Callsign Search vs DX Spots
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Callsign Search
Access the extensive QRZ.COM database of amateur radio call signs on your mobile device. Instantly find information for over 1.2 million call signs globally, including license details and profile photos. Features include an interactive map, email functionality, and a call sign history.
- Search QRZ.COM database
- View license holder information
- Interactive map with beam heading
- Display profile photos and biography
- Email contact functionality
- Call sign lookup history
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Search the exhaustive QRZ.COM call sign database from your mobile device. Instant access to more than 1.2 million amateur radio call signs from around the world. Completely free with no subscription required. Universal version designed for both the iPhone and iPad. Features: * Complete license holder information * Interactive map with beam heading and distance (on supported devices) * Displays profile photo (if uploaded to QRZ.COM) * Display biography (if updated on QRZ.COM) * Send email to the displayed contact * Call sign lookup history * Access to QRZ.COM website from within the application * No advertising or user tracking The information displayed in this app is provided by QRZ.COM. In the United States, licensee information is publicly available from the Federal Communications Commission. For users who wish to correct, update or delete your license data as it appears in this app please visit the QRZ.COM website.
DX Spots
This app provides a live feed of amateur radio spots from the DX Cluster network. It allows users to view current spots across all bands and modes, perform QRZ lookups, and submit their own spots to the network.
- Live DX Cluster feed
- Amateur radio spots
- All bands and modes
- QRZ lookup
- Submit spots
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This application displays spot data submitted to cluster server. Live feed of the DX Cluster network, Showing all the current Amateur (Ham) Radio spots. On all bands and modes QRZ Lookup and ability to submit spots onto the DX Cluster network
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Callsign Search at 83% against DX Spots's 29%. Callsign Search also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). DX Spots's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). 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
Both are free to download. DX Spots sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Callsign Search asks for nothing beyond the download.
Callsign Search holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Callsign Search's written reviews are positive against 29% of DX Spots's.
Callsign Search ships an update every 2 months, DX Spots every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Callsign Search | DX Spots |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (35 ratings) — better | 3.5 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 82.8% of reviews — better | 28.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 35 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Neil Kutchera | Jonathan Gibbs |
Customer experience
Callsign Search
DX Spots
Bugs and requests
Callsign Search
Reported bugs
13 issues- Unable to log into profile
- Account login is greyed out
- Buttons for saving contact entries are grayed out
- Sign in field doesn't appear to work
- Cannot see the information in dark mode
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- Search results screen is too dark
- Basic information page is unusable in dark mode
- Nearly impossible to read the screen in dark mode
- First 3 lower options not available
- Says not found for call signs
- Crashes on iPad Pro
- Ads on opening
- Email is visible and could be harvested by spam bots
Requested features
12 requests- Dark theme
- Date/timestamp to lookup log
- Properly integrate QRZ logbook functionality
- Search by name
- Add support for Apple Watch
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- Log into QRZ accounts without web browser
- Add new contacts to QRZ logbook
- Remove one call sign instead of all
- Put research in memory or contact base
- Search a partial call sign for country of origin
- Link to online logbook
- See full profile when searching
DX Spots
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Callsign Search
No in-app purchases
DX Spots
- DXSpots Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
- DXSpots 3 Month Subscription$1.993 Months
- DXSpots 6 Month Subscription$2.996 Months
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- DXSpots Yearly Subscription$7.991 Year
- DX Spots - Remove Ads$4.99
