# Packet Commander vs Handi

Packet Commander and Handi both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Packet Commander's written reviews are positive against 50% of Handi's. Packet Commander also leads on ratings volume (44 vs 4). Handi's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating 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. Handi asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Packet Commander against 5.0 for Handi. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Packet Commander has 44 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Packet Commander's written reviews are positive against 50% of Handi's.

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, Handi every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Packet Commander | Handi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handi-talky-commander/id6786154035/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) | [Ylian Saint-Hilaire](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786138083) |

## 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 |


### Handi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handi-talky-commander/id6786154035)

This app serves as a central hub for amateur radio operators, enabling them to connect their transceivers to mobile devices. It facilitates radio programming, messaging, mapping, and packet-radio communications.

**Highlights:** Radio channel management, APRS messaging, Winlink email, Packet terminal, Interactive map, File exchange

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Packet Commander free?

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

### Is Handi free?

Handi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Handi is rated higher. Packet Commander averages 4.9 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Handi averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Packet Commander or Handi have ads?

Neither Packet Commander nor Handi shows ads.

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

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, and Handi every 2 days. Most recently, Packet Commander was updated on September 21, 2026 and Handi on October 14, 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.*