# Packet Commander vs QRV

The clearest difference is update cadence: QRV at weekly against Packet Commander's every 2 months. QRV also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Packet Commander's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 82%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year and QRV sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Packet Commander against 4.9 for QRV. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 48 and 80 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Packet Commander's written reviews are positive against 82% of QRV's.

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, QRV weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Packet Commander | QRV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews)** | [4.9 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qrv-ham-radio-multitool/id6754951380/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 48 | **80** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 81.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 10 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.2** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) | [Joseph Iannazzone](https://appshunter.io/developer/1554474189) |

## 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 |


### QRV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qrv-ham-radio-multitool/id6754951380)

This app consolidates essential ham radio tools for efficient operation and DX success. It provides real-time band conditions, callsign lookups, band plans, and built-in calculators. Available across multiple Apple devices, it offers cross-device sync and customizable alerts.

**Highlights:** Real-time band conditions, Universal callsign lookup, Cross-device sync, DXpedition calendar, POTA spots, Band plans, Built-in calculators

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| QRV Premium - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| QRV Premium - Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| QRV Premium - Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Packet Commander free?

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

### Is QRV free?

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

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

Packet Commander is rated higher. Packet Commander averages 4.9 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while QRV averages 4.9 from 80 ratings.

### Do Packet Commander or QRV have ads?

Neither Packet Commander nor QRV shows ads.

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

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, and QRV weekly. Most recently, Packet Commander was updated on November 4, 2026 and QRV on November 5, 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.*