# Planes Control! vs Pen Run

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Planes Control! at 79% against Pen Run's 35%. Planes Control! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0). Pen Run's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planes Control! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pen Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Planes Control! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7K and 4.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Planes Control!'s written reviews are positive against 35% of Pen Run's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planes Control! | Pen Run |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planes-control/id1015114550/reviews)** | [4.0 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-run/id1423608757/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 4.6K |
| Positive reviews | **79.1% of reviews** | 35.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 40 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Antonio Calvino Esquer](https://appshunter.io/developer/995217234) | [Ketchapp](https://appshunter.io/developer/528065807) |

## What reviewers say

### Planes Control!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planes-control/id1015114550)

Guide aircraft to safe landings while avoiding hazards like storms and enemy attacks. Control over 60 different planes and helicopters across 13 challenging levels. Engage in aerial combat, fight wildfires, and manage air traffic in this addictive simulation game.

**Highlights:** Draw flight paths for aircraft, Avoid collisions and environmental hazards, Pilot over 60 types of planes and helicopters, Engage in aerial combat, Fight wildfires with air tankers, Navigate diverse and challenging levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 5× Rescue Teams. | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all HD Levels | $0.99 | one-time |
| Classic levels | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock "Time Machine" levels! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock "10th Anniversary" levels! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Three crashes per game. | $1.99 | one-time |
| Classic levels and no ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 20× Rescue Teams. | $2.99 | one-time |
| No Ads. | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 50× Rescue Teams. | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun game
- 👍 Simple yet challenging
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Good variety of levels
- 🚀 Responsive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🐛 Progress not saved
- 🐛 Collision detection issues
- 🐛 Planes spawning off-screen

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes on iOS 14
- High score not recorded correctly
- Planes colliding off-screen
- Notification bar interfering with gameplay

**Requested features**

- More level options and customization
- Ability to pause and resume games
- Improved tutorial and instructions
- Difficulty settings for each level
- Leaderboards and achievements


### Pen Run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-run/id1423608757)

Race your pen through challenging levels, avoiding obstacles and outmaneuvering opponents. Aim to reach as many levels as possible in this fast-paced competition.

**Highlights:** Race your pen, Avoid obstacles, Hit other players, Progress through levels, Competitive gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept and creative design
- 👍 Customizable pens and themes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔥 Excessive number of ads
- 🐛 Glitches and loading issues
- 🔍 Lack of multiplayer or online features

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during races
- Unresponsive controls
- Freezing on loading screens

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer mode
- Reduce ad frequency
- Improve overall performance and stability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planes Control! free?

Planes Control! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pen Run free?

Pen Run is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Planes Control! or Pen Run?

Planes Control! is rated higher. Planes Control! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while Pen Run averages 4.0 from 4.6K ratings.

### Do Planes Control! or Pen Run have ads?

Planes Control! shows ads; Pen Run does not.

### Which is updated more often, Planes Control! or Pen Run?

Planes Control! ships an update monthly, and Pen Run monthly. Most recently, Planes Control! was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pen Run on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*