# Drone Start vs Drone Scanner

The clearest difference is rating: Drone Start at 4.1 against Drone Scanner's 1.8. Drone Start also leads on review sentiment (41% vs 16%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Drone Scanner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (145 vs 47). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Drone Start holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 145 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Drone Start's written reviews are positive against 16% of Drone Scanner's.

Drone Start ships an update every 3 weeks, Drone Scanner every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone Start | Drone Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-start/id1214900467/reviews)** | [1.8 (145 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-scanner/id1644548782/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 47 | **145** |
| Positive reviews | **41.4% of reviews** | 15.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 120 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Neil Faulkner](https://appshunter.io/developer/527056831) | [Dronetag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527565212) |

## 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 |


### Drone Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-scanner/id1644548782)

Transform your device into a drone scanner to track nearby flights in real-time. View detailed flight information, including pilot data and location history, on an interactive map. The app is updated to comply with current EU and US regulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time drone tracking, Detailed drone information, Interactive flight map, Support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi broadcasts, Flying zone highlighting, Data export functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works as advertised
- 🚀 Great app for Android
- 💡 Excellent Remote ID scanner

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Does not work on iOS
- 🐛 Unable to detect drones
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🔒 Collects personal information

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Unable to locate drones in proximity
- Inaccurate location tracking

**Requested features**

- Add support for WiFi-based Remote ID
- Add support for more drone models
- Allow changing units from metric to imperial


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone Start free?

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

### Is Drone Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drone Start or Drone Scanner?

Drone Start is rated higher. Drone Start averages 4.1 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while Drone Scanner averages 1.8 from 145 ratings.

### Do Drone Start or Drone Scanner have ads?

Neither Drone Start nor Drone Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone Start or Drone Scanner?

Drone Start ships an update every 3 weeks, and Drone Scanner every 3 months. Most recently, Drone Start was updated on July 5, 2026 and Drone Scanner 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.*