# Prepware Private Pilot vs Ground School

The clearest difference is price: Ground School at Free against Prepware Private Pilot's $9.99. Ground School also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 months). Prepware Private Pilot's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and chart position (#10 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Ground School is free to download; Prepware Private Pilot costs $9.99 up front. Ground School sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month. Prepware Private Pilot asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ground School holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground School has 1.7K 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 88% of Ground School's.

Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, Ground School every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prepware Private Pilot | Ground School |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (137 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prepware-private-pilot/id334278376/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-school/id1444387206/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 137 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **88.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) | [On The Flight Line Productions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/328833131) |

## What reviewers say

### Prepware Private Pilot

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

**Currently charting:** #10 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


### Ground School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-school/id1444387206)

Prepare for your FAA written test and become a safer pilot with this comprehensive training app. It combines expert instruction, engaging videos, and interactive practice tests to ensure you gain the knowledge needed to fly your best.

**Highlights:** Expert FAA flight instructor knowledge, Engaging educational videos, Pilot perspective flight footage, Over 1,000 practice test questions, CG animations for concept illustration, Pilot Proficiency dashboard, FAA Knowledge Test endorsement

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan (Sale) | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| All Access – Annual Plan (Sale) | $299.99 | per year |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent ground school app
- 👍 Comprehensive and well-presented content
- 🎓 Helpful for passing written exams
- 👍 Great for both new and experienced pilots
- 🎓 Useful for CFIs to stay sharp

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🔍 Lack of desktop version
- 🔍 Limited flashcard and spaced-repetition features
- 🔍 Need for more interactive chart/sectional practice
- 🐛 Some questions have outdated or incorrect answers

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between iPhone and iPad
- Some questions have incorrect or outdated answers

**Requested features**

- Desktop version of the app
- More robust flashcard and spaced-repetition system
- Deeper interactive practice with sectional charts
- Expansion to commercial and ATP levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Prepware Private Pilot free?

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

### Is Ground School free?

Ground School is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Prepware Private Pilot or Ground School?

Ground School is rated higher. Prepware Private Pilot averages 3.9 out of 5 from 137 ratings, while Ground School averages 4.9 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Prepware Private Pilot or Ground School have ads?

Neither Prepware Private Pilot nor Ground School shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prepware Private Pilot or Ground School?

Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, and Ground School every 8 days. Most recently, Prepware Private Pilot was updated on September 22, 2026 and Ground School on September 23, 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.*