# K4 Control for Elecraft K4 vs Packet Commander

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | K4 Control for Elecraft K4 | Packet Commander |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $89.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/k4-control-for-elecraft-k4/id6738920761/reviews) | **[4.9 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **48** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 59 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) |

## What reviewers say

### K4 Control for Elecraft K4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/k4-control-for-elecraft-k4/id6738920761)

Control your Elecraft K4 transceiver remotely from your iPad. Operate locally or over the internet, with integrated digital modes, logging, and advanced visual features.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Packet Commander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Subscription | $8.99 | per year |
| One-Time Purchase | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is K4 Control for Elecraft K4 free?

K4 Control for Elecraft K4 costs $89.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Packet Commander free?

Packet Commander is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, K4 Control for Elecraft K4 or Packet Commander?

Packet Commander is rated higher. K4 Control for Elecraft K4 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Packet Commander averages 4.9 from 48 ratings.

### Do K4 Control for Elecraft K4 or Packet Commander have ads?

Neither K4 Control for Elecraft K4 nor Packet Commander shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, K4 Control for Elecraft K4 or Packet Commander?

K4 Control for Elecraft K4 ships an update fortnightly, and Packet Commander every 2 months. Most recently, K4 Control for Elecraft K4 was updated on October 30, 2026 and Packet Commander on October 24, 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.*