DJI Pilot vs Drone Scanner (gen.2)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DJI Pilot
Control and monitor DJI drones with real-time HD image transmission. This app allows for aircraft and camera control, firmware updates, and flight record management. It offers a user-friendly interface for professional drone operation.
- Real-time HD image transmission
- Aircraft control
- Camera control and playback
- Firmware updates
- Flight record synchronization
- User-friendly UI
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Concise yet professional, here comes the new version of DJI Pilot. The brand new DJI Pilot app supports the latest DJI drones. The new DJI Pilot app can assist the DJI drones to transmit pictures in real time smoothly, control the aircraft, as well as control the camera and its playback. You can also update the firmware and check flight records using DJI Pilot. New Features: Provides a new and user-friendly UI. Supports the feature where you can check the HD image transmission in real-time. Adjusts the camera parameters to provide better and more professional camera control. Improves camera playback. Supports real-time flight records sync. Improves firmware update.
Drone Scanner (gen.2)
Transform your iPhone into a real-time drone detection tool. See nearby drones, monitor their activity, and gain visibility into the skies. Enhance detection range with an optional dedicated hardware detector.
- Real-time drone detection
- Monitor drone activity
- Display pilot location
- Map and list view
- Supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi scanning
- Compatible with Remote ID regulations
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Drone Scanner by Dronetag transforms your iPhone into a real-time drone detection tool, allowing you to see what’s flying nearby, monitor drone activity, and gain visibility into the skies from your pocket. You can scan drones using your mobile device or connect to a Dronetag RIDER, our dedicated drone detector with significantly greater range. RIDER can detect drones up to 5 km (3 mi) away with its default antenna and up to 10 km (6 mi) with a directional antenna. New in the next-generation Drone Scanner: - A completely redesigned interface and an intuitive scans list - Recent scans are stored locally on your phone and can be exported to open formats - Scan using Dronetag RIDER for enhanced range and Wi-Fi scanning support on iPhones Core Features: - Detect drones using Bluetooth 4, Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi Beacon, and Wi-Fi NAN - Display pilot location (if available) - Monitor height, direction, and operation type - Browse nearby drones on a map or in list view - Compatible with EU, US, and Japanese Remote ID regulations - Developed by Dronetag, a global leader in drone Remote ID solutions Feature availability depends on your device and OS limitations. iOS restricts access to certain Wi-Fi channels - only Bluetooth-based scanning may work. If you're using Drone Scanner on an iOS device, some drones that transmit their identification data via Wi-Fi may not be visible to you. This is a system-level restriction, not a bug in the app. How It Works: Remote ID is a feature that transmits identification and flight data from drones using wireless signals like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Manufacturers implement this in different ways, using various technologies. Drone Scanner captures these signals using your phone’s built-in hardware - or via the Dronetag RIDER for extended detection range and higher reliability.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Drone Scanner (gen.2) at every 5 weeks against DJI Pilot's every 5 months. Drone Scanner (gen.2) also leads on review sentiment (25% vs 9%) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). DJI Pilot's advantage is rating (2.1 vs 1.9) and ratings volume (174 vs 11). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DJI Pilot holds the better App Store score, 2.1 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DJI Pilot has 174 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 9% of DJI Pilot's written reviews are positive against 25% of Drone Scanner (gen.2)'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
DJI Pilot ships an update every 5 months, Drone Scanner (gen.2) every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | DJI Pilot | Drone Scanner (gen.2) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (174 ratings) — better | 1.9 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 9.0% of reviews | 25.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 174 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 374 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | DJI | Dronetag |
Customer experience
DJI Pilot
Drone Scanner (gen.2)
Bugs and requests
DJI Pilot
Reported bugs
20 issues- App crashes on launch or during flight
- Login verification code field unresponsive due to keyboard overlay
- Flight records screen zoomed in with no scroll capability
- Sync button cut off screen on iPhone devices
- External speaker connection causes immediate crash
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- Device compatibility detection fails despite meeting requirements
- Screen jumps during login process preventing verification entry
- App freezes on verification screen
- MSX thermal mode reverts to low-resolution after firmware update
- Auto-focus not working in video mode
- Downloaded videos appear out of focus during live view
- No-fly zone unlock confirmations not populating
- Drone controller linking shows success but doesn't actually connect
- App crashes when syncing flight records on iPad Pro
- Constant disconnections from drone during operation
- Firmware upload fails repeatedly
- GPS timestamping not copying to clipboard on iOS
- App not supporting advertised iOS versions
- Crashes on iOS 13+ versions
- Incompatible with iPhone 6S despite listed support
Requested features
15 requests- Waypoint programming and autonomous flight modes
- Intelligent Flight Modes (IFM) support
- Thermal camera radiometric data and FLIR tools integration
- Live streaming to Facebook and other social media platforms
- Flight record sync functionality on iOS
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- iPad Pro full-screen optimization and resolution support
- MSX thermal mode functionality
- Parity with DJI Go 4 app features
- Proper keyboard handling for login screens
- Landing protection toggle option
- Support for all enterprise drone models
- iOS 13+ compatibility
- iPhone XS/XR/11 Pro Max support
- Multi-gimbal support on iOS
- Firmware update functionality
Drone Scanner (gen.2)
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
DJI Pilot
No in-app purchases
Drone Scanner (gen.2)
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DJI Pilot free?
Is Drone Scanner (gen.2) free?
Which has better reviews, DJI Pilot or Drone Scanner (gen.2)?
Do DJI Pilot or Drone Scanner (gen.2) have ads?
Which is updated more often, DJI Pilot or Drone Scanner (gen.2)?
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