# Packet Commander vs HamRadar

The clearest difference is rating: Packet Commander at 4.9 against HamRadar's 4.0. Packet Commander also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and ratings volume (44 vs 5). HamRadar's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year and HamRadar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 5, 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 67% of HamRadar's.

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, HamRadar daily. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Packet Commander | HamRadar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews)** | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamradar/id6755948672/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 10 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **16.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) | [Jacob Knight](https://appshunter.io/developer/1856479297) |

## 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 |


### HamRadar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamradar/id6755948672)

Instantly find and connect to amateur radio repeaters with a comprehensive database and an aircraft-style radar interface. View detailed information for over 62,000 active repeaters across all U.S. states, with offline access and Apple Watch complications.

**Highlights:** Offline repeater database, Aircraft-style radar sweep, Integrated compass, Configurable scan range, List view sorted by distance, Apple Watch complications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Packet Commander free?

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

### Is HamRadar free?

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

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

Packet Commander is rated higher. Packet Commander averages 4.9 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while HamRadar averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Packet Commander or HamRadar have ads?

Neither Packet Commander nor HamRadar shows ads.

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

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, and HamRadar daily. Most recently, Packet Commander was updated on September 21, 2026 and HamRadar on June 6, 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.*