# Pilot 9 vs River Raiders

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pilot 9 at 100% against River Raiders's 50%. Pilot 9 also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and ratings volume (15 vs 5). River Raiders's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Pilot 9 is free to download; River Raiders costs $1.99 up front. Pilot 9 sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. River Raiders asks for nothing beyond the download.

River Raiders holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Pilot 9's written reviews are positive against 50% of River Raiders's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pilot 9 ships an update every 6 weeks, River Raiders every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pilot 9 | River Raiders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-9/id1115255482/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/river-raiders/id6756220586/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 505 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Craig Buck](https://appshunter.io/developer/1115255481) | [Lost Leaf Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/968418946) |

## What reviewers say

### Pilot 9

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-9/id1115255482)

Engage in aerial combat as a pilot of advanced jet and helicopter fighters to thwart global domination. Select diverse aircraft, pilots, and gear to complete challenging missions and earn rewards for future battles.

**Highlights:** Pilot jet and helicopter fighters, Customizable vehicles with add-ons and skins, Upgradeable pilots for increased XP, Multiple levels and missions, In-game lottery and daily rewards, Multi-attribute vehicle rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Pile | $0.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cheddar | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tall Stacks! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mint | $4.99 | one-time |


### River Raiders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/river-raiders/id6756220586)

Experience a modern take on classic arcade shooters. Navigate treacherous rivers, engage enemy forces, and manage fuel to survive increasingly challenging levels. Master precision flying and quick reactions to achieve the highest scores.

**Highlights:** Classic top-down jet combat, Responsive touchscreen controls, Fuel management for strategic gameplay, Progressive difficulty and unpredictable challenges, Offline play, Handcrafted maps inspired by classic era

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pilot 9 free?

Pilot 9 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is River Raiders free?

River Raiders costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pilot 9 or River Raiders?

River Raiders is rated higher. Pilot 9 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while River Raiders averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Pilot 9 or River Raiders have ads?

Neither Pilot 9 nor River Raiders shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pilot 9 or River Raiders?

Pilot 9 ships an update every 6 weeks, and River Raiders every 5 weeks. Most recently, Pilot 9 was updated on June 1, 2026 and River Raiders on September 9, 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.*