A modern MMSSTV alternative
MMSSTV earned its place. It is the reference implementation of analogue SSTV, it is free, and a great deal of what is on the air today is being sent and decoded by it. It is also unchanged for years, Windows-only, and usually arrives with a virtual audio cable attached. If that last part is why you are here, this page is an honest comparison rather than a sales pitch.
What MMSSTV does well
Starting here, because a comparison that pretends the incumbent is bad is not worth reading.
- It is the reference. MMSSTV’s implementation of the SSTV families, and the MP/MR narrow modes it introduced, are what much of the hobby treats as correct behaviour.
- It is completely free, transmit included. Open Signal is not — the receive side is free permanently, the transmit side is licensed.
- It is proven. Two decades of daily use across the world is a kind of testing no new program can claim.
Where it shows its age
- Unmaintained. No updates, no fixes, no adaptation to changes in Windows audio. Whatever it does today is what it will do.
- Windows only. There is no Linux build. Running it under Wine is a project, not a solution.
- The plumbing. Getting audio between the radio, the operating system and MMSSTV frequently involves a virtual audio cable, and sometimes FLDIGI or another bridge as well. Each layer is another thing to misconfigure.
- No logging integration. Contacts are yours to write down.
Open Signal is not the only alternative
If you searched for a way off MMSSTV you will meet YONIQ, by Eugenio Fernández EA1ADA, and you should — it is a deliberate modern rebuild of MMSSTV with a contemporary interface, progress indication on send and receive, and improved receive settings. It is available in English and Spanish, and the ARRL covered its release.
If what you want is MMSSTV with the rough edges filed off, that is a closer match to the brief than Open Signal is. Open Signal is a different proposition: analogue SSTV plus its own error-corrected digital mode, byte-exact file transfer, a self-filling logbook and a Linux build. Bigger scope, and licensed rather than free.
Worth trying both before deciding. Neither of us charges you to receive.
The honest bit about compatibility
Open Signal implements the published specifications for all six SSTV families, MP and MR included, and detects the incoming mode from its VIS header automatically.
What has been verified is that it decodes its own SSTV transmissions reliably under noise and clock error. What has not yet been field-verified is interop with off-air MMSSTV recordings. That test has not been done, so no claim is made about it — you will find sites that would simply assert compatibility here.
Side by side
| Open Signal | MMSSTV | |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained | Yes — active development | No — unchanged for years |
| Platforms | Windows 10/11, Linux x64 | Windows only |
| Analogue SSTV | Six families, auto-detect | Yes — the reference |
| Digital pictures | Yes — error-corrected | No |
| Send real photo files | Yes, byte-exact | No |
| Extra software | None | Often a virtual audio cable |
| Logbook | Self-filling, ADIF/eQSL/Wavelog | No |
| CAT rig control | Kenwood, Elecraft, Yaesu, Icom | No |
| Cost to transmit | £15/year or £45 lifetime | Free |
Who should actually switch
Being specific, because “everyone” would not be true:
- Linux users. MMSSTV has no answer here at all. See the QSSTV comparison.
- Anyone fighting the audio plumbing. If your setup involves a virtual cable and you have lost an evening to it, that layer simply is not there in Open Signal.
- Operators who want the log to fill itself and push to eQSL, Wavelog or ADIF without retyping anything.
- Anyone who wants to send the actual file rather than a re-scanned approximation of it.
If MMSSTV works for you, costs nothing, and you only ever want analogue SSTV on Windows — there is no argument here. It is a good program doing a job it does well.
MMSSTV alternative — FAQ
Does MMSSTV still work on Windows 11?
Generally yes. It is old software and it usually still runs, though people hit driver and audio-routing problems that were rarer on Windows 7. What it does not get is fixes — it is legacy freeware and has been unchanged for years.
Can Open Signal decode MMSSTV transmissions?
Open Signal implements the published SSTV specifications for every supported mode, including MMSSTV's own narrow MP and MR modes, and auto-detects the incoming mode from its VIS header. It decodes its own SSTV signals reliably under noise and clock error. Interop with off-air MMSSTV recordings has not yet been field-verified, and we would rather say so than claim it.
Do I still need a virtual audio cable?
Not with Open Signal. The DSP, SSTV codecs, logbook and rig control are compiled into one executable, so there is no second program to route audio between. That plumbing is the single most common source of setup trouble in the traditional arrangement.
Is Open Signal free like MMSSTV?
The receive-only version is free permanently, for everyone. Transmit and the live network are licensed at £15 a year or £45 for life. MMSSTV is free in full — that is a real difference and worth weighing.
What about YONIQ?
YONIQ, by Eugenio Fernández EA1ADA, is a modern rebuild of MMSSTV with an updated interface and improved receive handling, in English and Spanish. If you want MMSSTV without the rough edges, it is a closer match to that brief than Open Signal, which is a wider tool — digital picture modes, file transfer, logging and a Linux build. Try both.
More about Open Signal
Try the receive side for nothing
The RX version is free permanently. Decode for a week alongside whatever you run now, and see whether the difference matters to you before spending anything.