Comparison

Echo vs Flocklight

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

Head to head
About

Echo

Tune into thousands of remote radio servers worldwide from your iPhone or iPad. Explore shortwave broadcasts, aviation communications, and more with a global interactive map and advanced tuning features. Enjoy uninterrupted background audio and a privacy-first experience.

Highlights
  • Global interactive map and search
  • Support for multiple SDR architectures
  • Scanner mode and OpenMHz archives
  • Pro-level tuning and analytics
  • Offline frequency library and logging
  • Uninterrupted background audio
  • Privacy-first design
Features
Read full description

Echo is the ultimate, natively-built iOS client for tuning into remote radio servers. Listen to anything, from anywhere. Dive into international shortwave broadcasts from Asia, monitor aviation communications over the Atlantic, discover mysterious numbers stations, or tune into distant FM stations across the globe, all from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Apple silicon. Featured in Radio World, on RTL-SDR.com, and in the SWLing Post. Radio World's Nick Langan praised Echo's "thoughtfully designed interface," said he has "loved using" the app, and later described Echo Pro's transcription as "very responsive." Designed for radio enthusiasts and curious listeners alike, Echo is a powerful aggregator that connects you to nearly 3,000 community-hosted Software Defined Radio (SDR) receivers and OpenMHz archives. By integrating these reliable streams into a dedicated native environment, Echo delivers true background audio, high-performance mapping, and features that are difficult to achieve in a standard web browser. KEY FEATURES Global Interactive Map & Search Visually browse thousands of remote SDR servers worldwide using our smooth, native MapKit clustering engine, or instantly search nearly 3,000+ receivers by name or location. Unmatched SDR Compatibility Seamless support for KiwiSDR, OpenWebRX, WebSDR, and FM-DX Webserver architectures. Want to listen to a private node? Add your own unlisted servers with custom URL entry. Scanner Mode & OpenMHz Automatically cycle through station lists at set intervals. Listen directly to public safety, fire, and EMS radio systems via vast OpenMHz archives. Advanced Tuning & Analytics • Smart Manual Tuner: Instantly tune by entering kHz or MHz; Echo intelligently detects the band format. • Audio Engine Passthrough: Interfaces directly with server-side signal processors for broad compatibility with waterfall rendering, plugins, and decoding extensions. • Intelligent Profile Switching: Automatically switches to the correct server band profile as you tune on supported networks. Offline Frequency Library & Logging Search an offline, built-in EIBI database of over 9,000 global shortwave and utility frequencies. Save and log your favorite stations to your local device. Uninterrupted Background Audio Keep listening when your screen is locked or while using other apps. Our custom audio bridge intercepts complex SDR streams to provide true iOS background playback and lock-screen controls. ECHO PRO Take Echo further with recording, live transcription, translation, and iCloud sync. • Record the Airwaves: Record live radio and revisit important moments anytime. • Live Transcription: Turn live radio into on-screen text as you listen. • Translation: Transcribe foreign-language broadcasts and translate them into readable English. • iCloud Sync: Sync recordings, transcripts, translations, notes, favorites, saved servers, and supported settings across your Apple devices. Echo Pro requires a monthly or annual subscription. Privacy First Zero tracking. No analytics, no proprietary tracking servers, and no ad IDs. Your listening activity is not tracked. Echo Pro syncs supported data through your private iCloud account. Built with speed, aesthetics, and privacy in mind, Echo ensures a fast, premium listening experience. Start exploring the airwaves today! VoiceOver & Accessibility Support • Every button, control, and station card announces meaningful context to VoiceOver • Scanner controls (play/pause/skip/favorite) are fully labeled and navigable • Station changes, server connections, and scanner state are announced in real-time • Reduce Transparency support: glass effects swap to solid backgrounds when enabled • Reduce Motion support: animations are simplified when enabled in iOS settings • Decorative elements hidden from assistive technology for a cleaner navigation experience Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Flocklight

This app maps automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in public spaces across American cities. It aggregates data from various sources to show who is watching and where, providing transparency into surveillance networks. Users can view camera details, city rankings, and receive news updates.

