Comparison

Carrier Wave vs Wifi Rig CTRL

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

Head to head
About

Carrier Wave

This application is a modern QSO logger for amateur radio operators, designed for fast and reliable contact logging from any location. It offers seamless syncing with popular services, real-time monitoring, and advanced features like AI-powered transcription.

Highlights
  • Fast command-driven logging
  • Sync contacts to QRZ, POTA, Ham2K
  • Real-time POTA and RBN monitoring
  • POTA activation management
  • AI-powered CW transcription
  • iCloud sync
  • Detailed statistics
Features
Read full description

Carrier Wave is a fast, modern QSO logger for amateur radio operators. Log contacts from the field or the shack, sync to your favorite services, and track your progress - all from your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. KEY FEATURES - Fast command-driven logging with quick-entry shortcuts and keyboard accessory bar - Sync contacts to QRZ, Parks on the Air (POTA), and Ham2K LoFi - Real-time POTA and Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) spot monitoring with map view - POTA activation management with rove support, auto-spotting, and two-fer parks - CW recording and AI-powered transcription with karaoke-style playback - iCloud sync across all your devices - Automatic and manual database backups with iCloud Drive mirroring - ADIF import and export - Detailed statistics: bands, modes, DXCC entities, grids, states, parks - Social activity feed with friends list and on-air notifications - Apple Watch companion with live session updates and solar conditions - Landscape and iPad layouts with resizable sidebar panes - Accessibility: VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, and Reduce Motion support Carrier Wave is built for operators who want a fast, reliable logger that stays out of their way. Whether you are activating a park, chasing DX, or working a contest, it is designed to keep up with you.

About

Wifi Rig CTRL

Features
Read full description

WifiRigCTRL is an iPhone / iPad app for remotely operating your amateur-radio transceiver via a Raspberry Pi or ICOM CI-V (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth). Features: - Real-time RX frequency, mode and S-meter display - Change frequency, mode, power, squelch and filter width - RX audio playback through the speaker (with noise reduction) - PTT on/off and microphone transmit - CW Morse send and receive-decode (BLE / USB-NCM keyers) - RTTY AFSK transmit/receive (on-device software modem or via the Raspberry Pi's minimodem, with spectrum display) - FT8 / FT4 receive-decode and transmit - Automatic FT8 all-decode log to ~/ALL.TXT (WSJT-X compatible) - Band Scope (CAT single-sweep / native ICOM CI-V scope, with POTA/SOTA spots overlaid) - APRS beacon transmit (GPS) - QSO log (ADIF export, POTA/SOTA references) - Operating-location (JCC/JGC, grid) registration and operating sessions - eQSL auto-upload, Smart Ham Log integration, PSKReporter spotting - Band memory, POTA/SOTA spot integration (SP2ALART) - Multiple profiles, API-key auth, WireGuard VPN - Direct Wi-Fi / Bluetooth CI-V to Icom IC-705 / IC-9700 - One-tap Raspberry Pi SSH setup ■ Requirements (Important) This app does not work on its own. You need one of the following, owned by you: A Raspberry Pi Zero 2W that is already set up (connected to your radio, with Hamlib/FastAPI installed), or An IC-705 or IC-9700 (for a direct CI-V connection) Connect either one to the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone. Setup instructions and firmware for the Raspberry Pi are available on GitHub: https://github.com/ji1ore/M5CoreHamCAT ■ Intended Users This app is for licensed amateur radio operators who have a compatible radio setup. *This app contains no ads and no usage tracking. All data it collects is used only on your device and is never sent to an external server.

Screenshots

Carrier Wave4 screens
Wifi Rig CTRL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Wifi Rig CTRL at Free against Carrier Wave's $4.99. Wifi Rig CTRL also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Wifi Rig CTRL is free to download; Carrier Wave costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Carrier Wave ships an update weekly, Wifi Rig CTRL every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Carrier Wave versus Wifi Rig CTRL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCarrier WaveWifi Rig CTRL
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB16 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperJames VanaJIRO UENO

In-app purchases

None

Carrier Wave

No in-app purchases

None

Wifi Rig CTRL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Carrier Wave free?
Carrier Wave costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wifi Rig CTRL free?
Wifi Rig CTRL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Carrier Wave or Wifi Rig CTRL have ads?
Neither Carrier Wave nor Wifi Rig CTRL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Carrier Wave or Wifi Rig CTRL?
Carrier Wave ships an update weekly, and Wifi Rig CTRL every 2 days. Most recently, Carrier Wave was updated on November 7, 2026 and Wifi Rig CTRL on November 5, 2026.

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