# PilotPal vs Gate Assist

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gate Assist at none against PilotPal's 3. Gate Assist also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). 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. Gate Assist asks for nothing beyond the download.

PilotPal ships an update every 3 months, Gate Assist every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PilotPal | Gate Assist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotpal-flight-planner-efb/id1060952159/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **663** | — |
| Positive reviews | 55.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tinybyte Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1592418784) | [AEGIR FJELD NORDOE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877362553) |

## 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


### Gate Assist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gate-assist/id6760271156)

**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 Gate Assist free?

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

### Do PilotPal or Gate Assist have ads?

Neither PilotPal nor Gate Assist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PilotPal or Gate Assist?

PilotPal ships an update every 3 months, and Gate Assist every 5 weeks. Most recently, PilotPal was updated on September 22, 2026 and Gate Assist on October 18, 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.*