# Planes Control! vs Hello Tower

The clearest difference is price: Planes Control! at Free against Hello Tower's $2.99. Planes Control! also leads on ratings volume (6.8K vs 65) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Hello Tower's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Planes Control! is free to download; Hello Tower costs $2.99 up front. Planes Control! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Hello Tower sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Planes Control! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planes Control! has 6.8K ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Planes Control!'s written reviews are positive against 71% of Hello Tower's.

Planes Control! ships an update monthly, Hello Tower every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planes Control! | Hello Tower |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planes-control/id1015114550/reviews)** | [4.4 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-tower/id1572719445/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.8K** | 65 |
| Positive reviews | **79.1% of reviews** | 70.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 40 MB | 412 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Antonio Calvino Esquer](https://appshunter.io/developer/995217234) | [Sascha Trachsel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1572719447) |

## 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


### Hello Tower

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-tower/id1572719445)

Experience realistic airport ground control with this simulation app. Manage aircraft movements, issue clearances, and handle emergencies across over 40 diverse airports. Progress from simple single-runway operations to complex hub airports.

**Highlights:** Airport ground maneuvering simulation, Over 40 different airports, Simplified and real-size airport versions, Pushback, taxi, and take-off clearances, Emergency handling, Level-based progression

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hello Tower Test | $0.99 | one-time |
| Airport Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sandbox test | $0.99 | one-time |
| Airport Pack | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Realistic simulation
- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 👍 Good graphics
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Addictive and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Unintuitive UI
- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Frequent game over on small mistakes
- 🐛 Lack of tutorial

**Reported bugs**

- Flight freezing on runway holding and turns
- Aircraft getting stuck and blocking routes
- 30-second departure timer disappearing
- Aircraft crashing with held aircraft on taxiway
- Levels not unlocking

**Requested features**

- Add more airports (US, European, Asian, Indian cities)
- Add an endless/sandbox mode
- Add AI voice recognition and ATC dialogues
- Implement a tutorial or walk-through
- Add a 'continue game' or save progress option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planes Control! free?

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

### Is Hello Tower free?

Hello Tower costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planes Control! or Hello Tower?

Planes Control! is rated higher. Planes Control! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.8K ratings, while Hello Tower averages 4.4 from 65 ratings.

### Do Planes Control! or Hello Tower have ads?

Planes Control! shows ads; Hello Tower does not.

### Which is updated more often, Planes Control! or Hello Tower?

Planes Control! ships an update monthly, and Hello Tower every 9 days. Most recently, Planes Control! was updated on September 24, 2026 and Hello Tower on September 24, 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.*