# Air Manager vs X

The clearest difference is price: X at Free against Air Manager's $22.99. X also leads on rating (3.6 vs 3.0) and device support (3 vs 1). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

X is free to download; Air Manager costs $22.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

X holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Air Manager's written reviews are positive against 37% of X's.

Air Manager ships an update every 10 months, X every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Air Manager | X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $22.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/air-manager/id1052587916/reviews) | **[3.6 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-plane-12-control-pad/id6701986565/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | 30.8% of reviews | **36.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 897 MB | 3.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sim Innovations B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1052587915) | [Laminar Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/290619948) |

## What reviewers say

### Air Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/air-manager/id1052587916)

Design custom flight simulator instrument panels on your iPad. Connect to popular simulators like X-plane and FS2020 to use your iPad as a primary or secondary instrument display. Offers over 1000 free instruments and intuitive touch controls for a realistic simulation experience.

**Highlights:** Custom instrument panel design, iPad as primary/secondary display, Connects to X-plane, FS2020, P3D, FSX, Over 1000 free instruments, Intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Control simulator functions via touch

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-plane-12-control-pad/id6701986565)

Control your desktop flight simulator from your mobile device. Connect wirelessly over your local network to manage X-Plane 12 with pro-level precision. Experience a new way to interact with your flight simulation.

**Highlights:** Local LAN control, X-Plane 12 integration, Pro-level precision, Mobile device interface, Wireless connectivity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Air Manager free?

Air Manager costs $22.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is X free?

X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Air Manager or X?

X is rated higher. Air Manager averages 3.0 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while X averages 3.6 from 23 ratings.

### Do Air Manager or X have ads?

Neither Air Manager nor X shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Air Manager or X?

Air Manager ships an update every 10 months, and X every 5 months. Most recently, Air Manager was updated on November 6, 2026 and X on November 4, 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.*