# Packet Commander vs Ham Radio Net Control

The clearest difference is price: Packet Commander at Free against Ham Radio Net Control's $4.99. Ham Radio Net Control's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Packet Commander is free to download; Ham Radio Net Control costs $4.99 up front. Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. Ham Radio Net Control asks for nothing beyond the download.

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, Ham Radio Net Control every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Packet Commander | Ham Radio Net Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **48** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) | [Jason Faulhefer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1832056341) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Ham Radio Net Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-radio-net-control/id6754520301)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Packet Commander free?

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

### Is Ham Radio Net Control free?

Ham Radio Net Control costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Packet Commander or Ham Radio Net Control have ads?

Neither Packet Commander nor Ham Radio Net Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Packet Commander or Ham Radio Net Control?

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, and Ham Radio Net Control every 4 weeks. Most recently, Packet Commander was updated on October 30, 2026 and Ham Radio Net Control on October 30, 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.*