Pilot Time vs Zulu Time
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pilot Time
Instantly view local, military, and UTC time with a tap. Developed by pilots, this app eliminates mental time conversions by displaying current and past/future times across various time zones. Easily select continents and cities for quick comparisons.
- View local, military, and UTC time
- Compare current location time to UTC
- Display frequently used time zones
- Convert past, current, and future times
- Easy continent and city time zone selection
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Stop converting time in your head! See local, military, and UTC time (GMT and Zulu time zones) with a tap. Developed by pilots who can never remember the current UTC (GMT/Zulu) time conversion, Pilot Time instantly gives you the current time and date for your zone, plus UTC time. Pilot Time can: - Compare the time and date at your current location (in 12-hour format and 24-hour format) to UTC time. - Show the 3 time zones you looked at most recently, plus UTC time. - Quickly convert any past, current, or future time to or from any time zone (including GMT). And selecting time zones is easy: first find the continent, then the city you want. No more mental calculations. (The time is provided by your phone's operating system, not a central server. Time zones are taken from the IANA Time Zone Database.)
Zulu Time
This app displays local and UTC (Zulu) time, along with multiple time zones, on your iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad. It offers widgets for quick access and features for calculating future or past times with offsets, simplifying timezone conversions for various professions.
- Display local and Zulu (UTC) time
- Multiple time zone display
- Home and Lock Screen widgets
- Apple Watch complications
- Future/past time offset calculations
- Time zone conversion
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An iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad app to see Local and Zulu time (GMT) or multiple time zones in a single glance. Includes Widgets for both the iPhone and Apple Watch. Useful for pilots in getting weather briefings and filing flight plans, or Ham radio operators to do timezone conversions. No more worrying about getting the timezone offset correct or Daylight Savings Time conversions. Easily convert from different time zones, including times in the future or past. On the iPhone: - Home and Lock Screen widgets - The Zulu Time page gives a quick view of both Zulu and Local times - The Offset Time page allows you to see Zulu and local time either in the future or past by entering an offset via the Offset button. Tapping either Zulu or Local times will allow you to enter a time in the future or past, synchronizing both Local and Zulu times with that offset. The offset only applies to this view (except on the iPad the offset applies to everything on the page) - The Multiple Zones page allows you to add as many time zones as you wish in a scrolling view. Clicking on any Time Zone will allow you to change it. on iPad: All information is combined on one screen. You have user customizable time zones on the right hand side. On the left, you have Zulu and Local time and one customizable time zone. The offset to see future or past time can be done via the Offset button or tapping any of either the Zulu, Local or Custom time buttons on the left. On the Watch: Complications available in all watch faces making for glanceable ZuluTime and access to the app, which gives offset able time computation.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Pilot Time at Free against Zulu Time's $0.99. Pilot Time also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Zulu Time's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 19) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Pilot Time is free to download; Zulu Time costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Zulu Time holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zulu Time has 2.6K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Pilot Time's written reviews are positive against 79% of Zulu Time's.
Pilot Time ships an update every 6 months, Zulu Time every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pilot Time | Zulu Time |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (19 ratings) | 4.8 (2.6K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 73.2% of reviews | 78.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19 | 2.6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #67 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | WillowRoot Apps, LLC. | Derek Spears |
Customer experience
Pilot Time
Zulu Time
User reviews
Pilot Time
From 19 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 🎯 Accurate time zone conversions
- 💰 Free application with no cost
- ⚡ Quick and easy access to Zulu time
- 📱 iOS widget functionality
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes on app launch
- 📺 Intrusive advertisement pop-ups
- 🔧 Widget loading failures
- 📋 Limited city/location database
- 🎯 Defaults to Los Angeles time zone
Zulu Time
From 2.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Zulu time on command
- 🔒 Robust security features
- 👍 Easy to read and use
- 👍 Excellent for aviation and radio operators
- 👍 Customizable and syncs correctly
Room to improve
- 🐛 Watch complication not updating consistently
- 🐛 Local time not displaying correctly on widget
- 🐛 Complication shows only hours, not full time
- 🐛 Difficulty setting with Daylight Saving Time
Bugs and requests
Pilot Time
Reported bugs
9 issues- App crashes upon opening after updates
- Widget displays 'UNABLE TO LOAD' error
- App crashes when changing time zones
- Incorrect time zone offsets for some locations (e.g., Sydney)
- Time doesn't update when app is reopened
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Incorrect time zone naming conventions
- Incompatibility with iOS 18 widgets
- 12-hour clock incorrectly identifies noon as AM
- App freezes on startup with certain iOS versions
Requested features
11 requests- Favorites or saved locations tab
- Flight time and air time calculator
- Julian date display for each time zone
- GPS location detection for automatic time zone
- Multiple simultaneous time zone display (3-4 zones)
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- 24-hour format option only
- Search cities by typing functionality
- State listings for US locations
- Flight forecast hour conversion chart
- Decimal format for logbook entries
- Ability to set custom background images
Zulu Time
Reported bugs
3 issues- Complication freezes after a few days
- Zulu time loses accuracy over time on Apple Watch
- Widget not updating local time properly
Requested features
5 requests- Add alarm feature
- Allow landscape mode for bedside clock view
- Provide option for always-on display
- Add time zone map for quick reference
- Show day of year in display
In-app purchases
Pilot Time
No in-app purchases
Zulu Time
No in-app purchases
