Comparison

Active Runway vs Drone Scout

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

Head to head
About

Active Runway

This app simplifies runway calculations for pilots, offering quick and easy decisions in the cockpit. It displays the runway with the least crosswind based on available runways and wind direction, and can also pull airport weather to automatically calculate the preferred runway.

Highlights
  • Quick runway calculations
  • Least crosswind display
  • Airport weather integration
  • Automatic preferred runway calculation
  • Offline functionality
Read full description

When your workload is high, calculating the best runway for landing can be difficult. Active Runway makes it quick and simple. Built for pilots who need fast runway decisions in the cockpit, Active Runway is designed to be simple to use, easy to read, and fully functional without cell service. Just move the sliders to the available runways and current wind direction, then tap Calculate. Active Runway will display the runway with the least crosswind — that's it. New: Load any airport to pull current and forecasted weather, and Active Runway will automatically calculate the preferred runway for you. I hope you find this app helpful in the cockpit. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

About

Drone Scout

This app helps US drone pilots navigate airspace regulations and find optimal flight locations. It features an FAA airspace map, an AI spot finder, and a 3D flight simulator to scout sites and rehearse shots before flying.

Highlights
  • FAA airspace map with real-time verdicts
  • AI-powered spot finder for best locations
  • Photorealistic 3D flight simulator
  • Weather forecasting for optimal flight times
  • Saved spots for future reference
  • Drone catalog for aircraft specs
Features
Read full description

Drone Scout combines an FAA airspace map, an AI spot finder, and a photorealistic 3D flight simulator in one app for US drone pilots. Everything starts from the map. Roam the real world in 3D, drop a pin anywhere, and a green, yellow, or red verdict appears for that exact point, with the reasons behind it. 3D FLIGHT SIMULATOR Fly a virtual drone through a photorealistic 3D version of any real location before you drive there. Scout the site, rehearse the shot, and see restricted airspace as ceilings you can fly right up to. Twin sticks, a live HUD with altitude, heading, speed, and wind, all tuned to your aircraft's real specs from the drone catalog. NO-FLY ZONE MAP Controlled airspace, prohibited zones, stadium TFRs, and National Park Service lands drawn as real shapes over the map instead of a list of warnings. LAANC grid cells float at their true ceiling altitude, so a 400 ft limit becomes something you can see. Tap any zone for its name, ceiling, and authorization detail, and watch the verdict update as you move the pin. BEST SPOTS, BEST TIME Pin a point, set a radius, and let AI Scout analyze the whole area. It scores candidate launch spots against airspace, weather, ground clearance, and nearby scenery, then ranks the best ones for you. Every spot comes with a real photo, its authorization status, its altitude ceiling, and the time window when conditions are actually good: wind, gusts, visibility, precipitation, cloud cover, and temperature. Bookmark the ones worth keeping and they wait for you in Saved Spots. BUILT FOR US PILOTS Airspace from FAA data, park no-fly boundaries from the National Park Service, weather from Open-Meteo. Made for recreational and Part 107 pilots who want a quick, reliable read before they launch. IMPORTANT Drone Scout is an informational tool only. It is not an FAA authorization and does not replace LAANC or official airspace guidance. Coverage is limited to the United States. Always confirm current rules and conditions before you fly, and follow all FAA regulations. SUBSCRIPTION The no-fly zone map, point verdicts, and weather are free to use. A subscription unlocks AI Scout and unlimited simulator flights, and every new pilot gets three free simulator launches to try it first. You can view, change, or cancel your subscription at any time from your Apple account settings under Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://www.bronixlabs.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Drone Scout4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Drone Scout at 4.5 against Active Runway's 1.0. Drone Scout also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1) and device support. Active Runway's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price and review sentiment 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. Drone Scout sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Active Runway asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drone Scout holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 0% and 0% positive.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Active Runway versus Drone Scout: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterActive RunwayDrone Scout
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.5 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequency—Weekly
Ads—No
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Devices—iPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLawrence MasulloScate

Customer experience

Active Runway

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Drone Scout

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Active Runway

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Drone Scout

Subscriptions2
  • Drone Scout Weekly$7.997 Days
  • Drone Scout Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Active Runway free?
Active Runway is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drone Scout free?
Drone Scout is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Active Runway or Drone Scout?
Drone Scout is rated higher. Active Runway averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Drone Scout averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.

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