# Prepware Private Pilot vs Sporty's Pilot Training

The clearest difference is price: Sporty's Pilot Training at Free against Prepware Private Pilot's $9.99. Sporty's Pilot Training also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.9) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). Prepware Private Pilot's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and chart position (#12 vs #98). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Sporty's Pilot Training is free to download; Prepware Private Pilot costs $9.99 up front. Sporty's Pilot Training sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Prepware Private Pilot asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sporty's Pilot Training holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sporty's Pilot Training has 11K ratings behind it against 137, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Prepware Private Pilot's written reviews are positive against 71% of Sporty's Pilot Training's.

Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, Sporty's Pilot Training weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prepware Private Pilot | Sporty's Pilot Training |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (137 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prepware-private-pilot/id334278376/reviews) | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sportys-pilot-training/id1272775528/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 137 | **11K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **70.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | #98 |
| Size | 60 MB | 226 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) | [Sporty's Pilot Shop](https://appshunter.io/developer/371817958) |

## What reviewers say

### Prepware Private Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prepware-private-pilot/id334278376)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Prepare for your FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Exam with this comprehensive study and test tool. It offers flashcard-style review of questions, answers, and explanations, allowing you to study by subject or take realistic practice tests.

**Highlights:** Flashcard-style review, Questions, answers, and explanations, Study by subject, Practice tests, FAA Knowledge Exam preparation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 High scores achieved
- 📚 Great practice for harder questions
- 📱 Convenient for studying on the go
- ✅ Questions similar to real exam
- 💡 Detailed explanations provided

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Powered flight questions for glider pilots
- 📱 Small screen issues for plotting/maps
- 🤷 Missing essential questions
- ⚠️ Not a sole reliance tool
- 🤔 Questions worded differently

**Reported bugs**

- Powered flight questions appearing for glider pilots
- Small screen makes chart plotting difficult
- Missing essential questions for the written exam
- Some answers are incorrect
- Macbook app not working properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to save/create a bank of difficult questions
- Scramble answer choices for realism
- Improve UI for newer devices (iPhone X/Xs/Xr, iPad Pro)
- Add Apple Watch support
- Vary the length of test modules


### Sporty's Pilot Training

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sportys-pilot-training/id1272775528)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Access a comprehensive library of aviation training courses, including video lessons, FAA test preparation, and interactive guides. Learn to fly, earn instrument ratings, and master various aircraft systems with expert-led content.

**Highlights:** Video training courses, FAA test preparation, Interactive flight maneuvers guide, Airman Certification Standards (ACS) reference, Flight Training Syllabus, Ask a CFI service

**Features:** Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remote Pilot Test Prep | $19.99 | one-time |
| Sporty's CFI Lesson Plan Guide | $19.99 | one-time |
| Flying With ForeFlight | $39.99 | one-time |
| Pilot's Guide to Airspace | $39.99 | one-time |
| Takeoffs and Landings | $39.99 | one-time |
| Instrument Proficiency Check | $49.99 | one-time |
| VFR Communications | $49.99 | one-time |
| Aviation Weather | $79.99 | one-time |
| Real World Flight Review | $99.00 | one-time |
| Garmin G1000 Checkout | $99.99 | one-time |
| Multiengine Training Course | $129.99 | one-time |
| Instrument Rating Course | $299.00 | one-time |
| Sporty's Learn To Fly Course | $299.00 | one-time |
| Commercial Pilot Course | $299.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly recommended and worth recommending
- 🚀 Awesome training
- 👍 Excellent quality
- 👍 Great preparation for exams and flying
- 👍 Passed written exams

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Desktop site is much better
- 👎 Not sure why all the good reviews
- 🐛 Buggy Chromecast
- 🐛 Lost ability to cast
- 🐛 Sync issues between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Login screen freezes
- Video downloads reset to zero when switching apps

**Requested features**

- Show progress/completion status of each video
- Sync video progress across all devices
- Ability to Airplay directly without third-party app
- Continuous play mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Prepware Private Pilot free?

Prepware Private Pilot costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sporty's Pilot Training free?

Sporty's Pilot Training is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Prepware Private Pilot or Sporty's Pilot Training?

Sporty's Pilot Training is rated higher. Prepware Private Pilot averages 3.9 out of 5 from 137 ratings, while Sporty's Pilot Training averages 4.9 from 11K ratings.

### Do Prepware Private Pilot or Sporty's Pilot Training have ads?

Neither Prepware Private Pilot nor Sporty's Pilot Training shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prepware Private Pilot or Sporty's Pilot Training?

Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, and Sporty's Pilot Training weekly. Most recently, Prepware Private Pilot was updated on September 22, 2026 and Sporty's Pilot Training on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Prepware Private Pilot or Sporty's Pilot Training?

Prepware Private Pilot currently peaks at #12 in the App Store charts, and Sporty's Pilot Training at #98. 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.*