# NOAA Directory vs Aloft Air Control

The clearest difference is rating: NOAA Directory at 3.7 against Aloft Air Control's 3.2. NOAA Directory also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.6). Aloft Air Control's advantage is ratings volume (159 vs 3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NOAA Directory holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aloft Air Control has 159 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

NOAA Directory ships an update every 3 months, Aloft Air Control monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NOAA Directory | Aloft Air Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-directory/id1205621233/reviews)** | [3.2 (159 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aloft-air-control/id1472965046/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **159** |
| Positive reviews | — | 32.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 54 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration](https://appshunter.io/developer/583383075) | [Aloft Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1031992945) |

## What reviewers say

### NOAA Directory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-directory/id1205621233)

Easily find contact details for NOAA personnel. Search by name, phone, or email to connect directly or save contacts. This tool streamlines communication within the organization.

**Highlights:** Search by name, phone, or email, Direct contact options, Add contacts to list, Find NOAA personnel

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Aloft Air Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aloft-air-control/id1472965046)

This platform streamlines drone operations and airspace management. It offers advanced tools for team, fleet, and airspace coordination, including LAANC and UTM capabilities. An accompanying web app provides enterprise-level features for advanced users.

**Highlights:** Drone operations management, Airspace management, LAANC capabilities, UTM integration, Team and fleet management, Next-gen tools

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great and Clear Tool
- 🚀 Exceptional for sUAS flight planning
- 🚀 Easily get LANNC approval under part 107
- 👍 Fantastic with clear graphics and easy LAANC requests
- 👍 Easily get LAANC approval

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Terrible Mapping
- 🐛 LAANC request glitch
- 🐛 Can't log in
- 🐛 Can't Register
- 🐛 Most Unreliable app made in US

**Reported bugs**

- LAANC approvals not showing
- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Crashes and freezes
- Issues connecting to DJI controllers

**Requested features**

- Expand the boundaries of LAANC
- Add FaceID login
- Improve landscape mode support
- Add 2FA to accounts
- Improve DJI integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NOAA Directory free?

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

### Is Aloft Air Control free?

Aloft Air Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NOAA Directory or Aloft Air Control?

NOAA Directory is rated higher. NOAA Directory averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Aloft Air Control averages 3.2 from 159 ratings.

### Do NOAA Directory or Aloft Air Control have ads?

Neither NOAA Directory nor Aloft Air Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NOAA Directory or Aloft Air Control?

NOAA Directory ships an update every 3 months, and Aloft Air Control monthly. Most recently, NOAA Directory was updated on November 2, 2026 and Aloft Air Control on November 3, 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.*