# Prepware Private Pilot vs Instrument Pilot Checkride

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Prepware Private Pilot at 63% against Instrument Pilot Checkride's 0%. Prepware Private Pilot also leads on rating (3.9 vs 2.4) and monetization model (free vs paid). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Prepware Private Pilot costs $9.99 and Instrument Pilot Checkride $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Prepware Private Pilot holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Prepware Private Pilot has 137 ratings behind it against 9, 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 0% of Instrument Pilot Checkride's.

Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, Instrument Pilot Checkride every 25 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prepware Private Pilot | Instrument Pilot Checkride |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[3.9 (137 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prepware-private-pilot/id334278376/reviews)** | [2.4 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instrument-pilot-checkride/id620979543/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **137** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **62.5% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 25 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | #190 |
| Size | 60 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) |

## 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


### Instrument Pilot Checkride

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instrument-pilot-checkride/id620979543)

**Currently charting:** #190 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This app prepares aspiring pilots for their instrument rating practical exam by providing over 700 likely examiner questions and succinct answers. It covers all essential topics, follows Airman Certification Standards, and helps identify knowledge gaps for efficient study.

**Highlights:** Over 700 questions and answers, Covers all instrument rating topics, Based on Airman Certification Standards, Flag questions for further study, Includes CFII specific chapter, Researched using FAA documents

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Prepware Private Pilot free?

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

### Is Instrument Pilot Checkride free?

Instrument Pilot Checkride costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Prepware Private Pilot or Instrument Pilot Checkride?

Prepware Private Pilot is rated higher. Prepware Private Pilot averages 3.9 out of 5 from 137 ratings, while Instrument Pilot Checkride averages 2.4 from 9 ratings.

### Do Prepware Private Pilot or Instrument Pilot Checkride have ads?

Neither Prepware Private Pilot nor Instrument Pilot Checkride shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prepware Private Pilot or Instrument Pilot Checkride?

Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, and Instrument Pilot Checkride every 25 months. Most recently, Prepware Private Pilot was updated on September 27, 2026 and Instrument Pilot Checkride on August 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Prepware Private Pilot or Instrument Pilot Checkride?

Prepware Private Pilot currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and Instrument Pilot Checkride at #190. 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.*