# PilotPal vs VatScope

PilotPal and VatScope both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of VatScope's written reviews are positive against 55% of PilotPal's. VatScope also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PilotPal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and VatScope sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PilotPal against 4.8 for VatScope. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 663 and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of PilotPal's written reviews are positive against 85% of VatScope's.

PilotPal ships an update every 3 months, VatScope every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PilotPal | VatScope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotpal-flight-planner-efb/id1060952159/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vatscope/id1303293807/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 663 | **1.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 55.0% of reviews | **84.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tinybyte Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1592418784) | [文俊 周](https://appshunter.io/developer/1818047674) |

## What reviewers say

### PilotPal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotpal-flight-planner-efb/id1060952159)

This app provides FAA aviation airport charts and facility directories for easy flight planning. Access airport diagrams, frequencies, elevation, and helipad information offline. Stay updated with monthly chart revisions and quickly find nearby or favorite airports.

**Highlights:** Offline charts, Airport Facility Directories, Airport Diagrams, Airport Information (Maps, Frequencies, Elevation, Helipads), Monthly updated FAA charts, Nearby and favorite airports, Airport search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Airport Diagrams | $0.99 | per month |
| PilotPal Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| PilotPal Pro | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and simple user interface
- 🚀 Quick access to airport information
- 📱 Effective airport directory functionality
- ⭐ Excellent customer support
- 🎯 Minimalist design with focused mission

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall-locked features behind subscription
- 🔒 Subscription access issues and bugs
- 📊 Incomplete airport chart coverage
- ❌ Missing chart supplement sections
- 🚫 Difficult to unsubscribe

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription verification loop - shows already subscribed but denies access
- Airport diagrams not displaying despite active subscription
- App stopped working after February update
- General app functionality failures
- Missing settings/preferences menu

**Requested features**

- Airport diagram printing functionality
- Ability to sort favorites tab
- Front and back page information inclusion
- Improved search functionality for VOR locations
- Legend/index documentation


### VatScope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vatscope/id1303293807)

This application provides real-time information for the VATSIM network, allowing users to view pilot and controller data, track friends, and access airport weather. It also integrates flight plan routes and VATSIM events.

**Highlights:** Real-time pilot and controller information, Friend tracking, Airport weather and weather map, Flight plan route display, VATSIM events integration, VATSIM member certificate details, Dark mode support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extension | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent app for Vatsim
- 🚀 Constantly updated and improved
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Packed with useful features
- 👍 Reliable and dependable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Paywall for some features
- 🔒 Removing existing features behind paywall
- 🐛 Issues with recent updates
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on different devices

**Reported bugs**

- Aircraft labels and route lines disappearing on zoom
- Search functionality for airports and callsigns removed
- App not opening on iPad after recent update
- Frequent refresh errors and data not updating
- ATIS/controller info display issues with line breaks

**Requested features**

- Ability to filter by aircraft type
- Bring back busiest airports feature
- Option to set custom refresh rate
- Compatibility with new Mac devices
- Notifications for new ATC sectors coming online


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PilotPal free?

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

### Is VatScope free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PilotPal or VatScope?

VatScope is rated higher. PilotPal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 663 ratings, while VatScope averages 4.8 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do PilotPal or VatScope have ads?

Neither PilotPal nor VatScope shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PilotPal or VatScope?

PilotPal ships an update every 3 months, and VatScope every 5 weeks. Most recently, PilotPal was updated on September 22, 2026 and VatScope on September 23, 2026.

---

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