Prepware Instrument Pilot vs Garmin GPS Trainer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Prepware Instrument Pilot
Prepare for your FAA Knowledge Exam with flashcard-style reviews and practice tests. Study by subject or take a full practice exam to gauge your readiness.
- Flashcard-style review
- Questions, answers, and explanations
- Study by subject
- Practice test simulation
- FAA Knowledge Exam preparation
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Comprehensive preparation, study and test tool for the FAA Knowledge Exam. Flashcard style review of questions, answers and explanations included for you to study by subject or with a true-to-form practice test.
Garmin GPS Trainer
This app simulates the user interface of a GPS navigator, allowing users to explore its features and operational aspects. It's ideal for improving avionics familiarity and preparing for flights by practicing flight plans.
- Simulated multi-touch and drag interface
- Garmin SafeTaxi with airport information
- High resolution terrain and aviation databases
- Obstacle databases with power line alerting
- Simulated ADS-B Traffic and FIS-B Weather
- Chair fly flight plans
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The Garmin GPS Trainer simulates the system user interface and provides the opportunity to explore the features, options, and fundamental operational aspects of the avionics. When used in combination with the GPS Navigator Series Pilot’s Guide, the trainer can be an effective way to improve avionics familiarity and proficiency at a time and location convenient to the user. The Trainer is also a great way to prepare for a flight because a user can load the anticipated flight plan and “chair fly” the avionics portion of the flight before entering the aircraft. The GPS Trainer includes: • Simulated multi-touch and drag interface – allows you to interact with the system, graphically edit flight plans, and much more • Garmin SafeTaxi – allows you to view detailed airport information on the moving map • High resolution worldwide terrain maps and aviation databases • High resolution obstacle databases including power line alerting • Simulated interfaces and data including: -- ADS-B Traffic with TargetTrend™ Relative Motion -- FIS-B Weather with animated NEXRAD -- Airspaces, airways, and Visual Reporting Points * Note: This app contains simulated data and does not receive data from or interact with real Garmin avionics. This app should not be used for actual navigation purposes.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Garmin GPS Trainer at Free against Prepware Instrument Pilot's $9.99. Garmin GPS Trainer also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Prepware Instrument Pilot's advantage is chart position (#74 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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
Garmin GPS Trainer is free to download; Prepware Instrument Pilot costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Prepware Instrument Pilot holds the better App Store score, 2.6 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Prepware Instrument Pilot's written reviews are positive against 33% of Garmin GPS Trainer's.
Prepware Instrument Pilot ships an update every 4 months, Garmin GPS Trainer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Prepware Instrument Pilot | Garmin GPS Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.6 (43 ratings) — better | 2.4 (19 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 43 — better | 19 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #74 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 1.3 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ASA | Garmin DCI |
Customer experience
Prepware Instrument Pilot
Garmin GPS Trainer
Bugs and requests
Prepware Instrument Pilot
Reported bugs
39 issues- Text frequently cut off
- App cannot dynamically scale text
- Some questions missing figures
- Figures have nothing to do with the question
- Correct answers no longer shown in green
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- Dark mode broken
- App crashes
- Save feature does not work
- Answers lost when returning to app
- Progress lost when switching categories
- App closes by itself
- Loses test progress when minimized
- Figures not displayed for questions
- Incomplete questions
- Questions and answers do not match
- Questions not completely displayed
- Can't get back to question from figure display
- Back button disappears
- Can't take entire test without shutting down or redownloading
- Software reverts to quiz mode when returning to study mode
- Explanation link missing in study mode
- Can't go back when opening a figure
- Answers longer than three lines are cut off
- Figures are sometimes incomplete
- Figures are sometimes at too low a resolution
- No way to store previous test scores
- No progress shown
- Study modes stops showing correct answer
- Practice test questions do not allow access to appropriate figure
- Truncated answers
- Truncated questions
- Figures are sometimes incomplete
- Font is hard to read and small
- Bold indication of right or wrong is missing
- No running tally of missed questions
- App restarts in test mode even when last in study mode
- Bugs causing crashes that instantly exit the application
- Scans did not come over well, particularly weather graphics
- Hard to see some images
Requested features
18 requests- Ability to focus on previously incorrect answers
- Major update for functionality and display bugs
- Ensure all software is up to date with FAA question banks
- Add timer and number of questions selection
- Ability to eliminate questions already known
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- Autosave and clear progress button
- Ability to search through questions
- Save test results
- Ability to uncheck material of questions not needed
- Ability to select questions relating to chapters
- Provide reasons for wrong answers
- Make background red or green for visibility
- Allow marking questions for review
- Record wrong answers for review
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Ability to skip questions that do not apply to equipment
- Add CX-2 to iPhone
Garmin GPS Trainer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Prepware Instrument Pilot
No in-app purchases
Garmin GPS Trainer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Prepware Instrument Pilot free?
Is Garmin GPS Trainer free?
Which has better reviews, Prepware Instrument Pilot or Garmin GPS Trainer?
Do Prepware Instrument Pilot or Garmin GPS Trainer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Prepware Instrument Pilot or Garmin GPS Trainer?
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