# CicadaTAK vs Magic PTT

The clearest difference is price: Magic PTT at Free against CicadaTAK's $2.99. CicadaTAK's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Magic PTT is free to download; CicadaTAK costs $2.99 up front. Magic PTT sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. CicadaTAK asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CicadaTAK against 5.0 for Magic PTT. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CicadaTAK | Magic PTT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cicadatak/id6763765541/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-ptt/id6780658818/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Every 3 days |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 29 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 9+ |
| Developer | [Merbella Studios Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869014492) | [Dominic Landucci](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780658820) |

## What reviewers say

### CicadaTAK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cicadatak/id6763765541)

This app transforms your phone into a live tactical display for areas without cell service or internet. It connects to custom-built mesh radio nodes to create a self-healing network for real-time location sharing, encrypted chat, and push-to-talk voice communication.

**Highlights:** Live tactical display without cell service, Self-healing mesh network with custom radio nodes, Real-time teammate location and breadcrumb trails, Encrypted team chat and photo sharing, Push-to-talk voice communication, Offline map browsing and layer downloads, Node setup and management from the app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Magic PTT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-ptt/id6780658818)

This app provides a push-to-talk radio network for various users, enabling live voice communication over a global network. It features channels, private rooms, radio bridges, live captions, and contact management. Users can also share photos and access weather alerts.

**Highlights:** Push-to-talk voice communication, Global radio network, Channels and private rooms, Live captions in 25 languages, Contact management and notes, Live map with grid squares, Chat and photo sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Magic PTT membership | $3.49 | per month |
| Magic PTT membership (yearly) | $27.99 | per year |
| Radio look pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Custom Magic PTT ID | $16.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CicadaTAK free?

CicadaTAK costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Magic PTT free?

Magic PTT is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CicadaTAK or Magic PTT?

CicadaTAK and Magic PTT are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do CicadaTAK or Magic PTT have ads?

Neither CicadaTAK nor Magic PTT shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CicadaTAK or Magic PTT?

CicadaTAK ships an update every 3 days, and Magic PTT every 3 days. Most recently, CicadaTAK was updated on October 15, 2026 and Magic PTT on October 22, 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.*