HamBand vs DXLens
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HamBand
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.
- 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
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HamBand - HF Band Conditions HamBand gives amateur radio operators instant, real-time HF band condition assessments based on live solar weather data from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Whether you're heading out for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation, setting up for Field Day, or just checking conditions from the shack, HamBand tells you what the bands are doing right now - no account, no setup, no clutter. Band Conditions Get instant Good, Fair, or Poor ratings for the five primary HF bands - 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, and 80m - based on real solar physics. Ratings are calculated from the Solar Flux Index (SFI) and K-Index using band-specific propagation thresholds. Greyline Visualizer Watch the day/night terminator move across a live world map in real time. When your QTH sits on the greyline, low-band DX on 160m, 80m, and 40m lights up — so instead of guessing when that sweet spot rolls through, you can see it coming. 7-Day Trend Charts Track how solar conditions have evolved over the past week with interactive K-Index and SFI trend charts. Spot incoming geomagnetic storms before they kill your signal. Live Solar Data See the current Solar Flux Index, K-Index, and last updated time at a glance. Tap either metric for a plain-English explanation of what it means for your operating. Apple Watch Companion Check band conditions right from your wrist. The Apple Watch app and complication keep key solar indices and band ratings accessible without touching your phone - perfect when both hands are on the antenna. Pull to Refresh Always fetching fresh data directly from NOAA. No subscriptions, no accounts, no ads. HamBand is built by KD3CLW, a licensed amateur radio operator in western Pennsylvania. 73 de KD3CLW
DXLens
Explore shortwave radio broadcasts with this comprehensive guide. Discover schedules, understand reception conditions, and access public SDR receivers. Log your reception and set alerts for your favorite stations.
- Shortwave broadcast schedules
- On Air broadcast views
- Station search and filtering
- Interactive maps and station details
- Reception forecasts and reliability
- Access to public SDR receivers
- Reception logbook and alerts
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DXLens is a shortwave listening companion designed to help listeners explore broadcast schedules, understand reception conditions, and access compatible public SDR receivers. Key features: • Shortwave schedules compiled from multiple established sources • On Air views for broadcasts scheduled at the current time • Search and filtering by station, frequency, language, band, target area, and source • Interactive maps, station details, and transmitter information • Reception forecasts, modeled path reliability, and propagation context • Access to compatible public KiwiSDR receivers • Support for compatible personal rtl_tcp receivers • Favorites, saved receivers, alerts, and a reception logbook • Home Screen widgets • Optional iCloud synchronization for supported user data • Manual location selection when location access is not granted All features in this release are available without a subscription or in-app purchase. No account or sign-in is required. DXLens provides schedule-based guidance and transparent reception information. It does not claim to measure live signal strength unless data is obtained from an actual receiver. Some features require an internet connection. Public SDR availability depends on third-party receiver operators and network conditions. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dxlens.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HamBand at 5.0 against DXLens's 3.0. DXLens's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HamBand holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HamBand | DXLens |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 160 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TAYLOR JOHN TRANSUE | Muayyad Qalalwah |
Customer experience
HamBand
DXLens
In-app purchases
HamBand
No in-app purchases
DXLens
No in-app purchases









