Comparison

Garmin Pilot vs AeroWeather Pro

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Garmin Pilot

This app offers comprehensive tools for general aviation and corporate pilots, including flight planning, interactive maps, weather briefings, and navigation. It streamlines pre-flight preparation, filing, inflight navigation, and post-flight logging with an intuitive interface.

Highlights
  • Pre-flight planning with aviation weather data
  • Interactive maps with track-up navigation
  • Flight plan filing via Leidos Flight Service or DUATS
  • En-route navigation with moving map and GPS panel
  • Electronic logbook with automatic GPS data generation
  • Real-time weather and traffic information (with compatible hardware)
Features
Read full description

*30 Days Free Trial on initial download!* Plan. File. Fly. Log. Garmin Pilot is the most comprehensive suite of tools for the iPad designed specifically for general aviation and corporate pilots. Flight planning, charts, interactive maps, weather briefing resources and navigation capabilities; it’s all included. The app’s intuitive interface mirrors those on the newest Garmin touchscreen avionics so you can go seamlessly from preflight to inflight. Plan Garmin Pilot’s powerful capabilities start with pre-flight planning, providing pilots with the most comprehensive aviation weather information to make better-informed flight decisions. Pilots can check NEXRAD radar, visible and infrared cloud imagery, METARs, TAFs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, PIREPs, NOTAMs, winds and temperature aloft, TFRs and lightning data. With Garmin Pilot, data can be displayed over Garmin’s interactive maps that support track-up navigation, VFR sectional or an IFR low or high en-route chart to visualize the weather for your route. Add text-based weather widgets and use the exclusive NavTrack feature to view weather along the planned route. File With Garmin Pilot, users can easily enter a flight plan and interactively edit it on the map. Pre-loaded forms make it quick to save and reuse data for frequently flown routes. And when the flight plan is ready, Garmin Pilot makes it simple to file, amend or close the flight plan via Leidos Flight Service or DUATS. Fly Garmin Pilot provides full en-route navigation capability on its moving map. Pilots can also navigate with Garmin’s patented panel, a GPS-driven instrument pack with a graphical HSI directional display and indicators for groundspeed, altitude and vertical speed. After takeoff, pilots can continue to view real-time weather in the U.S. and traffic information by wirelessly connecting to Garmin’s GDL 50 series portable ADS-B Receiver (sold separately). Log Garmin Pilot includes a comprehensive electronic logbook that syncs with flyGarmin. The logbook automatically generates entries based upon GPS data collected during the flight, tracks currency, supports manual entries, endorsements and creates reports. Garmin Pilot U.S. Standard: - Rich, interactive maps support Track-Up navigation - Charts: VFR Sectionals, low and high IFR en-route, airport diagrams and approach procedures - Ability to view Jeppesen Terminal Charts (Jeppesen echart subscription required) - Weather Maps: Animated radar, Infrared and Visible Satellite, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, Lightning, TFRs and more! - Extensive text products: METARs, TAFs, Winds Aloft, PIREPs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, Area Forecasts and NOTAMs - AOPA Airport Directory - Weight and Balance - Checklists - Flight plan filing via Leidos Flight Services - Garmin patented navigation panel - Terrain and Obstacles - Smart Airspace - Fast Find predictive Waypoint Entry - Logbook - Optional VFR Premium: Synthetic Vision (SVX), Terrain and obstacle alerting, and Garmin SafeTaxi® - Optional IFR Premium: VFR Premium plus geo-referenced Garmin FliteCharts® Garmin Pilot has regional offerings for Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe and Latin America. Features include: - Worldwide Jeppesen NavData - Rich, interactive maps support Track-Up navigation - Radar and Satellite imagery for Western Europe, U.S., Canada and Australia - Ability to view Jeppesen Terminal Charts (Jeppesen echart subscription required) - Worldwide METARs, TAFs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, NOTAMs and winds aloft - VFR Flight Plan Filing - IFR autorouting and Flight plan filing in Europe - Terrain and Obstacles with alerting - Synthetic Vision (SVX) - Smart Airspace - Logbook - Optional VFR charts from DFS, IGN and NATS and IFR enroute charts from EuroControl - Optional Garmin FliteCharts® and SafeTaxi® diagrams available on a country-by-country basis *Note: Use of GPS running in the background may decrease battery life.* *Note: One subscription to Garmin Pilot may be used on three devices.*

About

AeroWeather Pro

Access precise METAR and TAF weather data for airports worldwide. Decode raw weather information into easy-to-understand text, ideal for preflight briefings or detailed weather analysis. Includes airport data, NOTAMs, and webcam imagery.

