Comparison

Ham Imaging vs SpectraHold

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

Head to head
About

Ham Imaging

Read full description

Ham Imaging is the picture side of amateur radio. Hold your phone to any receiver's speaker and watch slow-scan television pictures decode live, or transmit your own with your callsign printed on them — no interface box, no cables, no computer. RECEIVE • Live SSTV decode straight from your radio's audio through the device microphone • Automatic mode detection from the VIS header — leave it on Auto and the picture just appears • 20 modes decoded and encoded: Scottie 1, 2, 3, 4 and DX; Martin 1, 2 and 3; Robot 12, 24, 36 and 72; PD 50, 90, 120, 160, 180, 240 and 290; and Wraase SC2-180 • A live tuning meter and signal-confidence readout so you can peak the audio before the picture starts • Slant correction for the small clock differences that make a picture lean • The picture paints in as it arrives — you do not have to wait for the end of the frame TRANSMIT • Send any photo from your camera or gallery as an SSTV picture • Optional overlay printing your callsign, grid and a free text line onto the image • Pick the mode to suit the band and the time you have • A progress bar tracks the transmission, and you can cancel at any point • Putting a signal on the air stays your decision — the app makes the tones, you key the radio GALLERY & LOGGING • Everything you receive or send is kept together on the device with its mode and UTC time • Share a watermarked copy anywhere • Clean export — a plain copy at 800 px, exactly the format ARISS asks for in award submissions • Copy an ADIF line to paste an SSTV contact straight into Ham Logging or your desktop logger • Delete a single picture or clear the whole gallery. Nothing is ever uploaded BUILT FOR THE SHACK • Works fully offline — decoding and encoding never need an internet connection • Light and dark themes, adjustable font size, weekly tips and in-app version history • Your callsign and grid stay on your device • No account, no ads, no analytics and no tracking PERFECT FOR • Operators working the HF SSTV picture nets • Anyone chasing ISS / ARISS SSTV events and award submissions • Shortwave listeners who want to see what those warbling tones actually are • Newcomers who want to try SSTV without buying an interface • Clubs demonstrating amateur radio to visitors and students PRIVACY • Your callsign, grid and email are stored only on your device. • No account, no sign-up, no ads, no analytics SDKs, no advertising ID and no tracking of any kind. 73 de A41UX Yousuf AL Balushi — Unixeer, Oman

About

SpectraHold

Read full description

The spectrogram with memory. SpectraHold turns microphone input into a 3D spectrogram. Watch frequencies in real time, freeze the view, and explore up to 120 seconds of visual history to inspect a detail you just heard. FREEZE AND EXPLORE Tap the graph to inspect a frequency. Zoom and browse the history, then return to live analysis whenever you want. ADJUST THE VIEW Choose a visible window from 1 to 20 seconds, color palettes, and automatic or manual visual gain from āˆ’40 to +40 dB. Visual gain changes the graph without changing microphone gain. FEATURES • Real-time 3D spectrogram from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. • Adjustable history from 20 to 120 seconds. • Frequency inspection, zoom, and history navigation. • Up to two estimated peaks per region: bass, midrange, and treble. Detection does not confirm resonance. • Background capture and capture with the screen locked, while permitted by the system. • Compatible with iPhone and iPad. Audio is processed on your device. History stays in memory; no audio file is saved or uploaded. Closing the app or a system interruption may stop capture. TRIAL AND PURCHASE Download for free. Activate a free 7-day trial to access all features. After the trial, analysis stops until you purchase full access. The unlock is a one-time purchase, with no subscription or automatic charge. The local price is shown before you confirm the purchase. You can restore purchases. SpectraHold is a visual analysis tool. It does not apply equalization, automatically eliminate feedback, or replace a calibrated sound pressure level meter. Estimates depend on the microphone, device, and recording conditions.

Screenshots

Ham Imaging4 screens
SpectraHold3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ham Imaging at none against SpectraHold's 2. SpectraHold's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. SpectraHold sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Ham Imaging asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ham Imaging ships an update every 11 days, SpectraHold every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Ham Imaging versus SpectraHold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHam ImagingSpectraHold
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYousif AL BalushiRAFAEL SILVA PFLEGER

In-app purchases

None

Ham Imaging

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

SpectraHold

One-time2
  • 7-day TrialFree
  • Full Access$5.99

Questions

Is Ham Imaging free?
Ham Imaging is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SpectraHold free?
SpectraHold is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ham Imaging or SpectraHold have ads?
Neither Ham Imaging nor SpectraHold shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ham Imaging or SpectraHold?
Ham Imaging ships an update every 11 days, and SpectraHold every 3 days. Most recently, Ham Imaging was updated on October 24, 2026 and SpectraHold on October 15, 2026.

Other comparisons