Comparison

HAMSignal vs HamBand

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

Head to head
About

HAMSignal

This app provides real-time solar weather data and forecasts specifically for amateur radio operators. It alerts users to improving band conditions, offers propagation tools, and includes a QSO logbook with solar data. Designed to help operators maximize their on-air time.

Highlights
  • Real-time K-index, SFI, and A-index updates
  • Band opening push notifications
  • 27-day solar forecast
  • Grey zone and terminator overlay
  • PSK Reporter live data
  • QSO logbook with solar conditions
  • Contest mode dashboard
Features
Read full description

Get an alert when your HF band is likely open at your QTH. HAMSignal rates each band, day and night, from live NOAA solar data. Made for licensed amateur radio operators. ALERTS • Band alerts (80m to 10m) follow the solar forecast by default: SFI and K-index, day and night, with thresholds you can adjust. • Or choose measured: it counts stations that receivers near you decode on PSK Reporter, so it needs active receivers in your area. • Four free space-weather alerts (M-class flares and up, G1 storms and up, strong aurora, proton events), plus custom alerts on SFI, K, solar wind, X-ray and more • Background checks run when iOS allows, so an alert can arrive late. Settings > Alert timing shows how late. CONDITIONS • Every HF band rated open, fair or closed at your location, from NOAA SWPC data • What can I work right now (US): open bands legal for your license class, with FCC Part 97 limits • Am I being heard: who decoded your signal in the last hour, from PSK Reporter • A VHF card for 6m, 2m, aurora and the sporadic E season • 27-day forecast, history, grey line map, solar imagery and a path predictor OPERATE • DX cluster and POTA spots, and PSK Reporter activity for your grid • POTA self-spotting that queues offline, POTA and SOTA lookup, Activator Mode, satellite passes, APRS and your repeaters • Offline logbook with unlimited QSOs, iCloud sync, ADIF import and CSV export, plus pocket tools from antenna length to Morse HAMSIGNAL PRO $9.99 per year with a 14-day free trial for new subscribers, or buy Lifetime once. You get a reminder on day 12. • Alerts for every band, unlimited custom alerts, and measured openings to the continents or DXCC entities you pick (free: one band alert, one custom alert) • 6m, 2m and aurora-on-VHF alerts, tagged sporadic E, aurora, TEP or meteor scatter • Heads-up alerts for storms (forecast, or likely within hours), HF radio blackouts and a good 10m day tomorrow • DX spot alerts, and POTA hunter alerts with spots you logged today crossed out • Heard map with up to 30 days of history, and an alert when a new continent or DXCC entity hears you • Greyline sked alerts, a morning briefing, and alert controls such as quiet hours • Path planner: likely openings over the next 48 hours, with an alert 30 minutes before (a model estimate) • Saved locations, and Rover mode, which can switch when you arrive at one • LoTW confirmations, and DXCC, WAS and VUCC lists (free shows your counts) • Contest Mode, and ADIF, Cabrillo and Field Day export • Live Activities for an operating session and a greyline countdown • A full-screen shack display for a phone on a stand or an iPad • Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets, and the Apple Watch app With the app closed, live-data alerts rely on background refreshes, so they are likely, not guaranteed, and show their data's age. ALREADY A HAMSIGNAL USER? Bought Pro, or HAMSignal when it was a paid app? You keep Pro, new features included. Installed HAMSignal before version 3.9? Widgets and the Apple Watch app stay free for you. Your alerts keep working as before. Missing something? Tap Restore Purchases. No sign-up, no ads and no server: your log stays on your devices and in your own iCloud. ABOUT THE SUBSCRIPTION HAMSignal Pro Yearly is $9.99 per year (US price; local prices vary), with a 14-day free trial for new subscribers. It renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial or period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm, or when the free trial ends. Cancel anytime in Settings > your name > Subscriptions. HAMSignal Pro Lifetime is one payment, no subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://stephenlthorn.github.io/app-legal/ham-signal/privacy.html Requires iOS 17 or later; the Control Center control needs iOS 18, and the Apple Watch app watchOS 10.

About

HamBand

This app provides amateur radio operators with real-time HF band condition assessments using live solar weather data. It offers band ratings, a greyline visualizer, and trend charts to help predict propagation. An Apple Watch companion app is also available for quick access to information.

Highlights
  • Real-time HF band condition ratings
  • Greyline visualizer for propagation
  • 7-day trend charts for solar data
  • Live Solar Flux Index and K-Index
  • Apple Watch companion app and complication
  • No subscriptions, accounts, or ads
Features
Read full description

HamBand - HF Band Conditions HamBand gives amateur radio operators instant, real-time HF band condition assessments based on live solar weather data from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Whether you're heading out for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation, setting up for Field Day, or just checking conditions from the shack, HamBand tells you what the bands are doing right now - no account, no setup, no clutter. Band Conditions Get instant Good, Fair, or Poor ratings for the five primary HF bands - 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, and 80m - based on real solar physics. Ratings are calculated from the Solar Flux Index (SFI) and K-Index using band-specific propagation thresholds. Greyline Visualizer Watch the day/night terminator move across a live world map in real time. When your QTH sits on the greyline, low-band DX on 160m, 80m, and 40m lights up — so instead of guessing when that sweet spot rolls through, you can see it coming. 7-Day Trend Charts Track how solar conditions have evolved over the past week with interactive K-Index and SFI trend charts. Spot incoming geomagnetic storms before they kill your signal. Live Solar Data See the current Solar Flux Index, K-Index, and last updated time at a glance. Tap either metric for a plain-English explanation of what it means for your operating. Apple Watch Companion Check band conditions right from your wrist. The Apple Watch app and complication keep key solar indices and band ratings accessible without touching your phone - perfect when both hands are on the antenna. Pull to Refresh Always fetching fresh data directly from NOAA. No subscriptions, no accounts, no ads. HamBand is built by KD3CLW, a licensed amateur radio operator in western Pennsylvania. 73 de KD3CLW

Screenshots

HAMSignal4 screens
HamBand4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HamBand at none against HAMSignal's 2. HAMSignal's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. HAMSignal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. HamBand asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HAMSignal against 5.0 for HamBand. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HAMSignal ships an update every 9 days, HamBand every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HAMSignal versus HamBand: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHAMSignalHamBand
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStephen ThornTAYLOR JOHN TRANSUE

Customer experience

HAMSignal

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

HamBand

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

HAMSignal

Subscriptions1
  • HAMSignal Pro Yearly14 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • HAMSignal Pro$4.99
None

HamBand

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HAMSignal free?
HAMSignal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HamBand free?
HamBand is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HAMSignal or HamBand?
HAMSignal and HamBand are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do HAMSignal or HamBand have ads?
Neither HAMSignal nor HamBand shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HAMSignal or HamBand?
HAMSignal ships an update every 9 days, and HamBand every 10 days. Most recently, HAMSignal was updated on October 25, 2026 and HamBand on October 28, 2026.

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