Highlights
  • METAR and TAF weather data
  • Raw and decoded weather text
  • Airport database with details
  • NOTAMs and airport webcams
  • METAR alert notifications
  • Apple Watch app and complication
  • User-defined airport groups
Features
Read full description

*** AeroWeather: for pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and everyone who is serious about the weather! *** Current and precise weather conditions (METAR) and forecasts (TAF). AeroWeather Pro provides quick and intuitive access to METAR and TAF for airports worldwide. Data can be shown in its original (raw) format or as fully decoded and easy understandable texts. AeroWeather Pro is helpful for weather preflight-briefings, but also to just get very precise weather. All weather data is cached for offline access. In addition to weather data, AeroWeather Pro integrates also airport NOTAMs (provided by US FAA), webcam images around airports (provided by windy.com), FlightService access (US only), and US ATC delay information (provided by US FAA). AeroWeather Pro also offers built-in groups for earthquakes, nearby stations, and today widget (pre iOS14), which can be individually enabled on the top level view. Besides creating user groups it’s also possible to put stations on the same level user groups (e.g. home base). Depending on your needs, groups can be shown or hidden in the main list view. User groups can also be synchronized via Cloud Kit*. The app features a built-in airport database, which includes airport data like runways, sunrise/sunset, twilight times, moon times, timezones etc. METAR alert notifications** is another new and helpful feature to stay up-to-date. Define multiple alerts for each station with criteria like: flight rule (US NOAA), wind speed, temperature, pressure, present weather, visibility etc. Notifications will be sent to your device if the criteria is met (e.g., when flight rule becomes IFR). Dedicated METAR/TAF** access is optionally available. METAR/TAF data will come primarily from a certified ANSP (air navigation service provider) and is provided reliably and fast from our dedicated, redundant servers (indicated by blue checkmark underneath METAR/TAF). AeroWeather Pro comes with an Apple Watch app, which shows either a list of stations as defined in the Apple Watch group or all nearby stations based on the current location. METAR and TAF are displayed for each station. In addition, you can put AeroWeather as a complication in your watch face to stay up-to-date. Please consult our web-site for a full description of all features. * Additional functionality which needs to be unlocked (one-time purchase). These purchases are not transferable between Lite, Pro, and Mac. ** SUBSCRIPTIONS Additional features which generate recurring operation costs for us will be offered within a subscription. The following features are enabled while 'First' subscription is active: - Dedicated METAR/TAF data source - Meteograms - Alert push notifications - D-ATIS (bigger US airports only) - Area Forecast Discussions (currently US only) - RVR data (US and Germany only) - Home Screen Widgets for METAR, Plot, Meteogram - Imagery and Charts (requires 'Captain' subscription) - SIGMETs (requires 'Captain' subscription) Additional features are also enabled when using AeroWeather Lite. The subscription varies in time periods (1 month, 12 months). The subscription is valid in both AeroWeather Lite and Pro. Cross app subscription support is only available if iCloud (with the same Apple ID) is enabled. Previously purchased unlock features are not affected and will work with or without subscription. Auto-renewal may be turned off at any time by going to your account settings. A payment will be charged to your iTunes account at the end of the free trial period. Your iTunes account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. No commitment - you can cancel any time. Pleas read the full “Subscription Terms of Use” at: https://www.lakehorn.com/subscription-terms-of-use/

Screenshots

Garmin Pilot4 screens
AeroWeather Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Garmin Pilot at Free against AeroWeather Pro's $4.79. Garmin Pilot also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (4.1K vs 356). AeroWeather Pro's advantage is review sentiment (51% vs 41%) and chart position (#8 vs #64). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Garmin Pilot is free to download; AeroWeather Pro costs $4.79 up front. Garmin Pilot sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and AeroWeather Pro sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Garmin Pilot holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Pilot has 4.1K ratings behind it against 356, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Garmin Pilot's written reviews are positive against 51% of AeroWeather Pro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Garmin Pilot ships an update fortnightly, AeroWeather Pro every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Garmin Pilot versus AeroWeather Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGarmin PilotAeroWeather Pro
PriceFree — better$4.79
Rating4.7 (4.1K ratings) — better3.7 (356 ratings)
Positive reviews41.5% of reviews50.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.1K — better356
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#64#8 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size650 MB125 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperGarmin DCILakehorn AG

