# FAA Private Pilot Prep vs Private Pilot Checkride

The clearest difference is price: Private Pilot Checkride at $9.99 against FAA Private Pilot Prep's $69.99. Private Pilot Checkride also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). FAA Private Pilot Prep's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 19 months). On ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

FAA Private Pilot Prep costs $69.99 and Private Pilot Checkride $9.99 up front. FAA Private Pilot Prep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Private Pilot Checkride asks for nothing beyond the download.

FAA Private Pilot Prep holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 73 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of FAA Private Pilot Prep's written reviews are positive against 52% of Private Pilot Checkride's.

FAA Private Pilot Prep ships an update monthly, Private Pilot Checkride every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FAA Private Pilot Prep | Private Pilot Checkride |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $69.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faa-private-pilot-prep/id366840890/reviews)** | [3.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-checkride/id385104649/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **79.2% of reviews** | 52.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #199 | **#160** |
| Size | 640 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dauntless Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/366840893) | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) |

## What reviewers say

### FAA Private Pilot Prep

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

**Currently charting:** #199 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


### Private Pilot Checkride

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-checkride/id385104649)

**Currently charting:** #160 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Prepare for your private pilot practical exam with over 900 questions and answers based on FAA standards. This app helps identify knowledge gaps and build confidence for your checkride, covering all essential aviation topics.

**Highlights:** Over 900 exam-style questions and answers, Aligned with FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS), Answers with FAA references and ACS codes, Flag questions for custom study sets, Includes Applicant Practical Test Checklist, Covers all essential private pilot topics

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FAA Private Pilot Prep free?

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

### Is Private Pilot Checkride free?

Private Pilot Checkride costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Private Pilot Checkride?

FAA Private Pilot Prep is rated higher. FAA Private Pilot Prep averages 4.5 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Private Pilot Checkride averages 3.3 from 20 ratings.

### Do FAA Private Pilot Prep or Private Pilot Checkride have ads?

Neither FAA Private Pilot Prep nor Private Pilot Checkride shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Private Pilot Checkride?

FAA Private Pilot Prep ships an update monthly, and Private Pilot Checkride every 19 months. Most recently, FAA Private Pilot Prep was updated on October 19, 2026 and Private Pilot Checkride on October 13, 2026.

### Which is more popular, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Private Pilot Checkride?

FAA Private Pilot Prep currently peaks at #199 in the App Store charts, and Private Pilot Checkride at #160. 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.*