Comparison

FAA Private Pilot Prep vs Embry

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

Head to head
About

FAA Private Pilot Prep

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
Currently charting
Read full description

Spend less time studying and more time flying! This is the FAA Private and Recreational Pilot version of GroundSchool, our FAA knowledge (written) test preparation featuring up-to-date questions, free updates, and illustrated explanations written by a professional team of pilot examiners and instructors. GroundSchool is fully compatible with FAA ACS (Airman Certification Standards) and our editorial team is working to keep it so as ACS continues to evolve. Don't be fooled by imitators! Competing apps use only the limited set of questions that the FAA publicly releases via its website - that is not enough to adequately prepare you for your test! Our GroundSchool app, on the other hand, features a much more comprehensive database (typically about 2-4 times the size of the demo FAA public one) of actual and current FAA questions that you likely can and will be asked on the actual test! This along with our detailed, professional explanations and easy to use interface are major reasons why pilots have come to trust GroundSchool. Study actual, up-to-date FAA questions and then ACE your FAA Private Pilot and/or Recreational Pilot knowledge (written) test the easy way with GroundSchool FAA Knowledge Test Preparation software by Dauntless Aviation, the trusted leader in FAA written test preparation. Features: * Actual FAA Questions Current and Valid for Right Now. As soon as you install the software, use the 'update' feature and the software will connect to our servers, grab the latest questions, images, figures, and explanation content, and you'll be good to go. * Detailed Explanations written by an experienced editorial team of examiner and instructor pilots. * All Charts and Figures Included * Several flexible study modes - fits the way you want to study! * Compatible with all FAA "ground school" classroom-based courses This Private and Recreational Pilot version of GroundSchool will prepare you for any or all of the following tests: * Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) * Private Pilot Rotorcraft Helicopter (PRH) * Private Pilot Glider (PGL) * Private Pilot Balloon - Gas (PBG) * Private Pilot Balloon - Hot Air (PBH) * Private Pilot Rotorcraft Gyroplane (PRG) * Private Pilot Powered Parachute (PPP) * Private Pilot Weight Shift Control (PWS) * Private Pilot Lighter-than-Air (Airship) (PLA) * Recreational Pilot Airplane (RPA) * Recreational Pilot Helicopter (RPH) * Recreational Pilot Gyroplane (RPG) * Private Pilot Airplane / Recreational Pilot - Transition (PAT) * Private Pilot Helicopter / Recreational Pilot Transition (PHT) * Private Pilot Gyroplane / Recreational Pilot Transition (PGT) * Canadian Private Pilot to USA FAA Conversion (PCP) With Dauntless Aviation's GroundSchool, you don't need to worry: * Our material is UP TO DATE. No matter what date is listed here in regarding the 'Release date', this date refers to the program itself only. Once you get the program on your device, use the built-in update feature and it will connect to our servers and download the latest and greatest version of the test prep content and our explanations that we have available. To learn more about this, please visit our website. * Furthermore, you are welcome to update the material as often as you like. This means that even if you don't take your test soon, when do you, GroundSchool will be ready for you. Compare this to books or DVDs (which are going out of date from the moment they are printed). * We pride ourselves on the quality of our explanations. This is not some idle boast - our explanations are more detailed and more illustrated than that of ANY other FAA knowledge test provider, period. * Tens of thousands of people have used our products to prepare for their FAA knowledge tests. Ours is a system that works. Good luck on your test!

About

Embry

Manage your academic life and connect with your university community. Stay organized with event and class calendars, receive important notifications, and access campus resources. Discover events, join groups, and find your way around campus.

Highlights
  • Event and class calendar
  • Academic tools access
  • Deadline notifications
  • Campus community interaction
  • Campus map and services
  • Group and club involvement
Features
Read full description

The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University App brings campus to your fingertips and enables you to connect with the Embry-Riddle community: Stay on top of your events, classes, and assignments with the built in calendar function, and get notified of important dates, deadlines & security announcements. Make friends, ask questions, and access campus resources at any time! Some other exciting features include: + ACADEMICS: real-time access to all of the critical academic tools. + DEADLINES: Stay on top of multiple deadlines with push-notifications, students receive reminders, alerts and critical notifications. + CLASSES: Manage classes, create to-dos & reminders, and stay on top of assignments. + EVENTS: Discover campus events, set reminders, and track your attendance + FEATURED ACTIVITIES: Orientation, Homecoming, etc. + CAMPUS COMMUNITY: Meet friends, ask questions, and keep up with what's happening on the campus wall. + GROUPS & CLUBS: Get involved with campus organizations and meet people with similar interests + CAMPUS SERVICES: Learn about services offered, such as Academic Advising, Financial Aid & Counselling. + PUSH NOTIFICATIONS: Receive important campus notifications and emergency alerts. + CAMPUS MAP: Find the quickest route to classes, events, and offices.

