# Garmin Pilot vs Turbulence Forecast

Garmin Pilot and Turbulence Forecast both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Turbulence Forecast's written reviews are positive against 41% of Garmin Pilot's. Turbulence Forecast also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Garmin Pilot's advantage is ratings volume (4.1K vs 210) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Garmin Pilot sells 18 one-off in-app purchases and Turbulence Forecast sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Garmin Pilot against 4.6 for Turbulence Forecast. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Pilot has 4.1K ratings behind it against 210, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Garmin Pilot's written reviews are positive against 86% of Turbulence Forecast's.

Garmin Pilot ships an update fortnightly, Turbulence Forecast every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Garmin Pilot | Turbulence Forecast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-pilot/id340917615/reviews)** | [4.6 (210 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turbulence-forecast/id486438834/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 210 |
| Positive reviews | 41.5% of reviews | **85.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#39** | #42 |
| Size | 650 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin DCI](https://appshunter.io/developer/309920282) | [PJM Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/486438837) |

## What reviewers say

### Garmin Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-pilot/id340917615)

**Currently charting:** #39 Top Grossing · Weather, #189 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Canada Premium | $74.99 | one-time |
| Latin American Premium Upgrade | $74.99 | one-time |
| Europe Premium Upgrade | $74.99 | one-time |
| U.S. Premium Upgrade | $99.99 | one-time |
| Africa Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Pilot Asia Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Australia Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Canada Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Europe Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Latin American Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| U.S. Standard | $109.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot Africa Premium | $184.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot Canada Premium | $184.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot Asia Premium | $184.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot Europe Premium | $184.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot Latin America Premium | $184.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Pilot U.S. Premium | $209.99 | one-time |
| Worldwide Premium | $599.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Ability to mark up and annotate charts
- Vertical navigation view
- Cabin altitude/hypoxia warning
- Apple Watch app
- Passenger app for flight following


### Turbulence Forecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turbulence-forecast/id486438834)

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Grossing · Weather, #131 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Get real-time and automated forecasts for flight turbulence. Understand potential bumpy rides with an easy-to-read world map and expert-written reports. Stay informed about your flight's conditions.

**Highlights:** World turbulence map, Automated flight forecasts, Expert handcrafted forecasts, Email forecast delivery, Easy to understand data

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Traveler | $8.99 | per month |
| Explorer | $16.99 | per month |
| Navigator | $27.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Regional Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads For 3 Months | $2.99 | one-time |
| Narrowbody Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Widebody Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads 12 Months Patronage | $9.99 | one-time |
| 4 Pack Automated Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 8 Pack Forecast Credits | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✈️ Highly accurate turbulence predictions
- 😌 Reduces flight anxiety significantly
- 🗺️ Detailed, easy-to-read maps
- ⏰ Provides timing for turbulence occurrence
- 🆓 Free app with optional paid forecasts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Forecast grades change frequently and unpredictably
- 📱 Portrait mode only limitation
- 🔤 Confusing abbreviations and terminology
- 📖 Lacks built-in guidance or help documentation
- 🎨 Dated UI in some versions

**Reported bugs**

- App stopped working/won't update
- Forecast data inconsistencies (changing retroactively)
- Compatibility issues with older devices
- Portrait mode lock causing usability problems

**Requested features**

- Landscape/portrait mode toggle
- In-app guide explaining terminology and abbreviations
- Simplified destination search feature
- Extended altitude selection options
- Expanded coverage for mainland Asia


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Garmin Pilot free?

Garmin Pilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Turbulence Forecast free?

Turbulence Forecast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Garmin Pilot or Turbulence Forecast?

Garmin Pilot is rated higher. Garmin Pilot averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Turbulence Forecast averages 4.6 from 210 ratings.

### Do Garmin Pilot or Turbulence Forecast have ads?

Neither Garmin Pilot nor Turbulence Forecast shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Garmin Pilot or Turbulence Forecast?

Garmin Pilot ships an update fortnightly, and Turbulence Forecast every 5 weeks. Most recently, Garmin Pilot was updated on November 1, 2026 and Turbulence Forecast on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Garmin Pilot or Turbulence Forecast?

Garmin Pilot currently peaks at #39 in the App Store charts, and Turbulence Forecast at #42. 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.*