# PilotPal vs Flight Sim Deck

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Flight Sim Deck at none against PilotPal's 3. Flight Sim Deck also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). PilotPal's advantage is ratings volume (663 vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PilotPal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Flight Sim Deck asks for nothing beyond the download.

Flight Sim Deck holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PilotPal has 663 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PilotPal ships an update every 3 months, Flight Sim Deck weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PilotPal | Flight Sim Deck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotpal-flight-planner-efb/id1060952159/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flight-sim-deck/id6758945604/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **663** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 55.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 19 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tinybyte Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1592418784) | [jerome BENAUT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541929888) |

## 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


### Flight Sim Deck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flight-sim-deck/id6758945604)

This app acts as a comprehensive electronic flight bag for virtual pilots using X-Plane. It centralizes flight information, instrument displays, checklists, and weather data, transforming your device into a connected cockpit companion.

**Highlights:** Real-time instrument streaming (PFD/MFD), SimBrief OFP import, Interactive checklists, METAR weather and airport database, FMS/WebFMC control, Integrated scratchpad and PDF reader

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PilotPal free?

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

### Is Flight Sim Deck free?

Flight Sim Deck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PilotPal or Flight Sim Deck?

Flight Sim Deck is rated higher. PilotPal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 663 ratings, while Flight Sim Deck averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PilotPal or Flight Sim Deck have ads?

Neither PilotPal nor Flight Sim Deck shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PilotPal or Flight Sim Deck?

PilotPal ships an update every 3 months, and Flight Sim Deck weekly. Most recently, PilotPal was updated on September 22, 2026 and Flight Sim Deck on October 16, 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.*