# Planes Control! vs Headings

The clearest difference is price: Planes Control! at Free against Headings's $8.99. Planes Control! also leads on ratings volume (7K vs 10) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). Headings's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Planes Control! is free to download; Headings costs $8.99 up front. Planes Control! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Headings asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Planes Control! against 4.8 for Headings. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planes Control! has 7K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Planes Control!'s written reviews are positive against 95% of Headings's.

Planes Control! ships an update monthly, Headings every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planes Control! | Headings |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $8.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planes-control/id1015114550/reviews) | **[4.8 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headings-air-traffic-control/id6451052730/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 79.1% of reviews | **95.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 40 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Antonio Calvino Esquer](https://appshunter.io/developer/995217234) | [nick bols](https://appshunter.io/developer/850860390) |

## 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


### Headings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headings-air-traffic-control/id6451052730)

Experience realistic air traffic control simulation with various difficulty levels and real-world airport scenarios. Learn ATC techniques, hone skills, and compete on leaderboards. Includes training modes for aspiring and current air traffic controllers.

**Highlights:** Realistic ATC radar simulation, Multiple difficulty levels, Real-world airport scenarios, Eurocontrol FEAST-II training mode, Leaderboard competition, Custom runway training

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planes Control! free?

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

### Is Headings free?

Headings costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planes Control! or Headings?

Headings is rated higher. Planes Control! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while Headings averages 4.8 from 10 ratings.

### Do Planes Control! or Headings have ads?

Planes Control! shows ads; Headings does not.

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

Planes Control! ships an update monthly, and Headings every 3 weeks. Most recently, Planes Control! was updated on October 26, 2026 and Headings on October 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.*