HamSat vs HamBand
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HamSat
Track satellite passes with real-time azimuth, elevation, and Doppler-corrected frequencies. Features an Apple Watch companion for wrist-based aiming and pass tracking, and allows users to stamp photos with operational data.
- Apple Watch companion for pass tracking and antenna aiming
- Live sky dome with real-time satellite arcs
- Aim mode with phone compass and haptic feedback
- Doppler-corrected frequencies for operating during passes
- Photo stamping with callsign, grid, satellite, and UTC time
- Offline satellite tracking and propagation
- Geostationary satellite tracking
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HamSat is the satellite tracker built for amateur radio operators — with an Apple Watch companion on your wrist and, new in 2.1, a sked planner that finds the passes you and another operator can work together. NEW — SKED PLANNER (Pro) • Plan a contact, not just a pass: enter another operator's grid square and find every window where a satellite sees you both • Set a minimum elevation for each end of the link — a window only counts if it's workable at both stations • One tap adds the sked to your calendar with the overlap times, a 10-minute reminder, and the radio setup PLAN AHEAD • Pass predictions up to 7 days out • Add any pass to Apple Calendar — times, reminder, and frequencies in the notes. HamSat never reads your calendar. • Choose your pass-alert tone — including a CW "HI" in Morse APPLE WATCH (Pro) • Your next favorite pass on your wrist: live azimuth, elevation, Doppler-corrected frequencies, and a countdown to AOS • Guided wrist-aim — follow an arrow straight to the satellite and feel a haptic tap the instant you're locked on. Aim your antenna without looking at a screen, hands free for the radio. • Propagated on the watch itself, so it keeps tracking even when your phone is out of range PASS TRACKING • Live sky dome with the satellite's arc and a glyph riding it in real time • Fullscreen Live tracker — big AZ/EL, Doppler-corrected frequencies, landscape split-pane • Aim mode uses your phone's compass to show where you're pointing — no forced figure-8 calibration, just point and go • Apple Maps ground track with horizon footprint OPERATING DURING A PASS • Doppler-corrected RX (and TX for SSB/linear) dial frequencies, updated every second • 10-minute and AOS notifications that deep-link straight to the pass • Live Activity + Dynamic Island on the lock screen, elevation and azimuth ticking live • Bell badge on any pass you've set an alert for ROVER PROOF PHOTOS • Stamp a photo at your site with your callsign, grid, satellite, and UTC time — proof of where you were on the air • Fresh photo or one from your library; share to X, Messages, AirDrop — or submit for the AMSAT Rover Award ALWAYS OVERHEAD (free) • Lists any geostationary satellite in your sky — QO-100 (Es'hail 2) for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East • "Find it in the sky" — point your phone and check your line-of-sight to the bird is clear • No Pro required for geostationary satellites SATELLITE CATALOG • Friendly designations everywhere — SO-50, AO-91, RS-44, JO-97 — with launch names as subtitles • Search by name or NORAD ID • Curated radio data for the most-worked birds, plus live SatNOGS for the long tail — kept fresh by HamSat's catalog service • Filter by mode (FM, linear, beacon, data, telemetry) ACCURATE & OFFLINE • Full SGP4 propagation on-device — the model the pros use, so times and positions match apps like ISS Detector • Works completely offline — every pass, sky dome, ground track, and Doppler computed locally. No API keys, no rate limits. • Always-fresh orbital data via HamSat's catalog service, with direct CelesTrak/AMSAT fallback — or pin a source • Settings shows how fresh your orbital data is PRIVACY-FIRST • Your location stays on-device — nothing about you is sent to any server • Orbital data from public sources (CelesTrak, AMSAT, SatNOGS) • No accounts, no tracking, no ads HamSat Pro — the field operator's toolkit • Sked planner — mutual passes with any partner grid • Apple Watch tracking & guided wrist-aim • Fullscreen Live tracker with second-by-second Doppler (landscape split-pane) • Live in-pass Doppler — corrected RX/TX at AOS, max, and LOS • Overhead-now live tracker for your favorites • Unlimited scheduled alerts — not just three • Shareable Rover proof photos One-time purchase, no subscription. 73 — and good DX!
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HamBand at 5.0 against HamSat's 4.4. HamBand also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). HamSat's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 days). On price, ratings volume, ads 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
Both are free to download. HamSat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HamBand asks for nothing beyond the download.
HamBand holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively.
HamSat ships an update every 2 days, HamBand every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HamSat | HamBand |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 26.4 | 26.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vasco Barreiros | TAYLOR JOHN TRANSUE |
Customer experience
HamSat
HamBand
In-app purchases
HamSat
- HamSat Pro$9.99
HamBand
No in-app purchases








