Hello Tower vs The Airline Simulator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hello Tower
Experience realistic airport ground control with this simulation app. Manage aircraft movements, issue clearances, and handle emergencies across over 40 diverse airports. Progress from simple single-runway operations to complex hub airports.
- Airport ground maneuvering simulation
- Over 40 different airports
- Simplified and real-size airport versions
- Pushback, taxi, and take-off clearances
- Emergency handling
- Level-based progression
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Airport ground maneuvering simulation of more than 40 different airports including London Heathrow LHR, Philadelphia PHL, Miami Intl. MIA, Singapore, New York JFK, Las Vegas LAS, São Paulo GRU, Montreal YUL, Boston BOS, and many more. Different versions of airports included: - Play the simplified version, where the airport is scaled down to an easy playable experience. - Play the real thing. Here the whole airport is in real size displayed, where all your skills are required. Features - Give pushback, taxi, holding and take-off clearances. - Handle emergencies and try to release all flights on time in order to release the next level. From an easy single-runway operation at the beginning to demanding hub airports with multiple active runways where all your skills are required.
The Airline Simulator
Design your own airline, from aircraft liveries and logos to cabin configurations. Fly over 70 aircraft to more than 2,230 airports globally, with real-world data influencing flight demands. Track flights live on an interactive map.
- Design custom aircraft liveries and logos
- Choose from 70+ modern airliners
- Fly to 2,230+ global airports
- Design unique cabin configurations
- Interactive live flight tracking
- Real-world data based flight demands
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Build your dream airline with The Airline Simulator! Design your aircraft liveries and airline logos. Choose from 70+ planes and fly to 2,230+ airports worldwide. FLY FROM 2,230+ GLOBAL AIRPORTS 2,230+ Airports worldwide are supported! Each airport has its own operations and aircraft limits based on actual airports. Popular airports also come with unique illustrations. CUSTOM LOGO & LIVERY White or default liveries are boring! Create your airline's unique logo and livery that applies to all your aircraft. Choose from 20+ livery types and 40+ logo types. 70+ MODERN AIRLINERS Choose from 70+ aircraft from Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer! Our aircraft data is up-to-date, including the Airbus A321LR, Airbus A321XLR, Boeing 737 MAX 10, Airbus A350-900ULR… and more. DESIGN UNIQUE CABIN CONFIGURATION Not all economy class seats are the same, and every aircraft has different configurations! Create unique seat configurations for every aircraft you own by choosing the seat product, layout and pitch for each class! Build anything from a dense 3-4-3 Airbus A350 to an all business Boeing 787. INTERACTIVE LIVE FLIGHT TRACKING We know you don't want to just look at screens with a bunch of lists. View how your flights are operating and even others' flights on the interactive map in real-time! REAL-WORLD DATA BASED DEMAND Already know which routes are busy in the real world? Our flight demands are based on real-world data. Operate 10+ daily flights on popular routes like JFK-LAX and HND-CTS! Start your aviation journey today and take to the skies!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: The Airline Simulator at Free against Hello Tower's $2.99. The Airline Simulator also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (90% vs 71%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
The Airline Simulator is free to download; Hello Tower costs $2.99 up front. Hello Tower sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and The Airline Simulator sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The Airline Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Airline Simulator has 968 ratings behind it against 66, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Hello Tower's written reviews are positive against 90% of The Airline Simulator's.
