# HamSat vs HamBand

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | HamSat | HamBand |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamsat-ham-satellite-tracker/id6762450814/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamband/id6772585467/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.4 | **26.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vasco Barreiros](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451715392) | [TAYLOR JOHN TRANSUE](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772585469) |

## What reviewers say

### HamSat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamsat-ham-satellite-tracker/id6762450814)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HamSat Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


### HamBand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamband/id6772585467)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HamSat free?

HamSat 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, HamSat or HamBand?

HamBand is rated higher. HamSat averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while HamBand averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do HamSat or HamBand have ads?

Neither HamSat nor HamBand shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HamSat or HamBand?

HamSat ships an update every 2 days, and HamBand every 10 days. Most recently, HamSat was updated on October 25, 2026 and HamBand on October 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*