Comparison

Hello Tower vs ATC Simulator

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

ATC Simulator

Practice air traffic control communication using your voice. Master phonetic alphabet and traffic advisories with realistic radar displays and on-device speech recognition. Track progress and build confidence for aviation academies.

Highlights
  • Voice recognition for ATC communication
  • Realistic radar display
  • NATO phonetic alphabet training
  • Traffic advisory practice
  • On-device speech processing
  • Progress tracking and achievements
Features
Read full description

Train like a controller. Speak like a controller. ATC Tower Trainer is the only iOS app that lets you practice air traffic control skills using your actual voice. Built for ATC academy students, student pilots, and aviation enthusiasts who want to master tower communication before it counts. 5 TRAINING MODES - NATO Phonetic Alphabet — Learn A-Z with voice recognition, track accuracy per letter, unlock achievements, and build streaks - Callsign Practice — Read aircraft callsigns aloud using proper ATC phonetic protocols with real-time voice validation - Traffic Calls — Issue traffic advisories on a live radar display using proper clock position, aircraft type, and direction of flight - Phraseology — Practice standard ATC radio phrases, clearances, and pilot readbacks with AI-powered validation and a mini-map showing aircraft positions - Tower Simulator — Run a full ATC tower with AI pilots flying VFR traffic patterns and ILS arrivals at a parallel-runway airport, all controlled with your voice REALISTIC VOICE INTERACTION Push-to-talk to respond. The app understands real aviation communication — callsigns, aircraft types, clock positions, and phonetic alphabet. All speech processing happens on-device. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Every session tracks your accuracy, streaks, and personal bests. Learning mode lets you study the correct answer before practicing. Achievements reward consistency — not just getting it right, but getting it right repeatedly. BUILT FOR ACADEMY SUCCESS 40% of ATC academy students don't make it through. The ones who practice before day one have a real advantage. ATC Tower Trainer lets you build muscle memory for the communication, cadence, and confidence you'll need — from anywhere, on your own schedule. KEY FEATURES - On-device speech recognition — no internet required - Push-to-talk with haptic feedback - 5 progressive training modes from alphabet to full tower control - Realistic radar display with color-coded aircraft - Multiple GA aircraft types (Cessna, Piper, Bonanza, Cirrus, Mooney) - AI pilots that respond to your voice commands - Achievement tracking, streaks, and personal bests - Learning mode for guided practice - Dark theme designed for extended training sessions - Privacy first — no audio is recorded or transmitted ATC Tower Trainer requires an in-app purchase or active subscription to access the training simulators, voice-powered exercises, and paid app features. Apple Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Hello Tower4 screens
ATC Simulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ATC Simulator at Free against Hello Tower's $2.99. ATC Simulator also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 days). Hello Tower's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.0). On review sentiment, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

ATC Simulator is free to download; Hello Tower costs $2.99 up front. Hello Tower sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and ATC Simulator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hello Tower holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hello Tower has 66 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Hello Tower's written reviews are positive against 75% of ATC Simulator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hello Tower ships an update every 9 days, ATC Simulator every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Hello Tower versus ATC Simulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHello TowerATC Simulator
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (66 ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews70.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings66 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size412 MB253 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSascha TrachselBagging Groceries

Customer experience

Hello Tower

All ratings65 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.8%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral14.6%
Negative14.6%

ATC Simulator

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

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
Show 32 more
  • 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
Show 18 more
  • 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

ATC Simulator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Hello Tower

One-time4
  • Hello Tower Test$0.99
  • Airport Pack$0.99
  • Sandbox test2 variants$0.99
Show 1 more
  • Airport Pack$1.99
3 purchases

ATC Simulator

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Yearly$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Hello Tower free?
Hello Tower costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ATC Simulator free?
ATC Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hello Tower or ATC Simulator?
Hello Tower is rated higher. Hello Tower averages 4.4 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while ATC Simulator averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Hello Tower or ATC Simulator have ads?
ATC Simulator shows ads; Hello Tower does not.
Which is updated more often, Hello Tower or ATC Simulator?
Hello Tower ships an update every 9 days, and ATC Simulator every 2 days. Most recently, Hello Tower was updated on October 30, 2026 and ATC Simulator on October 25, 2026.

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