# Pilot vs Aviation Weather Decoder

The clearest difference is update cadence: Aviation Weather Decoder at every 4 weeks against Pilot's every 31 months. Pilot's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pilot sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year and Aviation Weather Decoder sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pilot ships an update every 31 months, Aviation Weather Decoder every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pilot | Aviation Weather Decoder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-abbr/id1514884438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 31 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pedro Jose Villarroel Cuevas](https://appshunter.io/developer/558476272) | [阳 何](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777476774) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Aviation Weather Decoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aviation-weather-decoder/id6787396332)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Metar Decoder Premium | $0.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pilot free?

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

### Is Aviation Weather Decoder free?

Aviation Weather Decoder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Pilot or Aviation Weather Decoder have ads?

Neither Pilot nor Aviation Weather Decoder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pilot or Aviation Weather Decoder?

Pilot ships an update every 31 months, and Aviation Weather Decoder every 4 weeks. Most recently, Pilot was updated on September 24, 2026 and Aviation Weather Decoder on October 6, 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.*