Compare Client Programs

Programs (Download)-> Features below Outpost AirMail WoAD Pat RadioMail Paclink-Unix Paclink Winlink Express
TELNET Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
AX.25 PACKET Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
PACTOR 1-3 No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
PACTOR 4 No Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes
ARDOP No No Yes Yes No No No Yes
VARA HF and VARA FM No No Yes, limited Yes, limited Yes, limited No No Yes. VARA is speed-limited unless licensed.
Password-protected Secure Login Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Supports B2F protocol & mail attachments No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sound card Yes with AGWPE Yes with AMPE or AGWPE Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Most any TNC (Packet) Yes Limited
Yes with AMPE and AGWPE
Yes Yes
KISS (Linux only)
Most w/transparent mode
Yes, KISS Yes Yes
KISS and AGWPE
Yes
KISS
Simultaneous sessions in different modes No Yes Yes Yes w/session queue No No No No
Peer-to-peer contacts Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes, outbound No No Yes
Manual "Keyboard" connections Yes with included terminal Yes No No No Yes Yes with included terminal Yes with included terminal
Supported OS, CPU Any Win95 & up Android 4.1 & up Linux, Mac OSX, Android (amd64, 386, arm, arm64), Win64/386, *BSD (amd64, 386, arm), Solaris (amd64) iOS Linux, FreeBSD, x86, x86_64, MIPS, ARM Windows 8 & up Windows 8 & up
Fast CPU needed for soundcard modes.
Recommended uses Single-user,
EmComm on packet networks
Single-user,
Routine,
Maritime
Single-user, Routine, EmComm Single-user,
Limited EmComm
Single-user Casual single-user,
Limited EmComm
Single-user,
Multi-user,
Routine,
EmComm
Single-user,
Multi-user/multi-account,
Routine,
Maritime,
EmComm
Tactical address support Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Message precedence support No No Yes No No No No Yes
HTML/CSS Forms creation & content-only transport Msg forms w/
variable font size
No Yes No No No No Yes
Radio-only forwarding network support No No --- Limited
Can't update MPS
No No Yes Yes
RMS Relay support No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
Message preview/choose downloads No No No No No No No Yes
Built-in message editing & administration Yes Yes
Also uses any e-mail client
Yes Yes Yes Uses e-mail client Uses any e-mail client Yes
Attached documents No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Address book Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Packet connection scripting for node/digi navigation Yes Yes, limited Yes, unlimited No No Yes Yes, unlimited Yes, unlimited
WL2K Catalog Support
(WX and Help bulletins)
No Yes No No No No No Yes
Multi-user Yes No No No No No Yes, unlimited
POP/SMTP server
LAN support
Yes
Variable font size No Yes Yes per e-mail client Yes No
KISS TNC support for low-cost TNCs and radios with built-in TNCs No Yes Yes
Linux only
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Automatic gateway polling No No Yes Yes, using cron Yes Yes, using script, cron Yes, VHF and Telnet Yes, VHF and Telnet
AGWPE Support Yes Yes with AMPE No No No Yes No
Multi-language No Yes No No No Yes No
Ease of setup Easy Easy, depending on use. Configuration complicated Easy Moderate Easy Difficult for Linux noobs Moderate Easy
Author Jim Oberhofer, KN6PE Jim Corenman, KE6RK Andrew Walker, VA7YAA Martin Hebnes Pedersen, LA5NTA Island Magic Co. Basil Gunn, N7NIX Winlink Development Team Winlink Development Team
Update support 1-2x/year Infrequent Manual, frequent As needed, email announcement Automatic As needed, small user group Automatic, frequent Automatic, frequent
Release State
Beta versions may be unstable
Mature, Stable Mature, Stable Stable Unstable Stable Pre-release, Stable Mature, Stable Mature, Stable
Cost Free. Free. Free Free $ Free. Free. Donation optional. Free or $24 (purchase registration key to support the Winlink system), gentle nagware.
Info/Download link Outpost AirMail WoAD Pat RadioMail Paclink-Unix Paclink Winlink Express
Support Group Contact author Contact author Click here Click here Click here Click here Click here Click here

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Other User and Accessory Programs

(All listed programs are Windows programs.)

  • ICOM Marine Radio Control Program - Make your Icom Marine HF SSB radio as easy to use as a ham radio. Supports IC-M710, M700Pro, M710RT, M802.
  • RMS Link Test - Test your computer and local network easily for required open ports for Winlink programs. Included with all client programs produced by the Winlink team. Download (User Programs folder).
Winlink Linkomatic