# ALTA QGroundControl vs AutoPylot For Drones

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AutoPylot For Drones at 76% against ALTA QGroundControl's 25%. AutoPylot For Drones also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). ALTA QGroundControl's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AutoPylot For Drones sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. ALTA QGroundControl asks for nothing beyond the download.

AutoPylot For Drones holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AutoPylot For Drones has 5.4K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of ALTA QGroundControl's written reviews are positive against 76% of AutoPylot For Drones's.

ALTA QGroundControl ships an update every 6 months, AutoPylot For Drones monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ALTA QGroundControl | AutoPylot For Drones |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alta-qgroundcontrol/id1447536334/reviews) | **[4.9 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autopylot-for-drones/id1612739014/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **5.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **76.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 43 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FREEFLY SYSTEMS INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/989927805) | [AutoPylot, INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1612739436) |

## What reviewers say

### ALTA QGroundControl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alta-qgroundcontrol/id1447536334)

This application allows users to configure aircraft settings and execute sophisticated autonomous waypoint missions. It is specifically designed for use with ALTA Pro drones.

**Highlights:** Adjust aircraft settings, Fly autonomous waypoint missions, Designed for ALTA Pro, Based on QGroundControl

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### AutoPylot For Drones

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autopylot-for-drones/id1612739014)

This app provides FAA-approved services for drone pilots, including B4UFLY status, LAANC airspace authorizations, and operational awareness. It simplifies flight planning with airspace visualization, weather tools, and customizable safety checklists.

**Highlights:** FAA-approved B4UFLY and LAANC services, Instant flight readiness indicator, Simplified airspace visualization, Near real-time LAANC authorizations, Operational awareness of airspace restrictions, Customizable safety checklists, All-in-one mission management

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AutoPylot+ (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| AutoPylot+ (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| AutoPylot+ (Annual) | $39.99 | per year |
| AutoPylot+ (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast LAANC approval
- 🚀 Intuitive app
- 🚀 Streamlined flight planning
- 👍 Polished weather maps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Missing controlled airspaces
- 🐛 Lack of local/regional restriction maps
- 🐛 No iPad support
- 🐛 Inability to edit missions
- 🐛 Restrictive LAANC request shapes

**Reported bugs**

- Miscategorizing flights as requiring ATC approval
- Lack of controlled airspace information in certain regions

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit missions
- Support for polygonal LAANC requests
- Integration with FAA TFR website
- Access to weather data before LAANC submission
- Support for Part 107 and recreational missions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ALTA QGroundControl free?

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

### Is AutoPylot For Drones free?

AutoPylot For Drones is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ALTA QGroundControl or AutoPylot For Drones?

AutoPylot For Drones is rated higher. ALTA QGroundControl averages 4.0 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while AutoPylot For Drones averages 4.9 from 5.4K ratings.

### Do ALTA QGroundControl or AutoPylot For Drones have ads?

Neither ALTA QGroundControl nor AutoPylot For Drones shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ALTA QGroundControl or AutoPylot For Drones?

ALTA QGroundControl ships an update every 6 months, and AutoPylot For Drones monthly. Most recently, ALTA QGroundControl was updated on October 20, 2026 and AutoPylot For Drones on October 30, 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.*