# SidePilot vs Astral

The clearest difference is price: Astral at Free against SidePilot's $13.99. Astral also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Astral is free to download; SidePilot costs $13.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SidePilot ships an update every 6 weeks, Astral every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SidePilot | Astral |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $13.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidepilot/id1138193193/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **98** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 117 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Brereton](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137848787) | [ASTRAL TECHNOLOGY CORP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1714817695) |

## What reviewers say

### SidePilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidepilot/id1138193193)

This portable ground station app connects to ArduPilot drones via WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular. It provides real-time drone data, waypoint management, and advanced flight modes like Follow Me and Orbit. It also includes ADSB integration and live video streaming capabilities.

**Highlights:** Real-time drone telemetry display, Waypoint and geofence creation, ADSB aircraft integration, Follow Me and Orbit flight modes, Live video streaming, Parameter editing and calibration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Keeps 3DR Solo flying
- 👍 Works better than original app
- 👍 Drone runs more stable
- 👍 Great for flying Solo
- 👍 Revived dormant Solo

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes
- 🐛 App crashes
- 🐛 Does not connect to drone
- 🐛 No video feed
- 🐛 Firmware update issues

**Reported bugs**

- App does not connect to drone
- No video feed from GoPro
- Firmware update failures
- Controller not pairing
- Drone stuck in 'waiting for Solo' state

**Requested features**

- French language option
- Ability to update Solo 3DR
- Fix GoPro control issues
- Fix compass calibration errors
- Add support for GoPro video settings in air


### Astral

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astral-autonomous-drone-apps/id6471107516)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SidePilot free?

SidePilot costs $13.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Astral free?

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

### Do SidePilot or Astral have ads?

Neither SidePilot nor Astral shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SidePilot or Astral?

SidePilot ships an update every 6 weeks, and Astral every 2 weeks. Most recently, SidePilot was updated on September 25, 2026 and Astral on September 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.*