# xWind vs Pilot

The clearest difference is price: Pilot at Free against xWind's $0.99. xWind's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (75% vs 33%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Pilot is free to download; xWind costs $0.99 up front. Pilot sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. xWind asks for nothing beyond the download.

xWind holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: xWind has 550 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of xWind's written reviews are positive against 33% of Pilot's.

xWind ships an update fortnightly, Pilot every 31 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | xWind | Pilot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (550 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xwind/id1477120117/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-abbr/id1514884438/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **550** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 31 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#119** | — |
| Size | 13 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jan Bloemendaal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477120116) | [Pedro Jose Villarroel Cuevas](https://appshunter.io/developer/558476272) |

## What reviewers say

### xWind

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xwind/id1477120117)

**Currently charting:** #119 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

This tool helps pilots quickly assess wind conditions relative to aircraft limitations. It displays essential wind data, including headwind, crosswind, and tailwind components, along with runway course and wind limits on a single screen for easy reference during flight.

**Highlights:** Headwind, crosswind, and tailwind calculation, Displays current wind direction and speed, Shows runway course, Indicates applied wind limits, Identifies 'forbidden' wind angles, Provides maximum wind speed table, Adjustable wind and runway settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and read
- 👍 Works well for its intended purpose
- 👍 Good interface
- 👍 Remembers settings
- 👍 Helpful for visualizing wind

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Numbers are unlabeled and ambiguous
- 🤔 Not intuitive
- 🤔 Difficult to understand
- 🤔 Instructions could be clearer
- 🤔 Old version was better

**Reported bugs**

- Speed toggle doesn't work, always shows MPS

**Requested features**

- Incorporate gust factors
- 3 customizable buttons for quick limit settings
- Different colored concentric rings inside the red limit ring


### Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-abbr/id1514884438)

This reference app provides flight crews with fast, offline access to over 14,000 aviation abbreviations and acronyms. It includes organized lists for general terms, datalink messages, airports, aircraft registrations, and airlines, drawing from numerous international sources.

**Highlights:** Offline access to 14,000+ aviation abbreviations, Organized lists: general, CPDLC, airports, registrations, airlines, Covers FAA, NOTAM, EASA, Jeppesen, and more, Fast and intuitive search functionality, Created by a pilot for pilots, Optimized for flight planning and in-flight reference

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PilotAbbr Subscription | $4.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is xWind free?

xWind costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pilot free?

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

### Which has better reviews, xWind or Pilot?

xWind is rated higher. xWind averages 4.6 out of 5 from 550 ratings, while Pilot averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do xWind or Pilot have ads?

Neither xWind nor Pilot shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, xWind or Pilot?

xWind ships an update fortnightly, and Pilot every 31 months. Most recently, xWind was updated on October 17, 2026 and Pilot on October 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*