# Ground School vs PilotBound

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PilotBound at none against Ground School's 12. Ground School's advantage is ratings volume (1.7K vs 2) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ground School sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month. PilotBound asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Ground School against 5.0 for PilotBound. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground School has 1.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Ground School ships an update every 8 days, PilotBound every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ground School | PilotBound |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-school/id1444387206/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotbound-flight-training/id6767065288/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 88.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 212 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [On The Flight Line Productions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/328833131) | [FlightXplorer LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1729145029) |

## What reviewers say

### Ground School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-school/id1444387206)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan (Sale) | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| All Access – Annual Plan (Sale) | $299.99 | per year |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### PilotBound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotbound-flight-training/id6767065288)

This app provides a personalized roadmap for aspiring pilots, guiding them from the initial decision to fly through to passing their checkride. It tracks flight hours and costs against a custom plan, offering CFI guidance at each step. Users can log flights, monitor progress, and understand their real expenses.

**Highlights:** Personalized flight training roadmap, Cost projection and tracking, Flight hour logging, Progress monitoring against requirements, CFI guidance on training steps, Per-aircraft and per-certificate costing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ground School free?

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

### Is PilotBound free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ground School or PilotBound?

PilotBound is rated higher. Ground School averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while PilotBound averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Ground School or PilotBound have ads?

Neither Ground School nor PilotBound shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ground School or PilotBound?

Ground School ships an update every 8 days, and PilotBound every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ground School was updated on September 23, 2026 and PilotBound on September 11, 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.*