# Private Pilot Test Prep vs PatternCall

The clearest difference is rating: Private Pilot Test Prep at 4.8 against PatternCall's 4.0. Private Pilot Test Prep also leads on ratings volume (1.5K vs 1). PatternCall's advantage is update cadence (daily vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private Pilot Test Prep sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and PatternCall sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Private Pilot Test Prep holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Private Pilot Test Prep has 1.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Private Pilot Test Prep ships an update fortnightly, PatternCall daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Pilot Test Prep | PatternCall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-test-prep-faa/id1455479633/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patterncall-learn-pilot-radio/id6766146765/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 84.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 122 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aeroapps Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/923860276) | [Broken Cloud Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896212943) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Pilot Test Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-test-prep-faa/id1455479633)

Prepare for the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test with over 900 practice questions and detailed explanations. Customize study sessions, review missed questions, and take simulated exams that mirror the official test format and question distribution. Unlock a complete ground school course for advanced features and tracking.

**Highlights:** Over 900 FAA practice questions, Detailed explanations and references, Customizable study sessions, Practice sessions from missed questions, Simulated FAA exams, Data sync across iOS devices, Instructor endorsement upon course completion

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Private Pilot Course Trial | Free | one-time |
| Private Pilot Test Prep | $49.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Ground School | $99.99 | one-time |
| Private Pilot Ground School | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Thorough course with good foundation
- 🚀 Great graphics and easy to follow
- 🚀 Helped pass the FAA exam
- 🚀 Realistic practice exams with FARs and AIMs
- 🚀 Excellent explanations and figures

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Grading issues and incorrect marking of answers
- 🐛 Frequent app updates required, causing issues for users with poor internet
- 🐛 Inability to review missed questions after exiting the app
- 🐛 Lack of zoom and drawing tools for charts
- 🐛 Crashes and login issues reported

**Reported bugs**

- Grading issues and incorrect marking of answers
- Frequent app updates required, causing issues for users with poor internet
- Inability to review missed questions after exiting the app
- Crashes and login issues reported

**Requested features**

- Add sound when choosing correct answers
- Provide separate guides for each chapter
- Offer 50-question practice tests by chapter
- Allow users to pause and resume simulated tests
- Provide a bank of all practice tests and simulated tests


### PatternCall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patterncall-learn-pilot-radio/id6766146765)

Practice real air traffic control radio calls with personalized scenarios based on your home airport and callsign. Receive instant, detailed feedback on every transmission to build confidence and accuracy. Offers structured learning paths for various flight operations, from basic communication to advanced IFR procedures.

**Highlights:** Personalized ATC scenarios, Real airport frequencies, Instant element-by-element feedback, Multiple difficulty modes, Structured learning paths, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PatternCall Pro | $5.99 | per month |
| PatternCall Pro Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Pilot Test Prep free?

Private Pilot Test Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PatternCall free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Private Pilot Test Prep or PatternCall?

Private Pilot Test Prep is rated higher. Private Pilot Test Prep averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while PatternCall averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Private Pilot Test Prep or PatternCall have ads?

Neither Private Pilot Test Prep nor PatternCall shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Private Pilot Test Prep or PatternCall?

Private Pilot Test Prep ships an update fortnightly, and PatternCall daily. Most recently, Private Pilot Test Prep was updated on October 25, 2026 and PatternCall on October 18, 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.*