# Drone Cadets vs Athena Network

The clearest difference is rating: Drone Cadets at 4.9 against Athena Network's 4.0. Drone Cadets also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). Athena Network's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Drone Cadets holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Drone Cadets's written reviews are positive against 67% of Athena Network's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 6, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone Cadets | Athena Network |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-cadets/id1576783959/reviews)** | [4.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athena-network/id1628317342/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 336 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [DRONE TECH USA, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1576783961) | [Ammar Fakih](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628317344) |

## What reviewers say

### Drone Cadets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-cadets/id1576783959)

Engage with cutting-edge drone technology through a virtual reality simulator, competitive races, and mission-based challenges. Customize drones and unlock new vehicles with in-game currency earned or purchased.

**Highlights:** Virtual reality drone simulator, Drone racing with online multiplayer, Mission simulators (firefighting, rescue, etc.), Drone customization options, Unlockable vehicles with in-game currency, Educational content on drone technology

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Athena Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athena-network/id1628317342)

Easily browse college courses, plan your academic schedule, and discover campus events. Build a custom profile and explore campus happenings. Designed for students at participating institutions.

**Highlights:** Browse course catalogs, Plan academic schedules, Add classes and events to calendar, Explore campus Discover Page, Build custom user profiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone Cadets free?

Drone Cadets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Athena Network free?

Athena Network is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drone Cadets or Athena Network?

Drone Cadets is rated higher. Drone Cadets averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Athena Network averages 4.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Drone Cadets or Athena Network have ads?

Neither Drone Cadets nor Athena Network shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone Cadets or Athena Network?

Drone Cadets ships an update every 3 weeks, and Athena Network every 3 weeks. Most recently, Drone Cadets was updated on July 6, 2026 and Athena Network on June 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*