# FAR/AIM vs FAA Academy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FAA Academy at none against FAR/AIM's 1. FAR/AIM's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FAR/AIM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FAA Academy asks for nothing beyond the download.

FAR/AIM holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FAR/AIM has 1.1K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

FAR/AIM ships an update fortnightly, FAA Academy every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FAR/AIM | FAA Academy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faraim-faa-pilot-reference/id328979186/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faa-academy/id6443592827/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 134 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tekk Innovations LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/320464672) | [Federal Aviation Administration](https://appshunter.io/developer/992427108) |

## What reviewers say

### FAR/AIM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faraim-faa-pilot-reference/id328979186)

Access comprehensive aviation regulations and the Aeronautical Information Manual on your mobile device. Stay updated with frequent content revisions and utilize powerful search and bookmarking tools for quick reference.

**Highlights:** Complete FAR/AIM text, Intelligent full-text search, Context-sensitive search, Bookmarks and highlights, Frequent content updates, Email sections

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-Year Subscription | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick reference
- 💡 Convenient digital format
- 👍 Up-to-date information
- 👍 Excellent customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 🔒 Locked content behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Highlighting causes app to crash
- Bookmarking feature is unreliable
- Subscription issues and billing problems

**Requested features**

- Ability to highlight and bookmark content
- Improved organization and navigation
- Sync across devices
- Rotorcraft-specific regulations


### FAA Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faa-academy/id6443592827)

This app provides essential information for navigating the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. Find housing, shuttle routes, dining options, campus maps, and weather alerts. Access course materials and bookstore information.

**Highlights:** Housing options, Shuttle route information, Dining details, Campus maps, Weather alerts, Course materials access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FAR/AIM free?

FAR/AIM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is FAA Academy free?

FAA Academy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FAR/AIM or FAA Academy?

FAR/AIM is rated higher. FAR/AIM averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while FAA Academy averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do FAR/AIM or FAA Academy have ads?

Neither FAR/AIM nor FAA Academy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FAR/AIM or FAA Academy?

FAR/AIM ships an update fortnightly, and FAA Academy every 7 months. Most recently, FAR/AIM was updated on October 28, 2026 and FAA Academy on October 24, 2026.

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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.*