# FAA Private Pilot Prep vs Sporty's Pilot Training

The clearest difference is price: Sporty's Pilot Training at Free against FAA Private Pilot Prep's $69.99. Sporty's Pilot Training also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (11K vs 74). FAA Private Pilot Prep's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.6). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.

Sporty's Pilot Training is free to download; FAA Private Pilot Prep costs $69.99 up front. FAA Private Pilot Prep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sporty's Pilot Training sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sporty's Pilot Training holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sporty's Pilot Training has 11K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of FAA Private Pilot Prep's written reviews are positive against 70% of Sporty's Pilot Training's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FAA Private Pilot Prep ships an update monthly, Sporty's Pilot Training weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FAA Private Pilot Prep | Sporty's Pilot Training |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $69.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faa-private-pilot-prep/id366840890/reviews) | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sportys-pilot-training/id1272775528/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 74 | **11K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.2% of reviews** | 70.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #158 | **#139** |
| Size | 640 MB | 194 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dauntless Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/366840893) | [Sporty's Pilot Shop](https://appshunter.io/developer/371817958) |

## What reviewers say

### FAA Private Pilot Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faa-private-pilot-prep/id366840890)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Prepare for your FAA Private and Recreational Pilot knowledge tests with a comprehensive database of actual, up-to-date questions. Features detailed explanations, included charts, and flexible study modes to help you pass your exams.

**Highlights:** Actual FAA questions, Free updates, Illustrated explanations, Compatible with FAA ACS, Comprehensive question database, Flexible study modes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Audio Review | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Excellent test preparation
- 📚 Comprehensive explanations
- 🔄 Frequently updated content
- 🎛️ Numerous practice modes
- 🎯 Clever stack system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Not modern or aesthetically pleasing
- 🐛 Update issues
- 🐛 Incorrect answers reported
- 🐛 No response to review requests
- 🐛 Poor audio system integration

**Reported bugs**

- Update issues
- Incorrect answers
- No response to review requests
- Poor audio system integration
- Lacks dark mode

**Requested features**

- Dark mode
- Use Apple's iCloud for storage
- Use 'Sign with Apple'
- More FAR/AIM questions
- Improved UI/UX design


### Sporty's Pilot Training

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sportys-pilot-training/id1272775528)

**Currently charting:** #139 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Access a comprehensive library of aviation training courses, including FAA test preparation and interactive guides. Start with free access to handbooks, practice tests, and HD videos, with options to purchase in-depth courses for pilot certificates and ratings.

**Highlights:** Interactive FAA handbooks, FAR/AIM access, FAA practice tests, HD/4K training videos, Learn to Fly course, Instrument Rating course, Flight maneuvers guide

**Features:** Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remote Pilot Test Prep | $19.99 | one-time |
| Flying With ForeFlight | $39.99 | one-time |
| Pilot's Guide to Airspace | $39.99 | one-time |
| VFR Communications | $49.99 | one-time |
| Real World Flight Review | $99.00 | one-time |
| Garmin G1000 Checkout | $99.99 | one-time |
| Multiengine Training Course | $129.99 | one-time |
| Instrument Rating Course | $299.00 | one-time |
| Sporty's Learn To Fly Course | $299.00 | one-time |
| Commercial Pilot Course | $299.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly recommended and worth recommending
- 🚀 Awesome training
- 👍 Excellent quality
- 👍 Great preparation for exams and flying
- 👍 Passed written exams

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Desktop site is much better
- 👎 Not sure why all the good reviews
- 🐛 Buggy Chromecast
- 🐛 Lost ability to cast
- 🐛 Sync issues between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Login screen freezes
- Video downloads reset to zero when switching apps

**Requested features**

- Show progress/completion status of each video
- Sync video progress across all devices
- Ability to Airplay directly without third-party app
- Continuous play mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FAA Private Pilot Prep free?

FAA Private Pilot Prep costs $69.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Sporty's Pilot Training free?

Sporty's Pilot Training is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Sporty's Pilot Training?

Sporty's Pilot Training is rated higher. FAA Private Pilot Prep averages 4.5 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Sporty's Pilot Training averages 4.9 from 11K ratings.

### Do FAA Private Pilot Prep or Sporty's Pilot Training have ads?

Neither FAA Private Pilot Prep nor Sporty's Pilot Training shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Sporty's Pilot Training?

FAA Private Pilot Prep ships an update monthly, and Sporty's Pilot Training weekly. Most recently, FAA Private Pilot Prep was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sporty's Pilot Training on November 7, 2026.

### Which is more popular, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Sporty's Pilot Training?

FAA Private Pilot Prep currently peaks at #158 in the App Store charts, and Sporty's Pilot Training at #139. 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.*