# Elba vs Pilots

The clearest difference is price: Elba at Free against Pilots's $0.99. Elba also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Elba is free to download; Pilots costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Elba against 5.0 for Pilots. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elba | Pilots |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elba/id1211137668/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilots-ascension/id6780322889/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 131 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steffen Diesing](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118654547) | [Das Creative LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6814280422) |

## What reviewers say

### Elba

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elba/id1211137668)

Embark on a text-based narrative adventure to uncover the secrets of an abandoned island. As you and an old friend explore, more questions arise about your shared past and the island's mysteries.

**Highlights:** Text-based gameplay, Narrative experience, Mystery uncovering, Story-driven, Chapter-based progression

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pilots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilots-ascension/id6780322889)

An aviation idle and incremental strategy game where you build an airfield from scratch. Research new technologies, design aircraft, and manage pilots to progress through different flight eras. Enjoy offline progress and dynamic weather without timers or ads.

**Highlights:** Idle and incremental strategy gameplay, Fleet and route design, Dynamic weather system, Pilot experience and ranks, Prestige reset for permanent upgrades, Offline progress simulation

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elba free?

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

### Is Pilots free?

Pilots costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Elba or Pilots?

Elba and Pilots are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do Elba or Pilots have ads?

Neither Elba nor Pilots shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elba or Pilots?

Elba ships an update monthly, and Pilots monthly. Most recently, Elba was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pilots on October 31, 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.*