Comparison

Cactus Watch vs SDS Remote

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

Head to head
About

Cactus Watch

Access real-time public safety incident information on your mobile device. View basic incident details for free, or upgrade for advanced features like interactive maps and push notifications.

Highlights
  • Live incident feed
  • Incident type and location
  • Dispatch time
  • Interactive live incident map
  • Push notifications
  • Customizable map themes
Features
Read full description

Cactus Watch provides real-time access to publicly available public safety incident information through a simple feed designed for mobile devices and optional premium features. The app is designed for situational awareness information in a mobile-friendly format. FREE ACCESS Cactus Watch includes a free experience that allows users to view basic incident information, including: - Incident type - Approximate location - Dispatch time - Live incident feed Basic situational awareness remains available at no cost. CACTUS WATCH PLUS Cactus Watch Plus enhances situational awareness with premium features: - Interactive live incident map - Day, night, and satellite map views - Push notifications - Fire station overlay - Custom map color themes - Manual refresh controls - Enhanced incident details Cactus Watch Plus provides premium features for viewing publicly available information in a mobile-friendly format. WHY CACTUS WATCH Cactus Watch is designed to make publicly available incident information easier to access, view, and understand on mobile devices. The value of the app is in speed, clarity, mapping, and usability, not ownership of the underlying data. DATA SOURCE Incident information is sourced from publicly available government public safety systems. Official source: https://maps.phoenix.gov/phxfire/rest/services/Active_Incidents__Public/MapServer IMPORTANT NOTICE Cactus Watch is an independent application and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any government agency, fire department, EMS agency, public safety organization, or emergency dispatch center. Information may be delayed, incomplete, or unavailable. Not all incidents may be displayed. Cactus Watch is for informational and situational awareness purposes only and must not be used for emergency response or life-safety decisions. In an emergency, call 911. SUBSCRIPTIONS Cactus Watch Plus is an auto-renewing subscription billed through your Apple ID account. Payment is charged upon confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Manage or cancel anytime in your account settings. Support: support@cactuswatch.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SDS Remote

Control and monitor your Uniden SDS150 & SDS200 ham scanners remotely over your local network. View live scanner displays, control keypads, volume, and squelch from another room. Stream audio and log transmissions with Pro features.

Highlights
  • Live scanner display mirroring
  • Remote keypad, volume, and squelch control
  • Save and sync scanner configurations
  • Live audio streaming (Pro)
  • Multi-scanner monitoring (Pro)
  • Transmission logging with recordings (Pro)
Features
Read full description

SDS Remote puts your Uniden SDS150 & SDS200 on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. See the live scanner display—system, department, talkgroup, frequency, and signal—while you work the keypad, volume, and squelch from another room. Your scanner stays where it is. You don't have to. THREE WAYS TO CONNECT • SDS200 over Ethernet, on your network • SDS150 over Bluetooth, no network needed • Through a hub: leave one device at home with your scanners and connect to it from anywhere, including on cellular WHAT YOU GET • Live display mirroring of your SDS150 & SDS200 • Save scanners by name, host, and port • iCloud sync of your scanner list across your Apple devices • Free to start with one scanner; Pro unlocks more PRO FEATURES • Remote keypad, volume, and squelch control • Live audio streaming from the scanner to your device • Listen from anywhere through a hub—the one setup where scanner audio reaches you on cellular • Now Playing on the Lock Screen and in Control Center—channel and system as they change, with play/pause from headphones or your car's controls • Choose how scanner audio shares with your music: take over, or mix and duck it while the scanner talks • Multi-view: monitor up to four scanners in a 2×2 layout • Transmission logging with optional recordings and on-device captions • Web Remote: drive your scanners from a browser on your network • Display Layout editor for building screens and sending them to the radio • Elgato Stream Deck control on iPad • Unlimited scanners IN THE CAR Mix and Duck keeps your music playing and turns it down while the scanner talks. Boost lifts quiet traffic over road noise, and Keep Display Awake stops the screen dimming on a dash mount. Built for listeners who already run a scanner on the desk—and want the same view and control from the couch, the shop, the car, or anywhere else. PRIVACY BY DESIGN We run no servers and your scanner traffic never passes through us. A hub is simply a second copy of this app on a device you own, talking directly to your other devices over a connection secured by a pairing code. Transmission logs and recordings stay on your device, and captions are produced on-device—no audio is ever uploaded. Subscriptions are handled through your Apple ID. REQUIREMENTS A Uniden SDS200 connected by Ethernet to your network, or a Uniden SDS150 paired over Bluetooth. Listening away from home additionally needs a second device left at home running SDS Remote as a hub, with Pro on both. Free includes one scanner and iCloud sync. Pro is an optional auto-renewable subscription with a free trial (see in-app details). Subscriptions renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period in your Apple ID settings.

Screenshots

Cactus Watch4 screens
SDS Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SDS Remote at 67% against Cactus Watch's 0%. SDS Remote also leads on rating (4.3 vs 1.6). Cactus Watch's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, 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. Cactus Watch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SDS Remote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SDS Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Cactus Watch's written reviews are positive against 67% of SDS Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cactus Watch ships an update every 9 days, SDS Remote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cactus Watch versus SDS Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCactus WatchSDS Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.6 (8 ratings)4.3 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLedyz LLCmobiadroit, llc

Customer experience

Cactus Watch

All ratings7 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

SDS Remote

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Cactus Watch

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$54.991 Year
3 purchases

SDS Remote

Subscriptions2
  • Pro - Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • SDS Remote Pro — One-Time Purchase$99.99

Questions

Is Cactus Watch free?
Cactus Watch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SDS Remote free?
SDS Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cactus Watch or SDS Remote?
SDS Remote is rated higher. Cactus Watch averages 1.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while SDS Remote averages 4.3 from 4 ratings.
Do Cactus Watch or SDS Remote have ads?
Neither Cactus Watch nor SDS Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cactus Watch or SDS Remote?
Cactus Watch ships an update every 9 days, and SDS Remote every 2 weeks. Most recently, Cactus Watch was updated on November 4, 2026 and SDS Remote on October 30, 2026.

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