# Gearboxe vs Packet Commander

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Packet Commander at 48 against Gearboxe's 4. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gearboxe sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Gearboxe against 4.9 for Packet Commander. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Packet Commander has 48 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Gearboxe ships an update every 5 weeks, Packet Commander every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gearboxe | Packet Commander |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gearboxe-car-maintenance-log/id6743063696/reviews)** | [4.9 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **48** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 58 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NineOneNine Digital LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1783045209) | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) |

## What reviewers say

### Gearboxe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gearboxe-car-maintenance-log/id6743063696)

Organize your vehicle's complete history, including maintenance, repairs, and service receipts. Receive smart reminders for upcoming services and manage multiple cars with ease. Connect with a community of car enthusiasts to share builds and tips.

**Highlights:** Log maintenance, repairs, and modifications, Smart maintenance reminders, Manage multiple vehicles, Generate PDF history reports, Community feed for builds and tips, Sync across iPhone and web

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gearboxe Pro | $6.99 | per month |
| Gearboxe Pro | $59.99 | per year |


### 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 Gearboxe free?

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

### Is Packet Commander free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gearboxe or Packet Commander?

Gearboxe is rated higher. Gearboxe averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Packet Commander averages 4.9 from 48 ratings.

### Do Gearboxe or Packet Commander have ads?

Neither Gearboxe nor Packet Commander shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gearboxe or Packet Commander?

Gearboxe ships an update every 5 weeks, and Packet Commander every 2 months. Most recently, Gearboxe was updated on October 30, 2026 and Packet Commander on November 4, 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.*