# Spectrum SDR (RTL vs VibeSDR

The clearest difference is price: Spectrum SDR (RTL at Free against VibeSDR's $2.99. VibeSDR's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Spectrum SDR (RTL is free to download; VibeSDR costs $2.99 up front. Spectrum SDR (RTL sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. VibeSDR asks for nothing beyond the download.

VibeSDR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Spectrum SDR (RTL ships an update every 11 days, VibeSDR every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spectrum SDR (RTL | VibeSDR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrum-sdr-rtl-sdr/id6764391865/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vibesdr/id6786344049/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 7 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Mainwaring](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895761181) | [Stuart Carr](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786344051) |

## What reviewers say

### Spectrum SDR (RTL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectrum-sdr-rtl-sdr/id6764391865)

Explore radio signals with your RTL-SDR dongle. Listen to AM/FM/SSB/CW, view FFT and waterfall displays, and customize your experience. Requires a remote rtl_tcp instance over WiFi.

**Highlights:** Full frequency range support, AM, FM, SSB, CW reception, FFT and Waterfall displays, Adjustable sample rates, Bias tee and gain controls, Squelch functionality, Customizable display options

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $2.99 | one-time |


### VibeSDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vibesdr/id6786344049)

This app acts as a versatile receiver client for various software-defined radio servers. It offers advanced display, tuning, and audio features, along with on-device decoders and voice control for a comprehensive radio experience.

**Highlights:** Connects to multiple SDR server protocols, GPU-rendered waterfall and spectrum display, Native background audio playback, On-device decoders for RTTY, NAVTEX, WEFAX, SSTV, Morse, Voice control via Siri, CarPlay and Apple Watch integration, Deep linking for station tuning

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spectrum SDR (RTL free?

Spectrum SDR (RTL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is VibeSDR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spectrum SDR (RTL or VibeSDR?

VibeSDR is rated higher. Spectrum SDR (RTL averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while VibeSDR averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Spectrum SDR (RTL or VibeSDR have ads?

Neither Spectrum SDR (RTL nor VibeSDR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spectrum SDR (RTL or VibeSDR?

Spectrum SDR (RTL ships an update every 11 days, and VibeSDR every 2 weeks. Most recently, Spectrum SDR (RTL was updated on September 23, 2026 and VibeSDR on September 19, 2026.

---

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