Comparison

ATC 4.0 vs Warplanes

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

Head to head
About

ATC 4.0

Take on the role of an air traffic controller and make critical decisions to manage flights and prevent disasters. Oversee all aircraft in your airspace, guiding them safely to their destinations. Thousands of passengers depend on your split-second judgment.

Highlights
  • Manage all flights in your airspace
  • Make split-second decisions to avert disaster
  • Detailed graphics with weather effects
  • Multiple plane types and airports
  • 49 challenging levels
  • Internet highscore leaderboards
  • Featured scenarios like emergencies and no-fly-zones
Features
Read full description

Control the Whole Sky! The fate of thousands rests in your hands, as AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, you must routinely make split-second decisions to avert disaster! Are you up to the task? From the flight control center you oversee all flights in your airspace and you need to control all in and outgoing flights. Be aware that thousands of passengers depend on you! ********* SPECIAL LIMITED TIME SALE ********* To reward our loyal fans, and due to the great success of ATC 4.0, we decided to place ATC on SALE! For a limited time, ATC 4.0 will be reduced from its regular price the lowest possible price in the App Store! We initially wanted to go on sale for 1 week, but we decided to extend the sale for a little while longer. We will return to our normal price very soon, so act quickly! Thanks again to all of our loyal fans! ***** Find out what critics are saying ***** Macworld 4 ½ out 5 “In short order, ATC 4.0 has become one of my favorite iPhone games” AppCraver 10 out 10 “I dig ATC 4.0 in a major way. It’s innovative, challenging and smart. If you like sims, then you’ll want to wrap your head around this one.” SlideToPlay 3 out 4 “We found that ATC 4.0 mostly generated the good kind of stress, keeping us glued to our iPhone.” PocketGamer 7 out 10 “ATC 4.0 comes cleared for landing by the Pocket Gamer crew.” iPhone App Reviews 5 out 5 “The thing I like most is the Survival game where you simply need to clear as many planes as you can before the inevitable mid-air collision ruins your day in the tower.” ***** Game features: ***** - Detailed graphics -- from plane blinking lights and runway lights to tiny cars that drive around on the road - Weather effects, clouds, snow, etc - Wind - Night levels - Elegant touch interface and waypoint system to manage planes - Collision warning effects - Sound effects - Multiple plane types -- from small planes to jumbo jets and military fighters -- all are relying on you to guide them to their destinations! - Airports with up to 6 runways to simulate a busy airfield! If you have a mania for busy airports, you will be satisfied! - High replay value with 49 levels! - Internet highscore leaderboards -- can you compete to be the best ATC in the world? - In-game tutorial - In-game help - Featured scenarios: - day levels, snow levels, cloudy levels - plane emergencies - computers crashing - hurricane winds - high-speed military planes - Presidential visits with no-fly-zones - and more! ********************************************* UPDATE INFORMATION & FORUM DISCUSSION To participate in a discussion about ATC, come to the ATC discussion/comments page : http://www.iphoneappindex.com/2009/02/06/atc-40-control-the-whole-sky/ [ TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/ba76cu ] (Or, just go to iphoneappindex.com and type "ATC" in the search if the above URL(s) are too hard to remember.) ********************************************** ********************************************** TWITTER USERS! Follow me on twitter for app news: http://twitter.com/cculianu **********************************************

About

Warplanes

Engage in modern aerial combat, piloting advanced aircraft in intense battles. Choose between action-focused Pilot Mode or strategic Commander Mode, managing your airbase and pilots. Customize your fleet and deploy across diverse environments.

