Users are asking, which receiver we would recommend. The answer depends on many factors amongst application, environment, antenna and price. Focusing on ready-to-use SDR hardware for listening with Windows we can recommend following tested receivers:

Price Model / Manufacturer Frequency Range in MHz Remarkable properties
< 10 EUR RTLSDR
(DVB-T/DAB with RTL2832+R820T2).
Search 'RTL2832' or 'R820T2' on ebay
24 - 1766 ~ 2 MHz Bandwidth, 8 bit
For beginners - don't expect wonders!
~ 20 EUR RTLSDR V3 (DVB-T/DAB with RTL2832+R820T2). RTL-SDR.com 0.5 - 24,
24 - 1766
~ 2 MHz Bandwidth, 8 bit
For beginners - don't expect wonders!
HF Direct Sampling Mode, 1PPM TCXO, aluminium case, Bias-T
~ 100 EUR RSP1A (Radio Spectrum Processor) / SDRplay 0.001 - 2000 up to 8 MHz Bandwidth, up to 14 bit, Bias-T, 0.5PPM TCXO
~ 165 EUR Airspy HF+ / Airspy 0.009 - 31,
60 - 260
fixed 660 kHz Bandwidth, no drivers required, 0.5PPM TCXO
~ 190 EUR RSPdx (Radio Spectrum Processor) / SDRplay 0.001 - 2000 Similar as RSP1A but with 3 antenna ports, External clock input/output, +++
369 EUR FDM-S1 / ELAD 0.02 - 30 ~ 5 MHz Bandwidth, 14 bit
Bandpass undersampling up to 200 MHz possible
525 EUR FDM-S2 / ELAD 0.009 - 52,
74 - 108,
135 - 160
~ 5 MHz Bandwidth, 16 bit
very good reception quality
Above list is a small selection sorted by price. There are many other recommendable receivers, but we only considered receivers, we have (tested).

For controlling / using a receiver directly from HDSDR you need to install the receiver's ExtIO DLL.
Visit your receiver's website (see below!) and get the appropriate DLL file archive (32Bit [x86] only).
Most sites refer the DLL as "Winrad ExtIO". It will be compatible with HDSDR.
Unpack all files from that archive into the installation directory of HDSDR
f.e. C:\Program Files (x86)\HDSDR\.

Any (monoband) receiver with output to soundcard can be used in HDSDR without any ExtIO DLL.
In this case, HDSDR will not be able to control the LO frequency.


ADLM PLUTO Website
AFEDRI SDR Website
Alinco DJ-X11 + DX-R8 Website
Airspy Download January 08, 2015
Airspy (Alternative ExtIO with more options) Website
Airspy HF+ Website
Bonito RadioJet 1102S Website
DiRaWave 0032U Website
Fernempfangsradio Download
Elad FDM-DUOr Website September 12, 2015
Elad FDM-DUO(No HDSDR Transmit capability) Website September 12, 2015
Elad FDM-S1 Website February 26, 2014
Elad FDM-S2 Website September 12, 2014
Elecraft KX3 How-To September 07, 2013
Elektor Website
Expert Electronics ColibriDDC Website
Expert Electronics ColibriNANO Website
FUNcube Dongle Base/Pro (FCD) Download December 27, 2012
FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Download August 14, 2014
GenesisRadio G59 Website
Grintek GRX-LAN Download January 09, 2013
HackRF One (No Transmit capability) Website
Hamlib v1.5 (for many hardware) Download August 31, 2011
HPSDR (Atlas, Ozy, Mercury) Download January 02, 2013
HPSDR (Hermes) Website
ICOM IC-7610 Website
ICOM IC-R8600 Website
Microsat easySDR Website
microtelecom PERSEUS Website
Myriad-RF LimeSDR Website
Pappradio Website
PM-SDR Website
QS1R Website
Red Pitaya Website
RFHamFox 1 (Transfox) DLL December 02, 2016
RFSPACE SDR-IQ / SDR-14 Download April 11, 2013
RTLSDR (DVB-T/DAB with RTL2832) USB Website   How-To September 21, 2023
RTLSDR (DVB-T/DAB with RTL2832) over Network (rtl_tcp) DLL#1 |  DLL#2
S9-C Rabbit SDR Website
SDR-1 Download April 05, 2012
SDR MK1 / SDR MK1.5 'Andrus' Website
SDRplay RSP1/RSP1A/RSP2/RSP2pro/RSPduo/RSPdx Download
Si570 based (Softrock, FA-SDR, FiFi-SDR, Lima-SDR, PM-SDR) Website
Soft66 Website
Softrock Lite v0.12 Website January 06, 2013
Signal Hound SA44/SA44B/SA124A/SA124B/BB60A/BB60C Website July 11, 2016
USRP, RTLSDR, FUNcube + BorIP network streaming client Website
WiNRADiO WR-G305e' Download May 06, 2013
WiNRADiO WR-G31DDC 'Excalibur' Website
WiNRADiO WR-G33DDC 'Excalibur Pro' Download May 21, 2017

Please report not listed but functional ExtIOs to keep the above list complete.