Highlights
  • Tactical map of ALPRs
  • Perimeter view of cameras within 2 miles
  • Detailed operator dossiers
  • Transparency Index for US cities
  • Curated ALPR news feed
  • Anonymous user accounts
  • Pro features for advanced tracking
Features
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Flocklight maps the automated license plate readers watching public streets in American cities. Flock Safety cameras, police plate readers, and the agencies running them, on one tactical map. The grid of license plate cameras around you was deployed quietly, with little public debate and few transparency requirements. Flocklight aggregates publicly available data from OpenStreetMap, DeFlock, and public-records sources to put every reported ALPR on a single map, so the people being watched can see who is watching. KEY FEATURES TACTICAL MAP: Every reported ALPR in your area, with operator attribution (Flock Safety, government, HOA, business, unknown) and visual indication of community-verified vs. public-records sources. CLOSEST CAMERA LOCK: The nearest camera is marked automatically with a target reticle that follows you as you move. A strip names it, tells you how far it is, which way to look, and what it is there to do. PERIMETER VIEW: See every camera within a 2-mile radius of your location, sorted by distance and bearing. Tap any pin for the full operator dossier. OPERATOR DOSSIER: Detailed profile for every camera: type, source, intersection, operator identity, data-sharing posture, policy status, and cross-references to partner transparency projects (DeFlock, LPR Maps, DontGetFlocked, GhostPlate). TRANSPARENCY INDEX: 743 US cities graded A through F on five policy and oversight metrics. See how your city ranks, what drives its grade, and how it has changed over time. SIGNAL FEED: Curated stream of ALPR-related news, court rulings, council votes, and policy changes. Filtered for signal, not noise. PLATE CHECK: Cross-reference a license plate against partner transparency projects to see what other community indices have documented. REPORT A CAMERA: Found a camera not on the map? Submit a report with photo and location. Approved reports go into the Flocklight community registry. ANONYMOUS BY DESIGN: Sign in with Apple to claim an anonymous operator callsign. Your real name and email stay private. Reports and watchlist sync across devices without tying anything to your identity. FLOCKLIGHT PRO Upgrade to Pro for the operator-grade transparency console: EXPOSURE DASHBOARD: Track how many ALPRs have captured you over the past 7 days, 30 days, or lifetime. CITY WATCHLIST: Pin cities, get notified when grades shift, and see policy votes as they happen. COMPARE CITIES: Side-by-side scoring, camera density, and agency-sharing breakdown. ADVANCED PROXIMITY ALERTS: Everyone gets the basic alert. Pro adds perimeter tuning, operator class filtering, quiet hours, and refire control. FOIA DEADLINE TRACKING: Filing is free. Pro arms the statutory countdown and reminds you two days out, on the deadline, and when an agency runs late. WEEKLY TACTICAL BRIEFING: Sunday evening digest of your week's captures, your hottest camera, and watched-city moves. - Monthly: $4.99 / month - Yearly: $29.99 / year + includes 7-day free trial WHY THIS EXISTS Mass automated surveillance is being deployed in American neighborhoods faster than the public can audit it. Flocklight is built so you do not need a FOIA lawyer to know what is pointed at your street. All camera data is publicly sourced. We do not track individuals, and we do not store license plate reads. Currently focused on US cities with population over 50,000. LEGAL Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://flocklight.io/privacy Terms of Service: https://flocklight.io/termsofservice

Screenshots

Echo4 screens
Flocklight4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Echo at 100% against Flocklight's 33%. Echo also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and monetization model (free vs freemium). Flocklight's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Echo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Flocklight sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Echo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Echo's written reviews are positive against 33% of Flocklight's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Echo ships an update weekly, Flocklight every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Echo versus Flocklight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEchoFlocklight
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (33 ratings) — better3.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings33 — better8
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMark Garrison Jr.Dylan Capshaw

Customer experience

Echo

All ratings33 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Flocklight

All ratings8 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Echo

Subscriptions2
  • Echo Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Echo Pro Annual$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Flocklight

Subscriptions2
  • Flocklight Pro Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Flocklight Pro Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Echo free?
Echo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Flocklight free?
Flocklight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Echo or Flocklight?
Echo is rated higher. Echo averages 5.0 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Flocklight averages 3.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Echo or Flocklight have ads?
Neither Echo nor Flocklight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Echo or Flocklight?
Echo ships an update weekly, and Flocklight every 3 days. Most recently, Echo was updated on October 12, 2026 and Flocklight on September 25, 2026.

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