Comparison

QRV vs DigiDecoder

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

Head to head
About

QRV

This app consolidates essential ham radio tools for efficient operation and DX success. It provides real-time band conditions, call sign lookups, DXpedition tracking, and built-in calculators. Premium features offer live spots and customized notifications.

Highlights
  • Real-time band conditions
  • Call sign lookup (QRZ/HamQTH)
  • DXpedition calendar and alerts
  • POTA spot viewing
  • Band plans
  • Built-in calculators
  • Glanceable Apple Watch data
Features
Read full description

QRV (I am ready) is your essential ham radio multitool built for DX success and maximum operating efficiency. Stop juggling apps! QRV aggregates critical tools and reliable, fast-updated data into one single, clean platform. Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. --- QRV is designed to get you the information you need quickly, whether you are in the field or at the shack: - Real-time Band Conditions: Access live propagation data from HamQSL to find the optimal frequency. - Universal Search: Look up a callsign, jump to a DXCC entity by name or prefix, or check your band plan for a frequency — all from one place. - Cross-Device Sync: Favorites, frequency memories, settings and alerts follow you — through iCloud, or with a free sign-in wherever you use QRV. - My Frequencies: Save important frequencies (weekly nets, calling channels, and more) with name, mode, and notes. - Comprehensive Call Sign Lookup: Search easily via QRZ and/or HamQTH. - QRZ QSO Confirmation: See at a glance which bands you've worked a station on, across every QRZ logbook you own. - DXpedition Calendar: Track active and upcoming DXpeditions worldwide — see local spots and worldwide on-air activity side by side. - POTA Spots: Browse live Parks on the Air activations with band, mode, and search filters. - Band Plans: Detailed frequency allocations for 22 countries across North America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania — available in English and a native language - Glanceable data on the Apple Watch. See spots, the top bands, POTA stats, and solar conditions on your wrist. - Built-in Calculators: Antenna lengths (dipole, Slim Jim, J-Pole), coax & feedline loss, battery runtime, and power calculations. - Beginner-Friendly Reference: Q-codes, CW (Morse code) with audio, Prosigns, RST, APRS commands, Maidenhead grids, and more. - Full VoiceOver support and colorblind-friendly design. Note: Full QRZ data requires an XML and/or API subscription. Note: The Apple Watch app requires watchOS 11 (Apple Watch Series 6 or later, SE 2nd generation, or Ultra). Earlier watches aren't supported. --- PREMIUM FEATURES - Live Spots: Get reliable, high-speed spot delivery from PSK Reporter. - Rover Mode: Temporarily view live spots and band activity for any grid square without moving — widgets, Apple Watch, and alerts all follow the grid you choose, then revert automatically. - Lightning Proximity Alerts: Get warned when lightning is detected near your station so you can disconnect in time — fixed location or GPS-following, with an adjustable radius. - Customized Notifications: Set alerts for bands, DXCCs, DXpeditions, and individual callsigns with configurable thresholds. - Home Screen Widgets: Check band conditions at a glance without opening the app. - DXpedition Alerts: Get notified when your tracked DXpeditions are spotted. - Callsign Alerts: Get notified when a specific callsign is spotted from your location. - Logbook-Aware Alerts: DXCC and Callsign alerts auto-manage based on your QSO/QSL history from Wavelog or QRZ Logbook. Why Premium? These features require robust infrastructure: - I run dedicated servers to aggregate PSK Reporter data, process notifications, serve band conditions, and provide DXpedition info. - This delivers faster, more reliable data than direct API polling while being a good steward to upstream services like N1DQ's PSK Reporter. - Premium subscriptions help cover ongoing server and infrastructure costs. Your subscription is shared between all versions of the app. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

DigiDecoder

This application decodes and encodes various ham radio digital modes in real-time. It automatically recognizes signals, displays them with an animated waterfall, and supports sending SSTV images, CW, FT8, and Packet messages.

