# Drone Start vs RUKO DRONE

The clearest difference is rating: Drone Start at 4.1 against RUKO DRONE's 2.9. Drone Start also leads on review sentiment (41% vs 21%). RUKO DRONE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drone Start sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. RUKO DRONE asks for nothing beyond the download.

Drone Start holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 48 and 106 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Drone Start's written reviews are positive against 21% of RUKO DRONE's.

Drone Start ships an update every 3 weeks, RUKO DRONE monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone Start | RUKO DRONE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-start/id1214900467/reviews)** | [2.9 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruko-drone/id1528821629/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 48 | **106** |
| Positive reviews | **41.4% of reviews** | 21.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 120 MB | 374 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Neil Faulkner](https://appshunter.io/developer/527056831) | [Shenzhen Ruike Innovation Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528821631) |

## What reviewers say

### Drone Start

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-start/id1214900467)

This app provides advanced flight checks and planning for drones, ensuring safe takeoffs and operations. It analyzes weather, GPS, battery health, and local airspace conditions, while also offering detailed flight route planning with elevation and wind data.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive pre-flight safety checks, Detailed flight route planning, Real-time drone battery and sensor monitoring, Weather, GPS, and airspace analysis, No-fly zone and wind map visualization, Daily FlyCast notifications, Intelligent Return To Home height calculation

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Professional Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


### RUKO DRONE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruko-drone/id1528821629)

Connect your drone via WiFi to view real-time aerial footage on your mobile device. Remotely control your drone's flight and capture stunning images from above.

**Highlights:** WiFi drone connection, Real-time image display, Remote drone control, Aerial photography

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Generally works well
- 👍 Good drone for the money
- 👍 Works great (initially)
- 👍 Underrated drone and app
- 👍 Works great for me (initially)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App won't start drone
- 🐛 Random signal loss
- 🐛 Camera freezes
- 🐛 Fails to connect
- 🐛 Useless app

**Reported bugs**

- App slider doesn't move correctly
- App exits flight control screen when starting motor
- Control options blocked by front camera on iPhone 17
- App won't connect to iOS 18.4
- App won't control camera angle

**Requested features**

- Update the app
- Match controls to video games
- Make app compatible with iOS 16
- Rotate app display
- Add voice prompts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone Start free?

Drone Start is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is RUKO DRONE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drone Start or RUKO DRONE?

Drone Start is rated higher. Drone Start averages 4.1 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while RUKO DRONE averages 2.9 from 106 ratings.

### Do Drone Start or RUKO DRONE have ads?

Neither Drone Start nor RUKO DRONE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone Start or RUKO DRONE?

Drone Start ships an update every 3 weeks, and RUKO DRONE monthly. Most recently, Drone Start was updated on October 23, 2026 and RUKO DRONE on October 21, 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.*