# Radio Messenger vs HamBand

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HamBand at none against Radio Messenger's 2. Radio Messenger's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 2) and iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Radio Messenger sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. HamBand asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Radio Messenger against 5.0 for HamBand. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Radio Messenger has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Radio Messenger ships an update every 3 weeks, HamBand every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Radio Messenger | HamBand |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radio-messenger/id6730110865/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamband/id6772585467/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 39 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) | [TAYLOR JOHN TRANSUE](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772585469) |

## What reviewers say

### Radio Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radio-messenger/id6730110865)

Communicate off-grid using amateur radio frequencies. Send messages, files, photos, and locations without cellular service. Supports APRS and enhanced direct messaging modes.

**Highlights:** Off-grid messaging, APRS messaging, Enhanced messaging, Location sharing, Offline maps, File and image sharing, Identity verification

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Radio Messenger Plus Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Radio Messenger Plus Yearly | $14.99 | per year |


### HamBand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamband/id6772585467)

This app provides amateur radio operators with real-time HF band condition assessments using live solar weather data. It offers band ratings, a greyline visualizer, and trend charts to help predict propagation. An Apple Watch companion app is also available for quick access to information.

**Highlights:** Real-time HF band condition ratings, Greyline visualizer for propagation, 7-day trend charts for solar data, Live Solar Flux Index and K-Index, Apple Watch companion app and complication, No subscriptions, accounts, or ads

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Radio Messenger free?

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

### Is HamBand free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Radio Messenger or HamBand?

Radio Messenger and HamBand are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 13 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Radio Messenger or HamBand have ads?

Neither Radio Messenger nor HamBand shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Radio Messenger or HamBand?

Radio Messenger ships an update every 3 weeks, and HamBand every 10 days. Most recently, Radio Messenger was updated on October 30, 2026 and HamBand on October 31, 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.*