K4 Control for Elecraft K4 vs Packet Commander
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
K4 Control for Elecraft K4
Control your Elecraft K4 transceiver remotely from your iPad. Operate locally or over the internet, with integrated digital modes, logging, and advanced visual features.
- Full remote transceiver control
- Integrated digital modes (FT8, FT4, CW, SSTV)
- Comprehensive logbook with ADIF support
- Dual VFO and waterfall displays
- DX-Cluster integration and alerts
- Visual band mapping and callsign data
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Your Elecraft K4, K4D or K4HD on your iPhone and iPad: at home over Wi-Fi or from anywhere over the internet. Made by a ham, for hams, with personal support included. K4-Control connects to the K4's built-in network interface, at home and over the internet. No extra hardware, no PC and no extra software needed. WORKS WITH ■ Elecraft K4, K4D and K4HD, connected to your network by cable The app connects over the network only. A USB cable connection is not supported. OPERATE ■ Spectrum scope and waterfall with band plan, DX Cluster and FT8 spots ■ VFO A and B with the sub receiver and both panadapters, filters, preamp, attenuator, NB, NR, notch, AGC and more ■ Compact floating panels: tuning, PTT, CW, memories, tune stack, macros, Command Bar, DTMF, RIT / ∆TX ■ Your iPhone or iPad as microphone and speaker; the radio keeps playing in the background ■ Ready for iPhone Duo, iPad split screen and Apple Vision Pro MODES ■ FT8-Improved with AutoAnswer and AutoCQ, plus the classic FT8 ■ JS8 keyboard chat ■ CW with decoder, keyer, ESM and CW keyboard: send CW remotely, by keyboard or with a paddle on a CTR2 or MIDI controller ■ Speech: incoming voice transcribed and translated, your typed text sent as speech ■ SSTV, HF-Fax, APRS and WSPR FT8-Improved, JS8, Speech and WSPR need iOS 26. TOOLS ■ Logbook with ADIF import and export, shared via iCloud with SmartSDR, SDR-Control, FT-Control and TS-Control, on iPhone, iPad and Mac ■ DX Cluster with alerts, POTA, PSK Reporter, Call Lookup, Band Plan, Network Stats, Memories ■ Controllers: MIDI, CTR2, HaliKey, Pryme, Flic ■ 4O3A Genius devices, Ultra Beam antennas, rotators and relay boards MADE BY A HAM Made by Marcus, DL8MRE, who has been developing apps for Apple devices since 2009 and uses this app every day in his own shack, where all supported radios are on the desk. Personal online support and a detailed manual are included. Updates with new modes and features are free: no subscription, no in-app purchases. WHAT YOU NEED ■ An Elecraft K4, K4D or K4HD on your network, with its remote access password set ■ An iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or later ■ For use over the internet: access to your home network from outside (see the manual) Manual: https://go-to.me/k4-control-ios-manual More apps: https://ham-radio-apps.com K4-Control is developed independently and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Elecraft.
Packet Commander
This app provides a classic terminal experience for packet radio communication on mobile devices. It offers powerful terminal features, smart connection management, and real-time over-the-air traffic monitoring. It's designed for amateur radio operators to connect with nodes, BBS, and decode traffic.
- Full-screen terminal for packet nodes and BBS
- Classic color themes and adjustable layout
- YAPP protocol support for file transfers
- Location-aware digipeater routing
- Seamless iCloud sync
- Over-the-air traffic decoding
- Auto-discovery of TNCs
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Packet Commander brings a classic terminal experience for packet radio to your iPhone or iPad. Try it free. The download includes 5 full connection sessions so you can explore the features and confirm compatibility before purchasing. After that, a purchase is required to continue connecting. Note: An amateur radio license is required to operate on the air. Powerful Terminal • Full-screen terminal for interacting with packet nodes and BBS over amateur radio • Classic color themes inspired by iconic computers • Adjustable fonts and layout for readability and screen efficiency • YAPP protocol support for file transfers • Dictation-ready for composing messages hands-free • Smart filename selection — double tap to highlight and copy Smarter Packet Connections • Location-aware digipeater routing: automatically recalls the last-used path at each location • Seamless iCloud sync for nodes and digipeaters across all your devices • Compatible with popular packet node software including BPQ32, URONode, and others Over-the-Air Monitor Connect to your radio and decode over-the-air traffic in real time. AX.25 frames are decoded and presented in an easy-to-read format. • Filter traffic to display exactly what you’re looking for • Search by address or content • Export the log to a file for later analysis Works with the Gear You Love • Auto-discovery of Bluetooth and TCP TNCs, including Dire Wolf on DigiPi • Automatic frequency set/restore on supported radios • Built-in, high-performance 1200 baud AFSK software modem • Optimized for VHF/UHF packet at both 1200 and 9600 baud Compatible with the Following Radios and TNCs: Radios with Built-in TNCs (Auto-sets and restores frequency on those radios) · BTECH UV-PRO, UV-50PRO · VERO VR-N76, VR-N7600 · RADIODITY GA-5WB, DB50-B · Kenwood TH-D74*, TH-D75* · PicoAPRS V4 *Requires B.B. Link Bluetooth adapter Portable KISS TNCs · Mobilinkd TNC3, TNC4 · LiNK500 TNC · DigiPi · Dire Wolf Software TNC Audio Interfaces (Using built-in software modem) · Digirig Lite · Digirig VOX PTT Cable · AIOC (All-In-One Cable) Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Packet Commander at Free against K4 Control for Elecraft K4's $89.99. Packet Commander also leads on ratings volume (48 vs 6). K4 Control for Elecraft K4's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support 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
Packet Commander is free to download; K4 Control for Elecraft K4 costs $89.99 up front. Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. K4 Control for Elecraft K4 asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for K4 Control for Elecraft K4 against 4.9 for Packet Commander. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Packet Commander has 48 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
K4 Control for Elecraft K4 ships an update fortnightly, Packet Commander every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | K4 Control for Elecraft K4 | Packet Commander |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $89.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (6 ratings) | 4.9 (48 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 48 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 18.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marcus Roskosch | Island Magic Co. |
Customer experience
K4 Control for Elecraft K4
Packet Commander
In-app purchases
K4 Control for Elecraft K4
No in-app purchases
Packet Commander
- Yearly Subscription$8.991 Year
- One-Time Purchase$24.99
Questions
Is K4 Control for Elecraft K4 free?
Is Packet Commander free?
Which has better reviews, K4 Control for Elecraft K4 or Packet Commander?
Do K4 Control for Elecraft K4 or Packet Commander have ads?
Which is updated more often, K4 Control for Elecraft K4 or Packet Commander?
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