# AeroWeather Lite vs Garmin Pilot

The clearest difference is rating: Garmin Pilot at 4.7 against AeroWeather Lite's 3.5. Garmin Pilot also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 160). AeroWeather Lite's advantage is review sentiment (54% vs 42%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AeroWeather Lite sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Garmin Pilot sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Garmin Pilot holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Pilot has 4.2K ratings behind it against 160, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of AeroWeather Lite's written reviews are positive against 42% of Garmin Pilot's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

AeroWeather Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, Garmin Pilot fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AeroWeather Lite | Garmin Pilot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (160 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aeroweather-lite/id288286079/reviews) | **[4.7 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-pilot/id340917615/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 160 | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **53.8% of reviews** | 41.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #109 | **#68** |
| Size | 81 MB | 676 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lakehorn AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/288286082) | [Garmin DCI](https://appshunter.io/developer/309920282) |

## What reviewers say

### AeroWeather Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aeroweather-lite/id288286079)

**Currently charting:** #109 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

Access current and precise weather conditions and forecasts for airports worldwide. View data in raw or decoded formats, with offline access and customizable alerts. Ideal for pilots and weather enthusiasts seeking detailed meteorological information.

**Highlights:** METAR and TAF data, Raw and decoded formats, Offline access, Customizable METAR alerts, Airport database, Nearby stations groups, Today widget

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Captain (monthly) | $1.49 | per month |
| First (Yearly) | $5.49 | per year |
| Captain (Yearly) | $8.99 | per year |
| Remove Ad-Banner | $2.49 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent weather information
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔍 Helpful weather decoding
- 💻 Great for pilots and aviation enthusiasts
- 🔍 Detailed weather data

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes after updates
- 🚫 Missing data for some locations (especially outside USA)
- 💰 Subscription model for full features
- 🔍 Confusing app versions (Lite, Pro, etc.)
- 🔍 Cluttered UI after recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and data loading failures
- Saved airports disappearing after updates
- Inconsistent data refresh and update issues
- Incompatibility with certain mobile networks

**Requested features**

- Add more airports, especially in Australia and Canada
- Improve dark mode and overall UI consistency
- Restore old features like METAR history and crosswind calculation
- Provide better customer support and communication


### Garmin Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-pilot/id340917615)

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Grossing · Weather, #157 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This app offers comprehensive tools for general aviation and corporate pilots, including flight planning, interactive maps, weather briefings, and navigation. It streamlines pre-flight preparation, filing, inflight navigation, and post-flight logging with an intuitive interface.

**Highlights:** Pre-flight planning with aviation weather data, Interactive maps with track-up navigation, Flight plan filing via Leidos Flight Service or DUATS, En-route navigation with moving map and GPS panel, Electronic logbook with automatic GPS data generation, Real-time weather and traffic information (with compatible hardware)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Africa Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Pilot Asia Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Australia Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Canada Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Europe Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Latin American Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| U.S. Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot Latin America Premium | $184.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot U.S. Premium | $209.99 | one-time |
| Worldwide Premium | $599.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent EFB app
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Garmin avionics
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Reliable and stable
- 👍 Great features like engine monitoring and data recording

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Clunky and multi-step process to view plates
- 🐛 Issues with NOTAM updates and database concierge
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and lockups
- 🐛 Winds aloft data often inaccurate
- 🐛 Lacks support for some aircraft models

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when viewing weather data
- Weight and balance profile import/export issues
- Database concierge not working as expected
- Inability to file VFR flight plans in some regions
- Groundspeed and track data not working on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to mark up and annotate charts
- Vertical navigation view
- Cabin altitude/hypoxia warning
- Apple Watch app
- Passenger app for flight following


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AeroWeather Lite free?

AeroWeather Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Garmin Pilot free?

Garmin Pilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, AeroWeather Lite or Garmin Pilot?

Garmin Pilot is rated higher. AeroWeather Lite averages 3.5 out of 5 from 160 ratings, while Garmin Pilot averages 4.7 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do AeroWeather Lite or Garmin Pilot have ads?

AeroWeather Lite shows ads; Garmin Pilot does not.

### Which is updated more often, AeroWeather Lite or Garmin Pilot?

AeroWeather Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, and Garmin Pilot fortnightly. Most recently, AeroWeather Lite was updated on November 6, 2026 and Garmin Pilot on November 8, 2026.

### Which is more popular, AeroWeather Lite or Garmin Pilot?

AeroWeather Lite currently peaks at #109 in the App Store charts, and Garmin Pilot at #68. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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