# icMercury vs PacketMessage

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: icMercury at none against PacketMessage's 3. icMercury also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PacketMessage sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. icMercury asks for nothing beyond the download.

icMercury ships an update every 5 days, PacketMessage weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | icMercury | PacketMessage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packetmessage/id6758742785/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Interstellar Communication Holdings, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1800208923) | [Lukasz Skierkowski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1280847319) |

## What reviewers say

### icMercury

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icmercury/id6742833529)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PacketMessage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packetmessage/id6758742785)

This app enables licensed amateur radio operators to send reliable messages directly over RF using their radio and a compatible TNC interface. It leverages advanced error correction protocols for robust communication in a decentralized network.

**Highlights:** FX.25 forward error correction, AX.25 bit-flip error correction, Software TNC or KISS TNC interface support, Direct RF message transmission, Decentralized communication

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is icMercury free?

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

### Is PacketMessage free?

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

### Do icMercury or PacketMessage have ads?

Neither icMercury nor PacketMessage shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, icMercury or PacketMessage?

icMercury ships an update every 5 days, and PacketMessage weekly. Most recently, icMercury was updated on September 19, 2026 and PacketMessage on September 10, 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.*