Comparison

PilotCalc vs PilotBox

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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!

About

PilotBox

This aviation utility app provides pilots with automated weather reports, significant weather charts, and essential flight calculation tools. It offers features like fuel uplift calculation, temperature altitude corrections, and a coordinates converter, accessible on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • Automated Weather (METAR & TAF)
  • Significant Weather Charts
  • Fuel Uplift Calculator
  • Temperature Altitude Corrections
  • iPhone Widgets
  • Watch App
  • Coordinates Converter
Features
Read full description

Pilot Weather and Tools perfect for Airline Pilots - Fully Automated Weather (METAR & TAF) - Significant Weather Charts - Fuel Uplift Calculator - Temperature Altitude Corrections - iPhone Widgets - Watch App - Useful Aviation Tools - Coordinates Converter Find out more: https://pilotbox.app Payments and Subscriptions: Subscription payments will be charged to your Apple Account once you confirm your purchase. Subscription automatically renews at the end of your current subscription period, unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours prior to end of the current period. Terms of Service: https://pilotbox.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://pilotbox.app/privacy/

Screenshots

PilotCalc4 screens
PilotBox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: PilotBox at 26 against PilotCalc's 8. PilotCalc's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. PilotCalc sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and PilotBox sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for PilotCalc against 4.9 for PilotBox. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 26 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PilotCalc ships an update every 2 weeks, PilotBox every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PilotCalc versus PilotBox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPilotCalcPilotBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (8 ratings)4.9 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings826 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB170 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIan LongshawAero Notion Limited

Customer experience

PilotCalc

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PilotBox

All ratings26 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

PilotCalc

One-time5
  • Calculator Colour Pack One$0.49
  • Calculator Colour Pack Two$0.49
  • Countdown Preferences$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Calculator Preferences$1.99
  • Flight Log Preferences$1.99
2 purchases

PilotBox

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$24.991 Year

Questions

Is PilotCalc free?
PilotCalc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PilotBox free?
PilotBox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PilotCalc or PilotBox?
PilotBox is rated higher. PilotCalc averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while PilotBox averages 4.9 from 26 ratings.
Do PilotCalc or PilotBox have ads?
Neither PilotCalc nor PilotBox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PilotCalc or PilotBox?
PilotCalc ships an update every 2 weeks, and PilotBox every 3 weeks. Most recently, PilotCalc was updated on June 1, 2026 and PilotBox on September 21, 2026.

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