# Handi vs Beacon 73

The clearest difference is device support: Handi at 4 against Beacon 73's 2. Handi also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Handi ships an update every 2 days, Beacon 73 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handi | Beacon 73 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handi-talky-commander/id6786154035/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 3 days |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ylian Saint-Hilaire](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786138083) | [DAVID BRET SANDERS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6810519080) |

## What reviewers say

### Handi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handi-talky-commander/id6786154035)

This app serves as a central hub for amateur radio operators, enabling them to connect their transceivers to mobile devices. It facilitates radio programming, messaging, mapping, and packet-radio communications.

**Highlights:** Radio channel management, APRS messaging, Winlink email, Packet terminal, Interactive map, File exchange

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Beacon 73

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-73-aprs/id6814644335)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handi free?

Handi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Beacon 73 free?

Beacon 73 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Handi or Beacon 73 have ads?

Neither Handi nor Beacon 73 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Handi or Beacon 73?

Handi ships an update every 2 days, and Beacon 73 every 3 days. Most recently, Handi was updated on October 24, 2026 and Beacon 73 on October 12, 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.*