read full description

FT Ham – FT8/FT4 Decoder & Audio Transmitter for Amateur Radio FT Ham puts a complete FT8/FT4 decoder and audio encoder/transmitter in your pocket. Decode, reply, and log QSOs directly from your iPhone — all in real time, fully offline. What the app does for you: - Live Waterfall: frequency vs time spectrogram with color intensity and vertical labels for each decoded signal. - Real-time Decoding: receive FT8 and FT4 audio via microphone or connected audio interface and see callsigns, reports, and SNR instantly. - Transmit (Encode & Play): generate FT8/FT4 audio for CQ, reports, RRR, and 73, aligned to correct UTC slots and played through speaker or radio interface. - Auto QSO Sequencing: detects CQ, prepares replies, respects UTC timing and even/odd cycles, retries if needed, and can complete QSOs automatically. - Manual Control Always Available: full manual message selection and intervention at any point. - Predefined Messages & Composer: CQ, DX→ME, reports, RRR, and 73 — automatically filled with your callsign and locator, fully customizable. - Logbook & ADIF Export: automatically log completed QSOs and export to standard ADIF for external logging software. - Contact Map: visualize logged QSOs and geographic coverage in a single view. Privacy & Safety: - All decoding and signal processing runs entirely on your device. No internet connection required. - FT Ham does not collect or share personal data. All settings and logs remain local on your device. - Audio output may be connected to external radios; always comply with local amateur radio regulations. - Payments are handled by Apple or third-party services; FT Ham never receives payment details. Legal & Licenses: - FT Ham code is released under the MIT License. - Third-party library licenses are included in-app.

Screenshots

SWList4 screens
FT Ham4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FT Ham at Free against SWList's $3.99. FT Ham also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). SWList's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and chart position (#196 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads, 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

FT Ham is free to download; SWList costs $3.99 up front. FT Ham sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. SWList asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FT Ham holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of SWList's written reviews are positive against 100% of FT Ham's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SWList ships an update every 2 months, FT Ham every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
SWList versus FT Ham: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSWListFT Ham
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.8 (4 ratings)4.8 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings44
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#196 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStefano RampazzoPABLO TURRION SAN PEDRO

Customer experience

SWList

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

FT Ham

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SWList

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

FT Ham

One-time4
  • Donation of 0.99 €$0.99
  • FT Ham premium access$1.99
  • Donation of 2,99 €$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Donation of 4,99 €$3.99

Questions

Is SWList free?
SWList costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FT Ham free?
FT Ham is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SWList or FT Ham?
FT Ham is rated higher. SWList averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while FT Ham averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.
Do SWList or FT Ham have ads?
Neither SWList nor FT Ham shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SWList or FT Ham?
SWList ships an update every 2 months, and FT Ham every 5 days. Most recently, SWList was updated on October 27, 2026 and FT Ham on October 20, 2026.

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