Radio Messenger vs SDS Remote
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Radio Messenger
Communicate off-grid using amateur radio frequencies. Send messages, files, photos, and locations without cellular service. Supports APRS and enhanced direct messaging modes.
- Off-grid messaging
- APRS messaging
- Enhanced messaging
- Location sharing
- Offline maps
- File and image sharing
- Identity verification
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Send messages, files, photos, and locations over amateur radio using your iPhone or iPad. Radio Messenger brings modern conversation to packet radio. Whether you are using APRS or experimenting on a local frequency, the app is built around messaging first, not beacons and maps. Use Radio Messenger with supported Bluetooth radios, KISS TNCs, or integrated modem with an audio adapter to stay connected when cell coverage is unavailable or simply not the point. Two messaging modes. One app. APRS Messaging Works with the existing APRS ecosystem. Send messages with acknowledgements, retries, delivery tracking, and optional Message Continuity tap into store and forward and internet delivery to help messages reach you even when you are away from the radio. Enhanced Messaging A modern radio-only messaging mode for direct conversations. Includes verifiable identity, delivery acknowledgements, read receipts, reactions, and support for longer messages. Features • Messaging focused Conversations, contacts, and multi-device sync designed to feel familiar and easy to use. • Location sharing Share your location or drop a labeled pin directly in a conversation. No automatic beaconing. You choose when and what to share. • Offline maps Maps are cached automatically so shared locations remain visible when you are off-grid. • Presence & On Air See who is active and recently heard. Share a short status and emoji so others know you are around. • File & image sharing Send photos and documents in Enhanced Messaging conversations. Recipients can accept or decline transfers. • Identity & verification Verify who sent a message and manage trusted identities for more confident communication. • Search & inbox tools Find conversations by name, callsign, or message content. Pin threads, mute alerts, and manage your inbox with ease. • Radio native Built for Bluetooth radios and external TNCs, with frequency control available on supported hardware. Radio Messenger is designed for licensed amateur radio operators and requires compatible radio. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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.
- 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)
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Radio Messenger at 5.0 against SDS Remote's 4.3. Radio Messenger also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and ratings volume (13 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Radio Messenger sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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.
Radio Messenger holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Radio Messenger's written reviews are positive against 67% of SDS Remote's.
Radio Messenger ships an update every 3 weeks, SDS Remote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Radio Messenger | SDS Remote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (13 ratings) — better | 4.3 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Island Magic Co. | mobiadroit, llc |
Customer experience
Radio Messenger
SDS Remote
In-app purchases
Radio Messenger
- Radio Messenger Plus Monthly$1.991 Month
- Radio Messenger Plus Yearly1 Year trial$14.991 Year
SDS Remote
- Pro - Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- SDS Remote Pro — One-Time Purchase$99.99









