Comparison

QRV vs OrbitDeck

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

OrbitDeck

Features
Read full description

OrbitDeck is a complete amateur-radio satellite station for iPhone and iPad. Track the birds, predict passes, tune your radio for Doppler, decode images, and log your contacts — all from live orbital elements. TRACK & PREDICT • Live look angles, range, range-rate, sub-point, and footprint • Next-pass predictions with quality scoring and elevation profiles • Daily schedule of every favorite's passes, ordered by AOS • Ground-track map, multi-day pass progression, and an all-sky radar • Animated 3D globe and a polar sky plot with AOS/LOS and direction-of-travel arrows WORK THE BIRDS • Four-dial Doppler for DX plus a single-station playbook • Per-satellite calibration shared across every Doppler screen • Link budgets, SatNOGS transponder data, AO-7 mode timer, and mutual-visibility windows RIG CONTROL (CAT) • Doppler-tune your transceiver over a Bluetooth serial adapter or an Icom network (Wi-Fi) radio • Icom CI-V, Yaesu, Kenwood (including TS-2000/790 satellite mode), and any Hamlib radio via rigctld • One full-duplex radio, a separate uplink/downlink pair, or two radios; follows your dial as you tune ROTATOR CONTROL • Azimuth/elevation control via GS-232, Easycomm, SPID, rotctld, PstRotator, SAEBRTrack, and OZ9AAR URC DIGITAL MODES & AUDIO • Over a USB audio interface or Icom network audio: record a pass, decode SSTV (Doppler-aware, with a post-pass re-decode and image fix-up), and work full-duplex FT4 on a linear transponder LOGGING • On-device QSO log with ADIF export and LoTW and Cloudlog/Wavelog upload Plus orbital analysis, live space weather, MUF/propagation, and classic OSCARLOCATOR overlays. OrbitDeck works fully as a tracker with no radio and no account. Rig control, rotator control, SSTV, and FT4 require your own amateur-radio equipment and a valid license; transmit only within your privileges. Orbital elements from AMSAT and CelesTrak; transponder data from SatNOGS; space weather from NOAA SWPC. FT4/FT8 use the MIT-licensed ft8_lib.

Screenshots

QRV4 screens
OrbitDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OrbitDeck at none against QRV's 3. QRV's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads 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

Both are free to download. QRV sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. OrbitDeck asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
QRV versus OrbitDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQRVOrbitDeck
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (80 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings80 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoseph IannazzonePaul Stoetzer

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
None

OrbitDeck

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is QRV free?
QRV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OrbitDeck free?
OrbitDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do QRV or OrbitDeck have ads?
Neither QRV nor OrbitDeck shows ads.

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