# VatScope vs SimFly Pad

The clearest difference is ratings volume: VatScope at 1.4K against SimFly Pad's 15. VatScope also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 60%). SimFly Pad's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. VatScope sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SimFly Pad sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for VatScope against 4.7 for SimFly Pad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VatScope has 1.4K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of VatScope's written reviews are positive against 60% of SimFly Pad's.

VatScope ships an update every 5 weeks, SimFly Pad every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VatScope | SimFly Pad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vatscope/id1303293807/reviews)** | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simfly-pad/id1617775698/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **84.6% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 39 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [文俊 周](https://appshunter.io/developer/1818047674) | [SeeingSky Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1617773518) |

## What reviewers say

### VatScope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vatscope/id1303293807)

This application provides real-time information for the VATSIM network, allowing users to view pilot and controller data, track friends, and access airport weather. It also integrates flight plan routes and VATSIM events.

**Highlights:** Real-time pilot and controller information, Friend tracking, Airport weather and weather map, Flight plan route display, VATSIM events integration, VATSIM member certificate details, Dark mode support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extension | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent app for Vatsim
- 🚀 Constantly updated and improved
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Packed with useful features
- 👍 Reliable and dependable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Paywall for some features
- 🔒 Removing existing features behind paywall
- 🐛 Issues with recent updates
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on different devices

**Reported bugs**

- Aircraft labels and route lines disappearing on zoom
- Search functionality for airports and callsigns removed
- App not opening on iPad after recent update
- Frequent refresh errors and data not updating
- ATIS/controller info display issues with line breaks

**Requested features**

- Ability to filter by aircraft type
- Bring back busiest airports feature
- Option to set custom refresh rate
- Compatibility with new Mac devices
- Notifications for new ATC sectors coming online


### SimFly Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simfly-pad/id1617775698)

Enhance your flight simulation experience with interactive checklists, in-game camera recording, and direct cockpit control. Manage flight records and sync media to the cloud for permanent storage.

**Highlights:** Interactive flight checklists, In-game virtual camera, Cockpit instrument control, Flight record management, Cloud synchronization for media, Voice interaction for checklists (Beta)

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SimFly Pad Premium Panel - B767 | $19.99 | one-time |
| SimFly Pad B757 Premium Panel | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium Panel - B737 Ng/Max | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Panel - A320 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Panel - B787 | $24.99 | one-time |
| SimFlyPad Premium Panel C250 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Panel - B777 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Panel - A330 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Panel - A380 | $24.99 | one-time |
| SimFly Pad A350 Premium Panel | $24.99 | one-time |
| SimFly Pad A340 Premium Panel | $24.99 | one-time |
| SimFly Pad Panel - CRJ | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VatScope free?

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

### Is SimFly Pad free?

SimFly Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, VatScope or SimFly Pad?

VatScope is rated higher. VatScope averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while SimFly Pad averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.

### Do VatScope or SimFly Pad have ads?

Neither VatScope nor SimFly Pad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VatScope or SimFly Pad?

VatScope ships an update every 5 weeks, and SimFly Pad every 10 days. Most recently, VatScope was updated on September 23, 2026 and SimFly Pad on September 13, 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.*