Sidetone CW vs MorseTap

Sidetone is the ultimate app for anyone looking to learn Morse code (CW) from scratch or sharpen their existing telegraphy skills. Whether you're a curious beginner or a ham radio operator wanting to increase your speed, Sidetone offers the tools you need in a clean, modern, and ad-free interface. KEY FEATURES: • Learn with the Koch Method: Build your speed the right way. Sidetone uses the highly effective Koch method, which trains your ears to recognize characters at full speed from day one, preventing the bad habit of counting slow dots and dashes. • AI-Powered QSO Simulator: Train for the real world! Our smart simulator uses an external API to generate realistic radio contacts (QSOs). Practice sending and receiving exchanges just like on the actual bands, giving you the confidence you need before sitting down at the rig. • Intuitive Input: Send your Morse code using the app's responsive, circular key and get immediate visual and audio feedback on your timing. • No Login Required: Sidetone respects your privacy. Open the app and start practicing right away—no accounts or passwords needed. Sidetone is a passion project created for the love of amateur radio and coding. The app is completely free to use, but if you enjoy it and want to help support the server costs (and fuel the developer's coffee intake), there's a voluntary tip jar in the settings. Fire up Sidetone, put on your headphones, and start your CW journey today. 73!

MorseTap is a professional-grade Morse code learning application designed for efficient skill acquisition and long-term retention. Technical Specifications: • International Standard: Full implementation of the International Morse Code (ITU-R M.1677-1), covering 26 alphabetic characters, 10 numeric digits, and 24 punctuation/special characters. • Bidirectional Conversion Engine: Real-time text-to-Morse and Morse-to-text encoding/decoding with configurable output formatting. • Audio Synthesis: Pure 800Hz sine wave generation via AVAudioEngine, providing accurate timing for dots (1 unit), dashes (3 units), intra-character spacing (1 unit), inter-character spacing (3 units), and inter-word spacing (7 units). • Speed Control: Variable playback from 0.5x to 3.0x base speed (base dot duration: 80ms), allowing progressive difficulty scaling. • Visual Feedback: Synchronized LED-style flash indicator provides dual-modality learning reinforcement. Learning Analytics Dashboard: • Session Tracking: Complete history of all practice sessions with timestamps, input/output data, accuracy metrics, and duration. • Letter Mastery Grid: 26-letter progress visualization. Letters are marked as "mastered" when practiced 2+ times with >80% accuracy. • Streak System: Consecutive daily practice tracking with personal best records. • Statistical Overview: Total sessions, cumulative practice time, average accuracy rate, and current streak. Data Architecture: Built on Apple's SwiftData framework with local SQLite persistence. All data remains on-device — zero network dependencies, zero third-party SDKs, zero telemetry. Platform Requirements: • iOS 17.0 or later • Universal app optimized for iPhone and iPad • Full Light/Dark mode support • No network permissions required • No user account required Ideal for amateur radio license preparation, emergency communications training, cognitive skill development, and STEM education programs.