Comparison

VibeSDR vs UberSDR

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

Head to head
About

VibeSDR

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
Read full description

VibeSDR is a mobile-first software-defined radio (SDR) receiver — and far more than a single-server client. It speaks multiple SDR server protocols and does its own demodulation of the raw IQ with a clean-room DSP engine. Pair that with a GPU-rendered waterfall, native background audio, on-device decoders and maps, plus voice and in-car control, for a genuinely great SDR experience on any iPhone — whatever receiver is behind it. WHAT YOU CAN CONNECT TO • Remote SDR servers — native support for UberSDR, OpenWebRX / OpenWebRX+, and KiwiSDR, all behind one interface, with a directory chooser in the instance picker. • Networked rtl_tcp — connect to a remote rtl_tcp server and VibeSDR demodulates the raw IQ itself. DISPLAY & WATERFALL • Custom GPU waterfall and spectrum, rendered with a Skia shader for a smooth, high-frame-rate display independent of the server. • Portrait and landscape layouts, ProMotion 120 Hz, haptic tuning feedback. • Classic colour palettes (GQRX, KiwiSDR, CuteSDR, SdrDx, OpenWebRX), VFO glow controls, and a spectrum backdrop image. TUNING & CONTROLS • VFO drum with inertia scrolling and a dual-drum waterfall zoom. • Full mode set — USB, LSB, AM, SAM, FM, NFM, CW — with passband sliders. • Noise reduction, noise blanker, squelch, AGC, volume and mute. AUDIO • Native audio engines running outside any WebView, so playback survives app suspension. • Background audio on both platforms. • Lock-screen, Now Playing, CarPlay and Apple Watch controls with frequency + station metadata and station/bookmark skipping. • AAC recorder with share sheet. VOICE CONTROL • Siri — "Hey Siri, tune VibeSDR" then a frequency, a station name, or a band; it tunes with the right demodulator and step, even in the background over headphones, CarPlay or the lock screen. DECODERS & MAPS • On-device decoders — RTTY, NAVTEX, WEFAX, SSTV, Morse, and speech-to-text. • Server maps — HFDL aircraft, digital and CW activity maps, fully embedded. STATIONS & BOOKMARKS • Instance picker directory across UberSDR, OpenWebRX/OpenWebRX+ and KiwiSDR receivers, with country flags, favourites and an auto-connect default. • Bookmark and band-plan search with live EiBi schedules. • Visual Tuning System (VTS) — nearby-station bar, band-crossing popups and station skipping. • Live chat, and Share a tuned station as a tappable deep link. NEW: DEEP LINKING • Tap a vibesdr:// link to connect straight to a receiver and tune to the shared frequency — no hunting through the picker. VibeSDR is free software under the GNU GPL-3.0, built by Stuart Carr with AI assistance from Claude (Anthropic). VibeSDR is a receiver client and is not affiliated with the SDR servers it connects to.

About

UberSDR

Features
Read full description

UberSDR makes your iPhone or iPad the front end of a real radio receiver, anywhere in the world. Pick one from the public directory — dozens of them, run by enthusiasts from Scotland to Brazil — or find a receiver on your own network. No account, no sign-up, no hardware: you are listening within seconds. Tune by spinning the frequency dial, dragging the waterfall, or tapping a marker. Signals arrive on a live spectrum and waterfall you can zoom and hold. Choose LSB, USB, AM, SAM, NFM, FM or CW, set the passband by hand, and pull a weak station out of the noise with noise reduction, a notch filter and squelch. Shortwave broadcasters, the amateur bands, aviation, marine, time signals and stranger things besides. A band plan and live DX cluster spots say what you are hearing; bookmarks take you back to it. Audio carries on when you lock the screen or move to another app, with the usual controls on the lock screen. Everything stays on your device. Nothing is collected, and there is nothing to sign in to.

Screenshots

VibeSDR4 screens
UberSDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: UberSDR at Free against VibeSDR's $2.99. UberSDR also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

UberSDR is free to download; VibeSDR costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VibeSDR ships an update every 2 weeks, UberSDR weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
VibeSDR versus UberSDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVibeSDRUberSDR
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB7 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperStuart CarrNathan Higgins

In-app purchases

None

VibeSDR

No in-app purchases

None

UberSDR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VibeSDR free?
VibeSDR costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is UberSDR free?
UberSDR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do VibeSDR or UberSDR have ads?
Neither VibeSDR nor UberSDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VibeSDR or UberSDR?
VibeSDR ships an update every 2 weeks, and UberSDR weekly. Most recently, VibeSDR was updated on September 19, 2026 and UberSDR on September 21, 2026.

Other comparisons