RigPlane
Compare · Icom RS-BA1 vs RigPlane Pro

RS-BA1 alternative.

An honest comparison of two ways to drive a networked Icom transceiver from a desk computer.

RS-BA1 Version 2 is Icom's own IP Remote Control Software. It is the official, vendor-supported path for operating a modern Icom rig over a LAN or the Internet from a Windows computer, with low-latency audio and full front-panel control. If you own an Icom radio and your operating computer runs Windows, RS-BA1 is the obvious first choice — it is built by the manufacturer of your radio, and the integration is as deep as a remote-control product gets in this market.

RigPlane Pro is a packaged commercial desktop app built on the rigplane-core Python library (MIT-licensed open core on PyPI). The Pro wrapper ships a signed installer for macOS, Linux, and Windows, and the engine's radio scope is multi-vendor by design — Icom, Yaesu, Xiegu, and Lab599.

The two products overlap on Icom remote control. They diverge on operating-system coverage, vendor scope, license model, and whether you want an embeddable library underneath the desktop app.

Icom RS-BA1

When RS-BA1 is the right choice

RS-BA1 is the better fit when these things matter to you:

  • Your operating computer runs Windows 11, 10, or 8.1 — the only operating systems Icom lists for RS-BA1 V2.
  • Your station is Icom-only, and you want the deepest possible integration with your IC-7610, IC-7300, IC-9700, or IC-7100.
  • You want a vendor-supported product with paid support from Icom and your local Icom dealer network.
  • You prefer a one-time purchase from a long-established radio manufacturer with a multi-decade track record.
  • You operate primarily over the Internet (WAN) and value the audio path tuned by Icom themselves for their own radios.
RigPlane Pro

When RigPlane Pro is the right choice

RigPlane Pro is the better fit when these things matter to you:

  • Your operating computer is a Mac or a Linux box — including a Raspberry Pi — where RS-BA1 simply does not run.
  • Your station mixes vendors — Icom, Yaesu, Xiegu, or Lab599 — and you want one control surface across all of them.
  • You are a developer or integrator who wants to pip install rigplane and embed radio control in your own Python code.
  • You want the same signed packaged installer and identical UI on macOS, Linux, and Windows.
  • You want a one-time paid license with an included update year, plus an MIT-licensed open core that keeps working even if the vendor changes course.

Feature comparison

Each cell is intentionally terse. Where a product's exact capability depends on platform, radio, or configuration, the cell says so rather than overclaiming. RS-BA1 details cross-checked against the Icom America RS-BA1 Version 2 product page as of 2026-05-19.

Dimension Icom RS-BA1 V2 RigPlane Pro
Vendor Icom Inc. — the radio manufacturer. RigPlane (an independent project, not affiliated with Icom).
License Paid commercial software license; closed source. Paid commercial desktop license on top of the MIT-licensed open-core rigplane-core library.
Price Sold through Icom dealers (typical street price around $130–$150 USD for the V2 package); see your local dealer for current pricing. $79 USD launch price; one year of updates included; optional $49 renewal.
Platforms Windows 11 (64-bit), Windows 10 (32/64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit), as listed by Icom America. No macOS, no Linux. macOS, Linux, Windows. Same signed packaged installer on each. See downloads.
UI Native Windows remote-control client with a virtual front panel for the supported Icom radios. Native packaged desktop app with a Tauri-based shell; identical UI surface on macOS, Linux, and Windows.
Supported transceivers Modern Icom HF/VHF base stations including IC-7610, IC-7300, IC-9700, and IC-7100; older Icom models such as IC-7700, IC-7200, and IC-9100 are also listed as compatible. Compatible Icom, Yaesu, Xiegu, and Lab599 radios via the rigplane-core engine.
Audio Low-latency IP audio between PC and radio over LAN or Internet, tuned by Icom for their own networked rigs. In-app low-latency audio bridge intended for digital-mode applications on the operator desk.
Embeddable library Desktop application; not designed to be imported as a library by other programs. The radio-control engine ships as the MIT-licensed rigplane package on PyPI — pip install rigplane and embed in your own code.
External controllers Supports the Icom RC-28 USB remote encoder as an optional accessory. First-party integration for the Icom RC-28; additional controllers via the rigplane-core surface.
Support model Vendor support via Icom and the Icom dealer network. Commercial support at [email protected] plus a public issue tracker.
Update model Paid major-version upgrades (Icom states the upgrade from RS-BA1 to V2 is a separate purchase). Signed updates during the included update year; the desktop you bought keeps working after the year ends.

Why operators switch

RS-BA1 is a serious product. Icom has been shipping IP remote control for their radios since the original RS-BA1, and Version 2 is a mature refinement of that work. If your shack is Icom-only and your operating computer is a Windows machine, RS-BA1 is the obvious first choice — it is built by the same company that built your radio, and the integration runs as deep as anything in this market.

The operators who reach RigPlane usually have one of three constraints that RS-BA1 cannot accommodate. First, their operating computer is a Mac or a Linux box. Icom lists Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1 as the supported operating systems for RS-BA1 V2; there is no macOS build, no Linux build, and no Raspberry Pi build. For an operator who wants to drive their IC-7610 from a MacBook in the next room or from a Raspberry Pi at the desk, RS-BA1 is structurally unavailable.

Second, their station is not Icom-only. A growing share of modern shacks mix a base Icom HF rig with a Yaesu portable, a Xiegu QRP rig, or a Lab599 TX-500 in the go-bag. RS-BA1 is, by design, an Icom-only product — that is not a deficiency, it is the scope Icom chose. RigPlane's engine targets multi-vendor stations explicitly, with profiles for Icom, Yaesu, Xiegu, and Lab599 radios behind one consistent control surface.

Third, they are developers or integrators who want an embeddable library underneath the desktop. RS-BA1 is a finished Windows application; it is not designed to be imported by other programs. RigPlane's core ships as an MIT-licensed Python package on PyPI, which means pip install rigplane in a notebook or in your own application gives you the same protocol stack that powers the desktop.

None of those reasons reflect a deficiency in RS-BA1. They reflect different operator profiles. Icom built RS-BA1 for the Icom-on-Windows operator and built it well. RigPlane Pro exists for the operators whose constraints are different — non-Windows desktops, mixed-vendor stations, or a need for an embeddable library.

Placeholder: a verified RigPlane Pro UI screenshot will land here when the v0.9.0-beta release page goes public. Tracked separately so this comparison page does not ship a fabricated UI shot.

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This page is maintained by the RigPlane project as a factual comparison resource. Icom and RS-BA1 are trademarks of Icom Inc.; references on this page are nominative fair use to describe the RS-BA1 product. RS-BA1 details describe publicly documented behavior at the time of review. If a detail here is out of date, email [email protected] and we will fix it. Last reviewed 2026-05-19.