Comparison

Ground School vs Checkride Ready PPL

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

Head to head
About

Ground School

This app provides comprehensive FAA test preparation for aspiring pilots. It combines expert instruction with engaging videos, CG animations, and practice tests to ensure users pass their written exams and become safer pilots.

Highlights
  • Expert FAA flight instructor knowledge
  • Engaging video demonstrations
  • Cutting-edge CG animations
  • Over 1,000 practice questions
  • Pilot Perspective filming
  • 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

Checkride Ready PPL

Prepare for your Private Pilot checkride with a focused study tool. Review essential knowledge, practice with flashcards and quizzes, and decode aviation weather reports. This app simplifies your study process for upcoming checkrides.

Highlights
  • FAA ACS study material
  • Flashcards for quick recall
  • Quizzes with immediate feedback
  • METAR, TAF, PIREP, NOTAM decoding
  • Organized study guidance
Features
Read full description

Get ready for your Private Pilot checkride with a focused study tool built around the FAA Airman Certification Standards. Checkride Ready helps you review the knowledge you need without digging through pages of unnecessary information. ACS STUDY Review Private Pilot ACS Areas and Tasks with organized, easy-to-read study material, quick-reference tables, detailed explanations, and checkride-focused guidance. FLASHCARDS Build fast recall of important regulations, weather concepts, aircraft systems, airspace, performance, limitations, and more. QUIZZES Test your knowledge with Private Pilot questions covering topics you may encounter during checkride preparation. Get immediate feedback and explanations so you understand why an answer is correct. REPORTS & WEATHER Practice reading and decoding METARs, TAFs, PIREPs, and NOTAMs with examples ranging from simple to complex. Whether your checkride is months away or coming up soon, Checkride Ready gives you a simple place to study, review, and test your knowledge.

Screenshots

Ground School4 screens
Checkride Ready PPL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Checkride Ready PPL at none against Ground School's 10. Checkride Ready PPL also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%). Ground School's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 2). On price, rating, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ground School sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month. Checkride Ready PPL asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Ground School against 5.0 for Checkride Ready PPL. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground School has 1.8K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Ground School's written reviews are positive against 100% of Checkride Ready PPL's.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ground School versus Checkride Ready PPL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGround SchoolCheckride Ready PPL
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (1.8K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.8K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size215 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOn The Flight Line Productions LLCJACK THOMAS PUSATERA

Customer experience

Ground School

All ratings1,764 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews136 reviews
Positive88.2%
Neutral5.1%
Negative6.6%

Checkride Ready PPL

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Checkride Ready PPL

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Ground School

Subscriptions9
  • 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 6 more
  • 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
None

Checkride Ready PPL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ground School free?
Ground School is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Checkride Ready PPL free?
Checkride Ready PPL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ground School or Checkride Ready PPL?
Checkride Ready PPL is rated higher. Ground School averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Checkride Ready PPL averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Ground School or Checkride Ready PPL have ads?
Neither Ground School nor Checkride Ready PPL shows ads.

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