Customer experience

Garmin Pilot

All ratings4,144 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews347 reviews
Positive41.5%
Neutral14.7%
Negative43.8%

AeroWeather Pro

All ratings356 ratings
Positive62.9%
Neutral9.3%
Negative27.8%
Written reviews424 reviews
Positive50.9%
Neutral11.3%
Negative37.7%

User reviews

Garmin Pilot

From 4.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent EFB app
  • 🚀 Seamless integration with Garmin avionics
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 👍 Reliable and stable
  • 👍 Great features like engine monitoring and data recording

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Clunky and multi-step process to view plates
  • 🐛 Issues with NOTAM updates and database concierge
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and lockups
  • 🐛 Winds aloft data often inaccurate
  • 🐛 Lacks support for some aircraft models

AeroWeather Pro

From 356 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fantastic app for pilots
  • 🔍 Excellent weather data and forecasts
  • 🧭 Convenient airport grouping and organization
  • 👨‍💻 Responsive and helpful developer support
  • 💰 Reasonable subscription pricing

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
  • 🔒 Subscription required for key features
  • 🇦🇺 Limited coverage for Australian airports
  • ⌚️ Unreliable Apple Watch integration
  • 🔄 Slow or inconsistent data refreshes

Bugs and requests

Garmin Pilot

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when viewing weather data
  • Weight and balance profile import/export issues
  • Database concierge not working as expected
  • Inability to file VFR flight plans in some regions
  • Groundspeed and track data not working on certain devices

Requested features

9 requests
  • Ability to mark up and annotate charts
  • Vertical navigation view
  • Cabin altitude/hypoxia warning
  • Apple Watch app
  • Passenger app for flight following
Show 4 more
  • Google Maps integration with user waypoints
  • Ability to import GPX/CSV waypoints
  • Printable logbook reports
  • More detailed weather imagery and forecasts

AeroWeather Pro

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Disappearing saved airports and stations
  • Crashes when searching for airports
  • METAR history no longer available
  • Subscription issues and lost purchases
  • Unreliable data sync across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more Australian airport coverage
  • Improve Apple Watch app functionality
  • Enhance NOTAM and SNOWTAM reporting
  • Provide more weather data visualization options
  • Allow customization of widget and complication

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Garmin Pilot

One-time10
  • Africa Standard$109.99
  • Pilot Asia Standard$109.99
  • Australia Standard$109.99
Show 7 more
  • Canada Standard$109.99
  • Europe Standard$109.99
  • Latin American Standard$109.99
  • U.S. Standard$109.99
  • Garmin Pilot Latin America Premium$184.99
  • Garmin Pilot U.S. Premium$209.99
  • Worldwide Premium$599.99
5 purchases

AeroWeather Pro

Subscriptions4
  • First (Monthly)14 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Captain (Monthly)14 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • First (Yearly)14 Days trial$5.491 Year
Show 1 more
  • Captain (Yearly)14 Days trial$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • Cloud Synchronization$2.29

Questions

Is Garmin Pilot free?
Garmin Pilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AeroWeather Pro free?
AeroWeather Pro costs $4.79, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Garmin Pilot or AeroWeather Pro?
Garmin Pilot is rated higher. Garmin Pilot averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while AeroWeather Pro averages 3.7 from 356 ratings.
Do Garmin Pilot or AeroWeather Pro have ads?
Neither Garmin Pilot nor AeroWeather Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Garmin Pilot or AeroWeather Pro?
Garmin Pilot ships an update fortnightly, and AeroWeather Pro every 3 weeks. Most recently, Garmin Pilot was updated on November 1, 2026 and AeroWeather Pro on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, Garmin Pilot or AeroWeather Pro?
Garmin Pilot currently peaks at #64 in the App Store charts, and AeroWeather Pro at #8. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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