Screenshots

FAA Private Pilot Prep4 screens
Embry4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Embry at Free against FAA Private Pilot Prep's $69.99. Embry also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). FAA Private Pilot Prep's advantage is chart position (#137 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support 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

Embry is free to download; FAA Private Pilot Prep costs $69.99 up front. FAA Private Pilot Prep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Embry asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Embry holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Embry has 417 ratings behind it against 73, 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 73% of Embry's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FAA Private Pilot Prep ships an update monthly, Embry every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
FAA Private Pilot Prep versus Embry: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFAA Private Pilot PrepEmbry
Price$69.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (73 ratings)4.7 (417 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.2% of reviews — better72.7% of reviews
Number of ratings73417 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#137 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size640 MB68 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDauntless SoftwareEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University Inc.

Customer experience

FAA Private Pilot Prep

All ratings73 ratings
Positive89.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive79.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative18.2%

Embry

All ratings417 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral7.6%
Negative19.7%

User reviews

FAA Private Pilot Prep

From 73 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Embry

From 417 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to navigate and user-friendly interface
  • 📚 Comprehensive access to class schedules and course information
  • 🎓 Strong engineering and aeronautical programs with real-world focus
  • 🏫 State-of-the-art labs and facilities
  • 💼 Excellent industry connections and internship opportunities

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and performance issues
  • ⏱️ Slow loading times and sluggish performance
  • 🔐 Login and authentication problems
  • 📍 Limited campus map functionality
  • ⚠️ Incomplete feature set compared to full website

Bugs and requests

FAA Private Pilot Prep

Reported bugs

66 issues
  • Update issues
  • Incorrect answers
  • No response to review requests
  • Poor audio system integration
  • Lacks dark mode
Show 61 more
  • Appalling audio quality
  • Inconsistent cloud storage
  • Lacks 'Sign with Apple'
  • UX/UI design issues
  • Expensive compared to alternatives
  • Dated UI design
  • Annoying sound effects
  • Difficult to read UI
  • Annoying figure viewing
  • Need to flip back and forth
  • Customer service issues
  • Rude customer service
  • Unusable after iOS update
  • Crashing on devices
  • Blank screen on test questions
  • No customer service phone
  • Limited MP3 questions
  • Crashing frequently
  • Audio volume varies
  • Sectional diagrams poor quality
  • PDF issues
  • Slow website
  • App restarts from main menu
  • Nuisance switching contexts
  • Missing chart/sectional questions
  • E6B used differently
  • Some questions not in app
  • Phrasing and figures differ
  • Not all questions covered
  • Expensive
  • Vocal teaching inconsistent
  • Audio files disappear
  • Wasted money
  • Needs programmer work
  • Database failure
  • Bugs, bugs, bugs
  • Never performs updates
  • Database corrupted message
  • Crashes on launch
  • Slow loading
  • Not as effective as old tapes
  • Not a test simulator/tutor
  • Limited to test passing ability
  • Lacks silly graphics/mnemonics
  • Needs tweaks
  • Cannot see charts and questions simultaneously
  • Lose progress when going home
  • Why would anybody use this app?
  • Floundering and falling asleep
  • Needs human instructor videos
  • Interface quirks
  • Doesn't always save progress
  • Cartoon-like UI
  • Expensive
  • Vocal teaching only sometimes works
  • Buggy
  • Cannot update test questions
  • Likely out of date questions
  • Poorly tested on iPad
  • Ignores non-working parts
  • Not a serious piece of software

Requested features

15 requests
  • Dark mode
  • Use Apple's iCloud for storage
  • Use 'Sign with Apple'
  • More FAR/AIM questions
  • Improved UI/UX design
Show 10 more
  • More modern interface
  • Better audio playback system
  • More comprehensive MP3 review
  • Fix sectional diagram quality
  • Improve chart and sectional questions
  • Better saving of progress
  • Allow viewing charts and questions simultaneously
  • Add CFI sign-off to iPad version
  • Improve audio loudness consistency
  • Add more human instructor videos

Embry

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes when selecting courses
  • Login credentials not recognized
  • Campus selection screen freezes
  • Discussion tab shows no responses despite posting
  • Classes fail to load or display current year courses
Show 5 more
  • App icon white border partially cut off
  • Modules and videos inaccessible through app
  • Grades feature doesn't show all submissions
  • Poor synchronization between app and Canvas
  • App freezes and requires reinstall to reset

Requested features

10 requests
  • Building number search in campus map
  • Satellite view for campus map
  • Room number display in daily schedule
  • Calendar export to Apple Calendar and Android
  • Email link integration
Show 5 more
  • Module and video access for non-graded content
  • Social feed featured on home page
  • Discussion tab improvements
  • Better event thumbnails and calendar controls
  • ERNIE integration into app

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FAA Private Pilot Prep

One-time1
  • Audio Review$19.99
None

Embry

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FAA Private Pilot Prep free?
FAA Private Pilot Prep costs $69.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Embry free?
Embry is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Embry?
Embry is rated higher. FAA Private Pilot Prep averages 4.5 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Embry averages 4.7 from 417 ratings.
Do FAA Private Pilot Prep or Embry have ads?
Neither FAA Private Pilot Prep nor Embry shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FAA Private Pilot Prep or Embry?
FAA Private Pilot Prep ships an update monthly, and Embry every 6 weeks. Most recently, FAA Private Pilot Prep was updated on October 13, 2026 and Embry on October 4, 2026.

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