Packet Commander vs OmniTAK
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Packet Commander
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.
- 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
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Packet Commander brings a classic terminal experience for packet radio to your iPhone or iPad. Try it free. The download includes 5 full connection sessions so you can explore the features and confirm compatibility before purchasing. After that, a purchase is required to continue connecting. Note: An amateur radio license is required to operate on the air. Powerful Terminal • Full-screen terminal for interacting with packet nodes and BBS over amateur radio • Classic color themes inspired by iconic computers • Adjustable fonts and layout for readability and screen efficiency • YAPP protocol support for file transfers • Dictation-ready for composing messages hands-free • Smart filename selection — double tap to highlight and copy Smarter Packet Connections • Location-aware digipeater routing: automatically recalls the last-used path at each location • Seamless iCloud sync for nodes and digipeaters across all your devices • Compatible with popular packet node software including BPQ32, URONode, and others Over-the-Air Monitor Connect to your radio and decode over-the-air traffic in real time. AX.25 frames are decoded and presented in an easy-to-read format. • Filter traffic to display exactly what you’re looking for • Search by address or content • Export the log to a file for later analysis Works with the Gear You Love • Auto-discovery of Bluetooth and TCP TNCs, including Dire Wolf on DigiPi • Automatic frequency set/restore on supported radios • Built-in, high-performance 1200 baud AFSK software modem • Optimized for VHF/UHF packet at both 1200 and 9600 baud Compatible with the Following Radios and TNCs: Radios with Built-in TNCs (Auto-sets and restores frequency on those radios) · BTECH UV-PRO, UV-50PRO · VERO VR-N76, VR-N7600 · RADIODITY GA-5WB, DB50-B · Kenwood TH-D74*, TH-D75* · PicoAPRS V4 *Requires B.B. Link Bluetooth adapter Portable KISS TNCs · Mobilinkd TNC3, TNC4 · LiNK500 TNC · DigiPi · Dire Wolf Software TNC Audio Interfaces (Using built-in software modem) · Digirig Lite · Digirig VOX PTT Cable · AIOC (All-In-One Cable) Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
OmniTAK
This app provides real-time situational awareness and tactical communication for iOS devices. It offers a familiar interface for operators, supports multi-server configurations, and includes secure certificate management for encrypted data. It's designed for coordinating teams in various operational scenarios.
- ATAK-style tactical interface
- Multi-server management
- Real-time CoT markers
- GPS tracking
- Secure certificate management
- Drawing tools
- Plugin system
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OmniTAK — ATAK-Style Tactical Awareness for iOS OmniTAK brings the power and familiarity of ATAK to your iPhone and iPad. Built with a high-performance Rust core and native iOS interface, OmniTAK delivers real-time situational awareness with the tactical UI that operators know and trust. Whether you're coordinating search and rescue, managing field teams, supporting emergency response, or training for tactical scenarios, OmniTAK provides blue force tracking, collaborative mapping, and secure communications—without being locked into a single server or network. ATAK-FAMILIAR INTERFACE OmniTAK mirrors the ATAK experience that millions of operators have trained on. The professional tactical theme, navigation drawer, bottom toolbar, and status bar feel immediately familiar. If you know ATAK, you know OmniTAK. Satellite, hybrid, and standard map views powered by native MapKit deliver smooth performance. Color-coded CoT markers display friendly, hostile, unknown, and neutral units in real-time. MULTI-SERVER ARCHITECTURE OmniTAK was built for multi-agency coordination and federated networks. Configure unlimited TAK server connections. Monitor connection status in real-time. Bridge jurisdictions during disaster response, maintain redundant connectivity, or aggregate feeds from multiple command posts—OmniTAK connects you to every network that matters. Supports TCP and UDP with optional TLS encryption. SECURE CERTIFICATE MANAGEMENT OmniTAK stores all client certificates in the iOS Keychain with hardware-backed protection. Import from .pem, .crt, .key, .p12, and .pfx files, or enroll directly from your TAK server using username/password authentication. View certificates with validity status and expiration tracking. Full mutual TLS authentication keeps your tactical data encrypted end-to-end. TACTICAL TOOLS Draw circles and polygons to mark areas of interest, search zones, or operational boundaries. All drawings persist across sessions with high-visibility tactical colors. Broadcast your position with configurable metadata. Filter units by affiliation for cleaner operational pictures. Navigate with bearing and distance tools built for tactical operations. EXTENSIBLE PLUGIN SYSTEM OmniTAK features a secure plugin architecture for extending functionality. Plugins run in sandboxed contexts with permission-based API access. Create custom CoT handlers, map overlays, UI components, and network integrations. INTEROPERABILITY Works with TAK Server, FreeTAKServer, Taky, OpenTAKServer, and any CoT-compatible infrastructure. Full interoperability with ATAK, WinTAK, iTAK, and WebTAK clients. FEATURES • ATAK-style tactical interface • Multi-server management with one-tap switching • Real-time CoT markers with unit filtering • GPS tracking with accuracy indicators • TCP/UDP with optional TLS • iOS Keychain certificate storage • Certificate enrollment and file import • Circle and polygon drawing tools • Persistent configurations • Haptic feedback and dark mode • Portrait and landscape support • Secure plugin system OmniTAK is an independent project not affiliated with the TAK Product Center, Department of Defense, or Department of Homeland Security.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Packet Commander at 4.9 against OmniTAK's 4.0. Packet Commander also leads on ratings volume (44 vs 6) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). OmniTAK's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. OmniTAK asks for nothing beyond the download.
Packet Commander holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Packet Commander has 44 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Packet Commander's written reviews are positive against 91% of OmniTAK's.
Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, OmniTAK every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Packet Commander | OmniTAK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (44 ratings) — better | 4.0 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 90.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 44 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 138 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Island Magic Co. | Grant J Wylie |
Customer experience
Packet Commander
OmniTAK
In-app purchases
Packet Commander
- Yearly Subscription$8.991 Year
- One-Time Purchase$24.99
OmniTAK
No in-app purchases