Highlights
  • Pilot modern fighter jets
  • Strategic base management
  • Fleet customization
  • Diverse mission types
  • Intuitive controls
  • Single-player experience
Features
Read full description

Take to the skies in Warplanes: Task Force, an action-packed combat flight game set in the modern era. Command a fleet of the world’s most advanced aircraft and engage in intense aerial battles against a wide array of threats, including tactical drones, helicopters, stealth fighters, and ground-based military forces. Experience a relaxing yet engaging single-player experience designed for military enthusiasts. The game offers two ways to experience the modern battlefield: ● Pilot Mode: Focus purely on the action. Collect, upgrade, and take command of your favorite jets as you complete challenging missions. ● Commander Mode: Adds a strategic twist to the gameplay. Besides piloting your aircraft, you also take responsibility for your unit’s growth. Expand your airbase, manage resources, and recruit a team of elite pilots to ensure your task force is always combat-ready. Prepare for every sortie by customizing your loadout to match the mission’s objectives—from high-altitude interceptions to precision strikes. Deploy across diverse, neutral environments, from urban landscapes and open seas to sun-scorched deserts and snow-covered mountains. KEY FEATURES: ● Modern Aviation Icons: Take the stick of a wide range of aircraft, from air-superiority fighters like the F-22 Raptor and F-14 Tomcat to multi-role jets such as the F-16 Viper and Eurofighter Typhoon. ● Strategic Unit Management: In Commander Mode, enhance your experience by building hangars, managing fuel supplies, and training pilots to increase their combat effectiveness. ● Extensive Personalization: Customize your fleet with specialized paint schemes and nearly 100 unique decals to make every plane your own. ● Diverse Mission Profiles: Engage in various operations, including escorting high-value targets, neutralizing naval threats, and defending strategic locations from coordinated strikes. ● Intuitive and Engaging Action: Enjoy user-friendly controls designed for a smooth experience. It’s a perfect fit for both casual players and fans of classic, old-school flight games.

Screenshots

ATC 4.04 screens
Warplanes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Warplanes at Free against ATC 4.0's $0.99. Warplanes also leads on rating (3.6 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (43 vs 13). ATC 4.0's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). On review sentiment, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Warplanes is free to download; ATC 4.0 costs $0.99 up front. ATC 4.0 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Warplanes sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Warplanes holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 43 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of ATC 4.0's written reviews are positive against 58% of Warplanes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ATC 4.0 ships an update every 4 weeks, Warplanes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ATC 4.0 versus Warplanes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterATC 4.0Warplanes
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.2 (13 ratings)3.6 (43 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.7% of reviews57.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1343 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB421 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperC3 SoftwareTeresa Dymek

Customer experience

ATC 4.0

All ratings13 ratings
Positive53.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative38.5%
Written reviews319 reviews
Positive52.7%
Neutral15.0%
Negative32.3%

Warplanes

All ratings43 ratings
Positive60.5%
Neutral14.0%
Negative25.6%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive57.9%
Neutral26.3%
Negative15.8%

Bugs and requests

ATC 4.0

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes on certain devices
  • Levels become impossible to complete past a certain point

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add altitude control for planes
  • Improve runway and plane size for better visibility
  • Implement better collision detection and avoidance
  • Provide more level variety and difficulty progression
  • Add more realistic air traffic control features

Warplanes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ATC 4.0

One-time2
  • Adventure Pack$0.99
  • Military Pack$0.99
7 purchases

Warplanes

One-time7
  • Remove advertisements$0.99
  • 200 Gold$0.99
  • Advanced Color Editor$1.99
Show 4 more
  • Withdraw gold from the Swiss bank$1.99
  • 500 Gold$1.99
  • 1200 Gold$2.99
  • 2800 Gold$5.99

Questions

Is ATC 4.0 free?
ATC 4.0 costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Warplanes free?
Warplanes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ATC 4.0 or Warplanes?
Warplanes is rated higher. ATC 4.0 averages 3.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Warplanes averages 3.6 from 43 ratings.
Do ATC 4.0 or Warplanes have ads?
Warplanes shows ads; ATC 4.0 does not.
Which is updated more often, ATC 4.0 or Warplanes?
ATC 4.0 ships an update every 4 weeks, and Warplanes every 2 months. Most recently, ATC 4.0 was updated on October 16, 2026 and Warplanes on October 2, 2026.

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