Comparison

UrbexMania vs UVB

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

UrbexMania

Features
Read full description

Urbexmania turns the city into an exploration zone. Choose the atmosphere or type of place you want to discover, start a search, and receive a mysterious target nearby. Save it for later or begin the expedition immediately. As you move toward the target, the signal becomes stronger and the search area gradually narrows until the exact location is revealed. Track the direct distance, follow your progress, and record what you find along the way. Complete expeditions to earn activity points, unlock achievements, and search for artifacts hidden throughout the Zone. Artifacts have different rarity levels and drop chances, so not every expedition guarantees a discovery. Every component you find is stored in your personal inventory, where you can build and track your growing collection. Create a field log for every completed route. Add comments, attach photos, and keep a personal archive of the places you have discovered. Features: • Generate new urban exploration targets • Choose the mood and type of location • Follow a dynamic signal that narrows as you approach • Track direct distance and expedition progress • Save targets for later or begin exploring immediately • Resume an active expedition after reopening the app • Track saved, active, completed, and abandoned routes • Create field reports with photos and comments • Discover artifacts with different rarity and drop rates • Build and manage your personal artifact inventory • Earn coins and activity points • Unlock achievements for exploration milestones • Review completed expeditions in your route history • Receive daily searches and additional exploration opportunities Every signal can become a new story. You decide where it leads and what remains after the expedition. Explore responsibly. Respect private property, local laws, warning signs, and restricted areas. Never enter locations that appear unsafe or inaccessible. Privacy Policy: https://urbexmania.pro/privacy Terms of Use: https://urbexmania.pro/terms

About

UVB

This app recreates the eerie sound and look of Russian numbers stations, like the famous UVB-76. It allows you to trigger broadcasts for creative projects, streams, or as a prop, offering an offline emulation of these mysterious shortwave signals.

Highlights
  • Recreates UVB-76, the Buzzer
  • Emulates Pip and Squeaky Wheel signals
  • Offline functionality
  • Trigger broadcasts on cue
  • Cold War prop for streams/videos
  • Ambient music layering
Features
Read full description

UVB-76, the Buzzer, and other Russian numbers stations, recreated on your iPhone. Unlike a real numbers station, this app can start a transmission on cue. IS IT REAL? No, and that is the point. This is an offline emulator, not a receiver. It does not pick up the live signal from Russia. It recreates the eerie sound and look of a shortwave numbers station, so you can trigger a broadcast whenever you want, for a performance, a stream, a video, an installation, a game, or as a prop. ABOUT UVB-76 AND THE BUZZER UVB-76, nicknamed the Buzzer and sometimes called Russia's doomsday radio, is a shortwave station on 4625 kHz that has broadcast a monotonous buzzing tone for decades from near Moscow. Every so often the buzz stops and a Russian voice reads a string of numbers and code words. No one officially claims it, its purpose has never been confirmed, and that mystery is exactly why people go looking for it. BEYOND THE BUZZER The app also recreates two more famous signals: the Pip on 5448 kHz and the Squeaky Wheel (S32) on 5473 kHz. Switch between the three like presets, each on its own frequency, with its own marker tone and its own Russian voice reading coded messages. WHO USES IT Musicians layer it into ambient and experimental tracks. Streamers and filmmakers use it as a Cold War prop. Fans of the mystery just let it buzz in the background. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Is UVB-76 still broadcasting? Yes. The real station near Moscow is still active on 4625 kHz and has never officially gone silent. This app is a standalone recreation of it, so it keeps buzzing even with no radio and no internet. What is UVB-76 used for? Officially undisclosed. Theories range from a military command channel to simply keeping a frequency occupied. In this app the buzz and the numbers are yours to trigger for creative work. How do you listen to the real UVB-76? You need a shortwave radio tuned to 4625 kHz, or an online WebSDR receiver. This app does not receive that signal. It emulates the experience, so you can hear a numbers station anytime, with no equipment at all. Where is UVB-76 located? The transmitter is believed to sit near Povarovo, not far from Moscow, in Russia. What does the Buzzer do? It transmits a repeating buzz tone almost continuously, interrupted now and then by spoken Russian letters and numbers in the Monolith format. Are there still numbers stations? Yes. Numbers stations still send coded broadcasts on shortwave today, and enthusiasts around the world log and record them. This app is a tribute to that world. Has a numbers station ever been decoded? The messages are thought to use one-time pads, which are effectively unbreakable without the key, so the codes themselves stay secret. The fascination is in the ritual, not the answer. Works fully offline on iPhone and iPad. No signal required.

Screenshots

UrbexMania4 screens
UVB3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UVB at none against UrbexMania's 3. UVB also leads on ads (none vs shown). UrbexMania's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. UrbexMania sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. UVB asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UrbexMania ships an update every 3 days, UVB every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
UrbexMania versus UVB: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUrbexManiaUVB
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleg ProchanovMaxim Oransky

In-app purchases

3 purchases

UrbexMania

One-time3
  • 5 coins$0.99
  • 20 coins$2.99
  • 50 coins$8.99
None

UVB

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is UrbexMania free?
UrbexMania is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UVB free?
UVB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do UrbexMania or UVB have ads?
UrbexMania shows ads; UVB does not.
Which is updated more often, UrbexMania or UVB?
UrbexMania ships an update every 3 days, and UVB every 9 days. Most recently, UrbexMania was updated on November 11, 2026 and UVB on October 31, 2026.

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