Highlights
  • Real-time digital mode decoding
  • Automatic signal recognition
  • Animated waterfall display
  • SSTV image encoding
  • CW, FT8, and Packet message encoding
  • Bluetooth and network TNC support
Read full description

DigiDecoder is a universal ham radio digital modes decoder and encoder. Use the built-in microphone or connect an audio cable directly for better input quality. One app for all the signals! The correct digital mode is automatically recognized and decoded in real time with an animated waterfall display. Quickly encode and send beautiful SSTV images, plus CW, FT8, and Packet messages. Bluetooth and network TNCs for Packet are supported as well. Try DigiDecoder free for 7 days. After the trial, continue with an affordable monthly subscription, or unlock lifetime access with a one-time purchase (a few months' worth). Nothing is charged during the trial and you can cancel anytime. Currently supported modes (more to come): SSTV: Robot 8 BW - 160×120 Robot 12 BW - 160×120 Robot 24 Color - 160×120 YCrCb Robot 24 BW - 320×240 Robot 36 - 320×240 YCrCb Robot 72 - 320×240 YCrCb Scottie S1 - 320×256 RGB Scottie S2 - 320×256 RGB Scottie DX - 320×256 RGB Martin M1 - 320×256 RGB Martin M2 - 320×256 RGB PD50 - 320×256 YCrCb PD90 - 320×256 YCrCb PD120 - 640×496 YCrCb PD180 - 640×496 YCrCb PD240 - 640×496 YCrCb PD160 - 512×400 YCrCb PD290 - 800×616 YCrCb Packet: AX.25 1200 - AFSK Bell 202, 1200/2200 Hz FX.25 1200 - AX.25 + Reed-Solomon FEC AX.25 300 - AFSK 1600/1800 Hz FX.25 300 - AX.25 300 + Reed-Solomon FEC IL2P 1200 AFSK - Bell 202 + RS FEC IL2P 300 AFSK - 1600/1800 Hz + RS FEC IL2P 300 BPSK - 1500 Hz DBPSK + RS FEC Weak Signal: FT8 - 8-tone GFSK, 15s periods FT4 - 4-tone GFSK, 7.5s periods JS8 - Keyboard-to-keyboard, FT8-based modulation WSPR - 4-FSK beacons, 2 min periods Narrowband: RTTY - 45.45/50/75 Bd CW/Morse - 5-55 WPM Olivia - 8/250, 8/500, 16/500, 16/1000, 32/1000 Voice: RADE - neural OFDM digital voice Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

QRV4 screens
DigiDecoder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: QRV at 82% against DigiDecoder's 50%. QRV also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (80 vs 8). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

QRV holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: QRV has 80 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of QRV's written reviews are positive against 50% of DigiDecoder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

QRV ships an update weekly, DigiDecoder every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
QRV versus DigiDecoder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQRVDigiDecoder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (80 ratings) — better4.5 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings80 — better8
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoseph IannazzoneLukasz Skierkowski

Customer experience

QRV

All ratings80 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%

DigiDecoder

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

QRV

Subscriptions2
  • QRV Premium - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • QRV Premium - Annual$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • QRV Premium - Lifetime$24.99
3 purchases

DigiDecoder

Subscriptions1
  • DigiDecoder Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
One-time2
  • DigiDecoder TrialFree
  • DigiDecoder Lifetime$8.99

Questions

Is QRV free?
QRV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DigiDecoder free?
DigiDecoder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, QRV or DigiDecoder?
QRV is rated higher. QRV averages 4.9 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while DigiDecoder averages 4.5 from 8 ratings.
Do QRV or DigiDecoder have ads?
Neither QRV nor DigiDecoder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, QRV or DigiDecoder?
QRV ships an update weekly, and DigiDecoder every 6 days. Most recently, QRV was updated on October 28, 2026 and DigiDecoder on October 28, 2026.

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