PilotCalc vs PPL Pilot Logbook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PilotCalc
This utility app helps pilots log flight details and calculate various time durations. It offers a free version with core features and optional in-app purchases for enhanced customization and additional calculators.
- Flight log for basic flight information
- Automatic calculation of block, airborne, duty, and tech log times
- Departure countdown with customizable alerts
- Time calculator for hours and minutes
- Decimal time calculator
- Basic arithmetic calculator
- Customizable keyboard colors
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PilotCalc is a utility comprising a mini Flight Log and Time Calculator. The basic functionality of the Time Calculator and the Flight Log is free with no ads, but there are two one-off in-app purchases available to extend the usefulness of the app and to customise its appearance. The Flight Log is designed to enable pilots to log basic flight information and a few notes for a series of flights. It automatically calculates the associated block, airborne, duty and tech log times. If scheduled times are entered before flight, it also provides a countdown to departure. The Flight Log can be used in UTC or system time. Buying the Flight Log Preferences in-app purchase allows for customisation of the Flight Log. This customisation includes: - Tailoring the departure countdown, including adding and removing alert times, changing associated colours and the option to enable audio and/or background notifications for each countdown alert. - Displaying elapsed times in hours and minutes or in decimals. - Changing the default periods used for calculating the Duty Start and Duty End times. - Changing the tech log calculation to use block times instead of airborne times. The Time Calculator is designed to add up logbook entries with minimal keystrokes, but can be used for any hours and minutes calculations, including those involving elapsed time within a 24 hour period (useful for those duty time sums at the end of a long night). There are no practical limits to the number of hours that can be added, but time calculations resulting in negative time values are not supported. All calculations are held in a rolling tape for reference. The free version of PilotCalc offers three different calculator keyboard colour options and includes the hours and minutes time calculator. Opting to pay for the Calculator Preferences in-app purchase unlocks eight additional keyboard colours and two additional calculators - a decimal time calculator and a basic arithmetic calculator. With the Calculator Preferences enabled, hours and minutes calculations and decimal calculations are automatically converted when switching between the two time calculators. The app was developed to work well on the relatively small screen of an iPhone but scales effectively to the larger iPad screens. This version does not allow synchronisation between devices. Please visit www.coldaridcode.com for more information or follow us @coldaridcode for the latest news. If you find PilotCalc useful we would really appreciate a review on the App Store!
PPL Pilot Logbook
Easily log and track your flights with essential flight information. This app serves as a digital backup for your paper logbook, prefilling details and offering quick entry options. It supports a vast database of airports and allows for PDF or CSV exports.
- Prefill log entries with profile preferences
- Quick autofill for new logs
- Extensive airport database
- Automatic flight calculations
- Export logs to PDF/CSV
- Dashboard view of last flights
- Customizable reports and filters
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Logging and tracking your flights has never been easier. The PPL Pilot Logbook has been designed for light aircraft pilots and student pilots. No complicated forms to fill, just enter the essential flight info to keep a record of your flights. This will be a perfect digital backup of your paper logbook. Features: - Set information on your profile with your preferred aircraft type, registration, etc. and new logs will be prefilled with your preferences every time - Autofill makes adding a new log quick and easy - Select from over 30,000 available airports/airfields (covering the USA, Europe, and Australia) or add your own - All calculations are done for you - Export to PDF in EASA standard report or CSV format locally on your device - View your last flights from the main dashboard - Report listing your flying details and totals - Filters on the logs list - No registration required, no data collection
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PPL Pilot Logbook at none against PilotCalc's 5. PPL Pilot Logbook also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. PilotCalc sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. PPL Pilot Logbook asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for PilotCalc against 4.8 for PPL Pilot Logbook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
PilotCalc ships an update every 2 weeks, PPL Pilot Logbook every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | PilotCalc | PPL Pilot Logbook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (10 ratings) — better | 4.8 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ian Longshaw | Ademar Gomes |
Customer experience
PilotCalc
PPL Pilot Logbook
In-app purchases
PilotCalc
- Calculator Colour Pack One$0.49
- Calculator Colour Pack Two$0.49
- Countdown Preferences$0.99
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- Calculator Preferences$1.99
- Flight Log Preferences$1.99
PPL Pilot Logbook
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PilotCalc free?
Is PPL Pilot Logbook free?
Which has better reviews, PilotCalc or PPL Pilot Logbook?
Do PilotCalc or PPL Pilot Logbook have ads?
Which is updated more often, PilotCalc or PPL Pilot Logbook?
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