Comparison

Ham Radio Toolbox vs RagChew

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ham Radio Toolbox

This app provides essential tools for amateur radio enthusiasts, including real-time propagation data, a DX cluster viewer, and a dipole calculator. It offers a streamlined interface for checking band conditions and planning communication strategies.

Highlights
  • Real-Time Propagation Data
  • DX Cluster Viewer
  • Dipole Calculator
  • Band Maps
  • No Account Needed
  • No Personal Data Collected
Features
Read full description

Ham Radio Toolbox is the all-in-one utility app built for amateur radio enthusiasts. Designed with both simplicity and power in mind, it combines the most essential ham tools into a single sleek interface. Whether you're chasing DX, tuning a new dipole, or just checking propagation conditions, Ham Radio Toolbox has you covered. Features: - Real-Time Propagation: Live solar and geomagnetic data to guide your QSO strategies. - DX Cluster Viewer: Stay informed of active DX spots from around the world. - Dipole Calculator: Quickly determine wire lengths based on band and frequency. - Band Maps: Visual overview of who’s on the air and where. Built by ham radio operators for ham radio operators, this app offers a professional, distraction-free experience with powerful tools at your fingertips. Perfect for operators who want everything in one place — portable, field, or shack use. No account needed. No personal data collected. Just pure radio utility.

About

RagChew

Features
Read full description

RagChew is a companion app for amateur radio operators who want to follow nets without being at their radio. It connects to NetLogger and shows you what's happening on active nets in real time. EchoLink (Still in Beta and may be buggy): RagChew now includes EchoLink support. You can listen to nets over EchoLink audio directly in the app and transmit using the built-in push-to-talk button. A live audio level bar and connection quality indicator keep you informed while you're connected. Node descriptions are available to help you identify links and repeaters. Notifications: RagChew can send you push notifications so you don't have to keep the app open to stay informed. You can receive alerts when a net you've favorited goes active, when a favorited station checks into any net, and for other activity you choose to follow. Notifications are configurable so you only hear about what's relevant to you. Check-ins: The full check-in roster is displayed as operators join, including callsign, name, and status. You can see who is currently operating, who is mobile, and who has checked out. Tapping a check-in expands additional details and provides a link to the operator's QRZ profile. Net chat: If you monitor a net, you can read and send messages in the net's chat. The full message history is available, and you can react to individual messages. NetLogger-style text formatting is supported. Map: Check-ins are plotted on a map based on their logged positions, giving you a geographic view of who is participating in the net. Favorites and monitors: You can favorite nets and individual callsigns to track activity that matters to you. You can also see which other operators are currently monitoring any given net. Net history: Recently closed nets are available to browse, including their full check-in rosters and session information. Groups: Nets can be browsed by club or group, with group descriptions and associated net listings. iPad and landscape layouts: On iPad, the net detail screen uses a split layout that displays net information, the station map, check-ins, and chat simultaneously. On iPhone, a landscape layout presents check-ins and chat side by side. Both portrait and landscape orientations are supported on all devices. Account: Sign in with your existing NetLogger credentials. No separate account is required. Favorites, monitors, and chat require a login; active net listings and basic check-in information are available without one. The app supports light, dark, and automatic appearance modes and is available on iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

Ham Radio Toolbox4 screens
RagChew4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ham Radio Toolbox at Free against RagChew's $4.99. Ham Radio Toolbox also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months). RagChew's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Ham Radio Toolbox is free to download; RagChew costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ham Radio Toolbox ships an update every 6 days, RagChew every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ham Radio Toolbox versus RagChew: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHam Radio ToolboxRagChew
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.7 (198 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings198 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNuno FachaTim Morgan

In-app purchases

None

Ham Radio Toolbox

No in-app purchases

None

RagChew

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ham Radio Toolbox free?
Ham Radio Toolbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RagChew free?
RagChew costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ham Radio Toolbox or RagChew have ads?
Ham Radio Toolbox shows ads; RagChew does not.
Which is updated more often, Ham Radio Toolbox or RagChew?
Ham Radio Toolbox ships an update every 6 days, and RagChew every 3 months. Most recently, Ham Radio Toolbox was updated on October 30, 2026 and RagChew on October 21, 2026.

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