Comparison

Spin vs CX

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

Head to head
About

Spin

Calculate critical aviation weather data including wind components, temperature conversions, altitude calculations, and airspeed. Designed for pilots with an intuitive, one-handed interface and instant results.

Highlights
  • Wind component calculation (headwind, tailwind, crosswind)
  • Temperature conversions and wind chill factor
  • Altitude calculations (pressure, density)
  • Airspeed calculator (TAS, Mach, speed of sound)
  • Customizable units and caution thresholds
  • One-handed, reel-based interface
Features
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Featured in Flying Magazine July 2012 "8 Great Aviation Apps"! Reviewed favorably on AOPA Flight Planning App Roulette 20 Nov 2012 Designed by an airline pilot, Spin-a-Wind calculates wind components, temperatures, altitudes and airspeeds. The headwind (tailwind) and crosswind components are based on the runway, and reported wind direction and speed. If the airport has parallel runways, using the runway number closest to the actual magnetic heading of the runway gives the most accurate results. The result is also displayed graphically. Crosswind and tailwind components are rounded up, while the headwind component is rounded down, making sure that all results depict the worst case. To instantly change to the opposite (reciprocal) runway, tap the runway number at the far end. Spinning reels are used to make your selections. No keyboard is necessary. Results of calculations are displayed instantly when the last reel stops. The app was designed for one handed use, and ease of operation. The second item on the tab bar links you to a page with temperature conversions. Enter the temperature in degrees Celsius, and instantly the Fahrenheit conversion is displayed, as well as the chill factor in °C and °F using the NWS Wind Chill index used by the U.S. and Canada. (note: the NWS Wind Chill index is not valid for greater than 50°F or less than 3 mph of wind. Relative Humidity and Heat Stress Index are calculated using the entered Dewpoint Temperature. The third item deals with altitudes, metric, pressure altitude and density altitude. Density altitude is diaplayed for assumed dry air, and also moist air (based upon the temp/dewpoint spread entered in the temperature page. The fourth item is the Airspeed Calculator. It uses equations for TAS, mach, and speed of sound. The equations used will be accurate even for the higher speeds of jet aircraft. The fifth item on the tab bar moves the view to the settings page. Here, you can set your display speed units (kts, mph, kph) and pressure units(inHg, hPa, mb) as well as the threshold points where the wind results turn amber (caution zone) and red (aircraft limits).

About

CX

This aviation tool simplifies flight planning for pilots. It offers accurate calculations for time, speed, distance, fuel, and more, along with unit conversions and a built-in calculator. Designed for ease of use, it guides users through flight planning and execution with a natural menu flow.

Highlights
  • Flight planning calculations
  • Time, speed, distance functions
  • Fuel and altitude calculations
  • Unit conversions (12 categories)
  • Weight and balance calculations
  • Holding pattern details
  • Built-in calculator, clock, timer
Currently charting
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Based on the ASA CX-3® Flight Computer for pilots, this CX-3 app makes flight planning simple by taking confusion out of the equation. Fast, versatile and easy to use, the CX-3® delivers accurate results quickly and efficiently. Whether used for flight planning, ground school, or FAA Knowledge Exam preparation, the menu organization reflects the order in which a flight is normally planned and executed, resulting in a natural flow from one function to the next with a minimum of keystrokes. Multiple aviation functions can be performed on the CX-3® flight computer including those related to time, speed, distance, heading, wind, fuel, altitude, cloud base, standard atmosphere, glide, climb & descent, weight & balance, as well as a holding pattern function to help determine entry method and holding details. The CX-3® has 12 unit-conversions: Distance, Speed, Duration, Temperature, Pressure, Volume, Rate, Weight, Rate of Climb/Descent, Angle of Climb/Descent, Torque, and Angle. These 12 conversion categories contain 38 different conversion factors for over 100 functions. A calculator, clock, timer, and stopwatch are also built in along with multiple settings for lighting, backlighting, themes, time zones and more.

Screenshots

Spin4 screens
CX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spin at 86% against CX's 36%. Spin also leads on price ($2.99 vs $19.99) and rating (4.6 vs 3.7). CX's advantage is chart position (#90 vs unranked). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Spin costs $2.99 and CX $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spin holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 44 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Spin's written reviews are positive against 36% of CX's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spin ships an update every 3 months, CX every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Spin versus CX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpinCX
Price$2.99 — better$19.99
Rating4.6 (44 ratings) — better3.7 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews86.1% of reviews — better35.7% of reviews
Number of ratings44 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#90 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS6.0 — better17.2
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLen RobinsonASA

Customer experience

Spin

All ratings44 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive86.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.9%

CX

All ratings11 ratings
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive35.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative57.1%

In-app purchases

None

Spin

No in-app purchases

None

CX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spin free?
Spin costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is CX free?
CX costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spin or CX?
Spin is rated higher. Spin averages 4.6 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while CX averages 3.7 from 11 ratings.
Do Spin or CX have ads?
Neither Spin nor CX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spin or CX?
Spin ships an update every 3 months, and CX every 8 months. Most recently, Spin was updated on October 16, 2026 and CX on October 18, 2026.

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