Baofeng UV-98 Pro vs Baofeng UV-9R Pro - Which One is Better in 2025?

Would I recommend the Baofeng UV-98 Pro? That depends. There is nothing really wrong with the radio, in fact it is a pretty good radio once you put a better antenna on it and if you don’t mind the lack of power. I really like the amount of choice in colors and accessories.

The problem I have is that I think the UV-9R Plus is an objectively better radio for less money, and that is hard to overlook. Even if you add the price of a USB-C chargeable battery to the UV-9R Plus, it is still cheaper and still a better radio. And when you can swap that battery out in seconds without tools, I have a hard time wanting to carry the UV-98 Pro.

If you really want a Baofeng UV-98 Pro, go for it, it works well, feels great in the hand, and so far, hasn’t let me down. If you are on the fence or want the best value for your buck in a waterproof radio that is ergonomically excellent, get the UV-9R instead.

I suspect that the internals of the Baofeng UV-9R Pro and Plus are more alike than different. Having used both extensively, I can say I think the Plus is the better radio. It feels better in the hand, has a better looking and feeling keypad, better backlighting, and seems more likely to actually be waterproof. This might help explain why I often see the Plus selling for more than the Pro.

If I had to guess I would say the Pro is simply an effort to increase sales by taking the Plus and slapping some fancy new plastics on it. After all, I don't see the Plus in colors other than black, while the Pro comes in several colors including black, yellow, green, red, and orange. The slight difference in transmit audio is probably either a different specification for tuning, or sample variance.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is just buy the Baofeng UV-9R Plus unless you absolutely have to have something other than black, in which case, go for the Baofeng UV-9R Pro.