Spin vs Simple Xwind
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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).
Simple Xwind
Quickly calculate crosswind and tailwind limits during flight. This app provides fast, precise calculations without clutter or unnecessary graphics, designed for immediate use when conditions change unexpectedly.
- Quick crosswind calculations
- Precise tailwind limits
- Fast and reliable
- Simple, clutter-free interface
- Designed for speed
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You're on short final when the tower provides updated winds. The conditions have changed more than expected, and there’s no time for mental math to determine if you're within crosswind and tailwind limits. Xwind gives you quick and precise calculations when you need them most. No clutter, no unnecessary graphics—just a fast, reliable crosswind calculator built for ease of use. Unlike other bulky apps, Xwind is designed for speed and simplicity, so you can get the data you need instantly. No extra clicks, no distractions—just numbers.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Simple Xwind at Free against Spin's $2.99. Simple Xwind also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Spin's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 67%) and ratings volume (44 vs 2). On ads, 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
Simple Xwind is free to download; Spin costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Simple Xwind holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spin has 44 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Spin's written reviews are positive against 67% of Simple Xwind's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
| Parameter | Spin | Simple Xwind |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (44 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.1% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 44 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Len Robinson | Alex Deutz |
Customer experience
Spin
Simple Xwind
In-app purchases
Spin
No in-app purchases
Simple Xwind
No in-app purchases







