Comparison

Ground School vs Comms

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ground School

Prepare for your FAA written test and become a safer pilot with this comprehensive training app. It combines expert instruction, engaging videos, and interactive practice tests to ensure you gain the knowledge needed to fly your best.

Highlights
  • Expert FAA flight instructor knowledge
  • Engaging educational videos
  • Pilot perspective flight footage
  • Over 1,000 practice test questions
  • CG animations for concept illustration
  • Pilot Proficiency dashboard
  • FAA Knowledge Test endorsement
Features
Read full description

Featuring expert knowledge from an award-winning FAA flight instructor, Ground School will teach budding pilots everything they need to know for their FAA written test and beyond. By combining years of teaching know-how with cutting edge CG animation, informative video demonstrations, and more, Ground School is more than an app that teaches you how to fly — its gives you the knowledge you need to Fly Your Best, whether you're a complete novice or more experienced pilot. By following this FAA pilot knowledge course, you'll learn much more than is needed to pass an FAA written test. In fact, we guarantee you will pass that test and go on to be a better, safer pilot, too. Ground School users can look forward to: ・ Engaging videos that show you the things you need to know, perfect for visual learners. ・ Get the Pilot Perspective — Every video is filmed as if you are the one flying so there are no surprises when you're in the cockpit. ・ More than 1,000 questions that form unlimited practice tests so you know exactly what to expect when taking your FAA exam. ・ Cutting edge CG animations that help illustrate concepts that will help you understand the material in front of you. ・ The Pilot Proficiency dashboard that distills all of your interactions with Ground School into a single screen showing areas where you are strong as well as others that need work. ・ Get your endorsement to take the FAA Knowledge Test directly within Ground School. ・ And much more! Ground School is in active development and is always improving to give you the very best shot at not only passing exams, but being safe in the skies, too. Terms of Service: https://www.learnthefinerpoints.com/ground-school/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.learnthefinerpoints.com/ground-school/privacy

About

Comms

Practice realistic air traffic control radio communications using AI and speech recognition. Build confidence with over 35 scenarios, from basic taxi instructions to complex airspace transitions. Get instant feedback on your phraseology and accuracy.

Highlights
  • AI-powered speech recognition
  • Realistic ATC scenarios
  • Instant feedback on phraseology
  • Transcript review
  • Practice anytime, anywhere
  • Guided responses
Features
Read full description

Master Your Radio Skills. Fly with Confidence. Practice real ATC conversations by speaking into your phone. Comms uses AI and speech recognition to simulate realistic radio exchanges — so you can build confidence before keying the mic in the cockpit. Whether you're preparing for your first solo or sharpening your skills before a checkride, Comms helps you sound like you've been on frequency for years. 35+ Realistic ATC Scenarios - Taxi clearances, progressive taxi, and runway crossings - Takeoff, pattern work, and departures from towered and non-towered fields - VFR flight following — requesting, canceling, and handoffs - Class Bravo and Charlie airspace clearances and transitions - CRAFT clearances, IFR pop-ups, and holding instructions - Approaches, go-arounds, and missed approach procedures - Landing at towered and non-towered airports - Filing PIREPs, opening/closing flight plans, and requesting diversions - VFR into IMC emergency scenarios How It Works - Listen to ATC instructions with realistic controller audio - Respond by speaking your readback out loud - Get instant feedback on accuracy and phraseology - Review your full transcript after each session Built for Student Pilots - Designed for the calls that make new pilots nervous - Practice anytime — no airplane, no instructor, no pressure - Progress from basic taxi calls to complex airspace scenarios - Guided responses help you learn correct phraseology Perfect For - Student pilots preparing for solo or checkride - Private pilot candidates building radio confidence - Flight instructors looking for a training aid - Rusty pilots getting back on frequency Download Comms and take the stress out of talking to ATC. Focus on what matters most — flying the airplane. Terms of use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Ground School4 screens
Comms4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ground School at 88% against Comms's 36%. Ground School also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 207). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ground School sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month and Comms sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ground School holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground School has 1.7K ratings behind it against 207, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Ground School's written reviews are positive against 36% of Comms's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ground School ships an update every 8 days, Comms every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ground School versus Comms: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGround SchoolComms
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (1.7K ratings) — better4.2 (207 ratings)
Positive reviews88.1% of reviews — better35.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.7K — better207
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size212 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOn The Flight Line Productions LLCKHV Digital LLC

Customer experience

Ground School

All ratings1,715 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive88.1%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.7%

Comms

All ratings207 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative15.9%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive35.8%
Neutral13.4%
Negative50.7%

User reviews

Ground School

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent ground school app
  • 👍 Comprehensive and well-presented content
  • 🎓 Helpful for passing written exams
  • 👍 Great for both new and experienced pilots
  • 🎓 Useful for CFIs to stay sharp

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
  • 🔍 Lack of desktop version
  • 🔍 Limited flashcard and spaced-repetition features
  • 🔍 Need for more interactive chart/sectional practice
  • 🐛 Some questions have outdated or incorrect answers

Comms

From 207 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great practice app for student pilots
  • 👍 Helpful for improving communication with ATC/Tower
  • 💡 Active developers responsive to feedback

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App is broken and unusable for many users
  • 🤖 Not accurate or realistic enough
  • 👎 Voice recognition/speech-to-text is poor
  • 💰 Paid app with limited value compared to free resources

Bugs and requests

Ground School

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Syncing issues between iPhone and iPad
  • Some questions have incorrect or outdated answers

Requested features

4 requests
  • Desktop version of the app
  • More robust flashcard and spaced-repetition system
  • Deeper interactive practice with sectional charts
  • Expansion to commercial and ATP levels

Comms

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and becomes unusable after account setup
  • Incompatible with latest iOS versions
  • Provides incorrect information that goes against FAA guidelines

Requested features

3 requests
  • More detailed and comprehensive pilot scenarios
  • Improved voice recognition and speech-to-text accuracy
  • Better alignment with FAA instructions and procedures

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Ground School

Subscriptions10
  • All-Access – Monthly Plan2 variants$49.991 Month
  • All-Access – Monthly Plan3 Days trial$49.991 Month
  • All-Access – Monthly Plan14 Days trial$49.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • All-Access – 3-Month Plan$149.993 Months
  • All-Access – 3-Month Plan3 Days trial$149.993 Months
  • All-Access – 3-Month Plan (Sale)3 Days trial$149.993 Months
  • All-Access – Annual Plan$299.991 Year
  • All-Access – Annual Plan3 Days trial$299.991 Year
  • All Access – Annual Plan (Sale)3 Days trial$299.991 Year
  • All-Access – Annual Plan14 Days trial$299.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$299.99
10 purchases

Comms

Subscriptions4
  • Comms Premium Weekly2 variants$6.997 Days
  • Comms Premium Monthly2 variants$14.991 Month
  • Comms Premium Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Comms Premium Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time6
  • Study Guide Private Pilot w/Premium$9.99
  • 25 Scan Credits$9.99
  • Pro - Unlock All Comms$12.99
Show 3 more
  • Study Guide Commercial Pilot$14.99
  • 50 Scan Credits$14.99
  • Study Guide Private Pilot$19.99

Questions

Is Ground School free?
Ground School is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Comms free?
Comms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ground School or Comms?
Ground School is rated higher. Ground School averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Comms averages 4.2 from 207 ratings.
Do Ground School or Comms have ads?
Neither Ground School nor Comms shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ground School or Comms?
Ground School ships an update every 8 days, and Comms every 4 days. Most recently, Ground School was updated on September 23, 2026 and Comms on September 23, 2026.

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