DBHamPlot vs xCluster
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DBHamPlot
Calculate distance and bearing between two locations using Maidenhead grid squares. This tool is designed for amateur radio operators to easily determine proximity and direction to other hams, featuring an interactive map for pinpointing locations and identifying grid areas.
- Compute distance and bearing
- Maidenhead location input
- Map display with annotations
- Identify six-digit grid areas
- Interactive map for location pinpointing
- User-added annotation removal
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Compute distance and bearing using Maidenhead location. This was originally intended for use by amateur radio operators who participate in microwave communications however it can be used by any ham in order to determine a distance and bearing to another radio amateur. This version specifically for the iPad provides map and controls all on one screen. The larger map area over both iPhone versions should prove helpful. You get a map of the source and target along with a pin annotation and an overlay identifying the six-digit grid area. If a user touches an empty location on the screen for one second a new annotation is added at that spot identifying the grid. Any user-added annotations are removed if a new source or target are entered. This feature is great because you can zoom in on a location, touch the screen, and get a 6 digit grid; this is especially handy when your microwave buddy pulls over to the side of the road to make a contact with you (or someone else) but he/she has no idea what their grid square is.
xCluster
Visualize DX cluster activity on a world map and in a list. Filter spots by call sign or band, and set custom alerts for specific stations or countries. Integrates with popular DX services and provides call parsing for location data.
- Display DX spots on map and list
- Filter by band and call sign
- Set custom alerts
- Integrates with DXSummit and PSK Reporter
- Built-in call parser
- Zoom and pan map
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xCluster is a visual display of dx cluster activity built for the iPad. DX spots are received via telnet or web services and displayed in a tabular form and plotted on a map of the world. You can filter the spots by call sign or band. Spots are created using the latitude and longitude of the dx station and spotter. The program has an internal call parsing component to determine the country for each call but can use QRZ.com for more accurate location data. Lookup priority is QRZ.com with the the call parser as a backup. DX spots can be displayed on a map or in a tabular form. Alerts for specific stations, bands or countries may be set and will be highlighted in the list and on the map. A number of major telnet clusters are built in along with DXSummit and PSK Reporter. PSK Reporter will display other stations that can hear your signal. You must be running WSJT-X or FLDIGI and have it configured correctly to work. You may contact the author with questions, suggestions or issues at support@w6op.com Features: Display dx spots on a map and in a list Predefined cluster servers and websites Filter by band and call sign Set alerts for display in the list and on the map Alerts can be set by country, band and call sign Save alerts in iCloud Built in call parser if QRZ.com is unavailable Freeform cluster command input Zoom and pan the map display
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DBHamPlot at 5.0 against xCluster's 4.0. DBHamPlot also leads on iOS requirement (9.1 vs 26.0). xCluster's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 42 months) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
DBHamPlot holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: xCluster has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
DBHamPlot ships an update every 42 months, xCluster every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DBHamPlot | xCluster |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.0 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 42 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.1 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thomas Sullivan | Peter Bourget |
Customer experience
DBHamPlot
xCluster
In-app purchases
DBHamPlot
No in-app purchases
xCluster
No in-app purchases