Hello Tower ships an update every 9 days, The Airline Simulator every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hello Tower | The Airline Simulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (66 ratings) | 4.7 (968 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.7% of reviews | 90.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 66 | 968 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 412 MB | 180 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sascha Trachsel | HyungMoon Ko |
Customer experience
Hello Tower
The Airline Simulator
User reviews
Hello Tower
From 66 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Realistic simulation
- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 👍 Good graphics
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Addictive and fun
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Unintuitive UI
- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Frequent game over on small mistakes
- 🐛 Lack of tutorial
The Airline Simulator
From 968 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✅ Engaging airline management mechanics with realistic economic decisions
- ✅ Great variety of aircraft models to choose from
- ✅ Free-to-play model makes the game accessible
- ✅ Strong potential to become the best airline simulation game
Room to improve
- 🔹 Limited airline competition and alliances
- 🔹 Lack of airport upgrades and terminal customization
- 🔹 Absence of real-world airline challenges like delays and maintenance
- 🔹 Unrealistic aircraft unlocking system
Bugs and requests
Hello Tower
Reported bugs
37 issues- Flight freezing on runway holding and turns
- Aircraft getting stuck and blocking routes
- 30-second departure timer disappearing
- Aircraft crashing with held aircraft on taxiway
- Levels not unlocking
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- Game freezes/crashes, especially at Heathrow
- Separation logic errors
- Aircraft not selectable
- Game hangs/freezes after updates
- New UI is confusing and unreadable
- Sounds missing after update
- Focus on aircraft and readability worsened
- Aircraft symbols obscured by labels
- Tapping messages only selects aircraft once
- Parking spots shown as available when occupied
- Planes crossing paths and getting stuck
- Aircraft becoming 'ghosts' blocking routes
- Runway timer resets to zero before 30 seconds
- Departure separation timer sometimes fails to appear
- Recent updates have made the game fiddly and difficult
- UI is worse after recent updates
- Levels changed after recent updates
- Game becomes unplayable after updates
- Aircraft roll with extreme speed
- UI for iPhones is terrible
- Previous version was better
- Custom game mode is buggy
- Some airport orientations are off
- Ground radars not oriented to true north
- Cannot make aircraft move
- Cannot park landed aircraft
- Game ends with blocked runway when it's not
- Impossible timings leading to penalties
- Aircraft launching in both directions on the same runway simultaneously
- Departure slot timer bug
- Aircraft on final approach not being able to be directed away
- Aircraft on runway preventing others from crossing
Requested features
23 requests- Add more airports (US, European, Asian, Indian cities)
- Add an endless/sandbox mode
- Add AI voice recognition and ATC dialogues
- Implement a tutorial or walk-through
- Add a 'continue game' or save progress option
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- Add more realistic separation rules and traffic patterns
- Improve UI and controls (smaller buttons, better organization)
- Add option to designate departure/arrival runways
- Add rejected takeoffs, emergency vehicles, emergency inbounds
- Add ability to call a go-around
- Allow custom stop points
- Add more sounds for aircraft
- Add a smaller tutorial airport
- Add day/night environment switching
- Add towing/pushback option for stuck aircraft
- Add Chinese language support
- Add more content/levels, possibly a sequel
- Improve graphics and aircraft dynamics
- Add music and better menu
- Add indication when flights actually depart
- Add beacon lights to taxiway hotspots
- Add more realistic taxi speeds and turnaround times
- Add runway vacation instructions
The Airline Simulator
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game crashes when trying to buy planes
- Profit claiming issue where only $743 is added instead of $743K
Requested features
7 requests- Competitive airline market and alliances
- Airport and terminal upgrades
- Realistic airline operations and challenges
- Advanced aircraft customization and fleet management
- Improved route scheduling and revenue optimization
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- Enhanced branding and customization options
- Realistic aircraft unlocking system
In-app purchases
Hello Tower
- Hello Tower Test$0.99
- Airport Pack$0.99
- Sandbox test2 variants$0.99
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- Airport Pack$1.99
The Airline Simulator
- Small Diamonds$0.99
- Welcome Pack II$2.99
- Narrowbody Pack$4.99
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- Small Pile of Diamonds$4.99
- Welcome Pack$4.99
- Ultra Long Range Pack$9.99
- Flagship Aircraft Pack$9.99
- Customization Points Pack$9.99
- Daily Operations Pack$9.99
- Acceleration Potion Package$9.99
- Large Pile of Diamonds$9.99
- Subsidiary Slot Pack$10.99
- Small Chest of Diamonds$19.99
- Large Chest of Diamonds$49.99
Questions
Is Hello Tower free?
Is The Airline Simulator free?
Which has better reviews, Hello Tower or The Airline Simulator?
Do Hello Tower or The Airline Simulator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hello Tower or The Airline Simulator?
Other comparisons
