FreeFlight vs POWERUP 4.0
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FreeFlight
Control a Parrot AR.Drone or AR.Drone 2.0 with intuitive tilt controls. Record HD video, perform acrobatics, and share flights with a global community. Features advanced piloting modes and video editing tools.
- Intuitive tilt-based piloting
- HD video recording and direct upload
- Acrobatic maneuvers for AR.Drone 2.0
- Absolute Control piloting mode for beginners
- AR.Drone Academy for flight sharing and analysis
- Director Mode for automatic camera movements
- Video post-production and editing tools
Read full descriptionHide full description
Discover and pilot the Parrot AR.Drone and AR.Drone 2.0 from Parrot using the new application, AR.FreeFlight 2.2. INTUITIVE – Download AR.FreeFlight 2.2, the free control application, and you are ready to fly! By tilting your iPhone, iPod or iPad you control the direction of your AR.Drone. When you release control, the AR.Drone is instantly stabilized in the air. AR.FreeFlight 2.2 is compatible with the Parrot AR.Drone and the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 FLY LIKE A CHAMPION – The AR.Drone is equipped with intuitive sensors that allow it to remain stable in the air, virtually flying itself. Anyone can fly like a champion as the embedded sensors allow for easy take-off and landing. With the AR.Drone 2.0 and AR.FreeFlight 2.2, you can access the exclusive and patented Absolute Control piloting mode for beginners that can be adjusted with your growing expertise. RECORD HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO - As you fly, the HD video is recorded and sent via WiFi directly to your device after you land. With one click, upload your video from the user-friendly interface seamlessly to Youtube or share your pictures on Picasa. AR.DRONE 2.0 EXCLUSIVE… PERFORM ACROBATICS – Make your AR.Drone 2.0 flip in mid-flight using a simple control. AR.DRONE ACADEMY Improve your flying experience with AR.Drone Academy. See all your flights on the AR.Drone Academy map, watch your videos, enhanced with in-flight data and share them with pilots throughout the world. DIRECTOR MODE LAUNCH Launch automatic movements to get stabilized and smooth trajectories. Panorama, travellings, crane and static point are available and you can change the speed during the movements to adjust it to your needs Front camera settings such as white balance, saturation and exposure can be adjusted to scene you want to shoot Post production options developed especially for the AR.Drone 2.0 videos are available to stabilize the video on your iDevice. Choose the rate of correction that fits and it creates a new additional version of the video directly visible from the app. It is also stored into the Camera Roll. Your video is too long? Some parts are not of interest? Thanks to the sequence edition option you can cut some parts of your video to select only the ones you want and create a new video with only the selected sequences. FLIGHT RECORDER COMPATIBILITY To use all the features linked to the Flight Recorder, you need to plug it above the battery. It is extremely important that the Flight Recorder is exactly just above the battery and not elsewhere to get the best of it. Please check our videos on www.parrot.com A new piloting mode has been developed. When you click on the earth icon on top right corner of the piloting interface, a map appears on the screen. This is the map around your location. Choose a point on the map, set the speed, set the altitude and click “GO”. The AR.Drone 2.0 starts its flight to get to this point. The AR.Drone 2.0 stays within the Wi-Fi range from your iDevice. The “Return Home” functionality helps to get his AR.Drone 2.0 back to the take-off location automatically. Review in 3D all your flights made with the Flight Recorder connected to your AR.Drone 2.0 on the AR.Drone Academy map. Get a better stabilization for the static point when you fly in high altitudes thanks to the GPS positioning of the Flight Recorder. The Flight Recorder registers more than 350 different flight data. RESCUE MODE Stuck in a tree? Just try the “Rescue mode” directly from the piloting interface to try to unblock the AR.Drone 2.0 from the branches. Even if it is upside down, the propellers will spin so you have new possibilities to make an action while your AR.Drone is not reachable. This app is for iOS 6 and higher. Enjoy your flights
POWERUP 4.0
Transform paper airplanes into smart, controllable flying machines. Experience smooth, intuitive flight with advanced sensors and dual motors. Master aerobatics, track flight data, and enjoy night flying with optional LEDs.
- On-board flight computer
- Gyro and accelerometer sensors
- Dual thrust vectoring motors
- Auto-looping aerobatics
- Real-time flight analytics
- Optional LED lights
- Wheeled takeoff and landing
Read full descriptionHide full description
POWERUP 4.0 is the smartest, most intuitive paper plane kit we’ve ever made. It makes it possible to fly with ease and smoothness in a variety of conditions. Say goodbye to nosedives and choppy flights. We’ve added a new on-board flight computer and 2 new sensors: gyro and accelerometer, combined with 2 thrust vectoring motors. That means flying POWERUP 4.0 is smoother than ever, and can now do all this: That’s right. POWERUP 4.0 can auto-loop. So you can master tricks and awesome aerobatics by simply pressing a button. We’ve added 2 high speed motors to POWERUP 4.0. That means you’ve got double the thrust, additional maneuvering possibilities, and sharper turns. And together with the flight assist, you can fly just about anything Now you can learn to fly like a pro. We’re showing you real-time analytics including heading direction, thrust level and turning angles. We’ve made it a lot easier and way cooler to fly POWERUP 4.0 at night. Optional LED lights will enable you to light up the night - making for awesome visuals and round-the-clock fun. 2 rear wheels and 1 front wheel give your paper plane more style and make for easier takeoff and landing. They also make it possible to launch off of a surface rather than hand-launching. We partnered with the best RC hobby vloggers on the planet – FliteTest! They have put together their incredibly creative minds to develop a foam jet inspired by the F22 for the 4.0. It is made from a special laser cut foam board they created and make in the USA. Intuitive control makes it easy to fly. Simply tilt your phone in the direction you want your plane to fly. It’s really that easy. POWERUP is an incredibly helpful tool when it comes to teaching and learning aeronautics. Students can test multiple designs, analyze their work and improve their planes. Through trial and error, they can understand what makes their plane fly smoother, longer and farther- key lessons in airplane design.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: POWERUP 4.0 at 3.8 against FreeFlight's 2.8. POWERUP 4.0 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). FreeFlight's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 125) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. FreeFlight sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. POWERUP 4.0 asks for nothing beyond the download.
POWERUP 4.0 holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FreeFlight has 1K ratings behind it against 125, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 46% and 45% positive.
FreeFlight ships an update every 6 weeks, POWERUP 4.0 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FreeFlight | POWERUP 4.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (1K ratings) | 3.8 (125 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.8% of reviews — better | 45.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | 125 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 57 MB | 143 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Parrot SA | Tailor Toys LTD |
Customer experience
FreeFlight
POWERUP 4.0
Bugs and requests
FreeFlight
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when trying to view photos/videos
- Wifi connection issues
- Unresponsive controls
Requested features
3 requests- Update app to support latest iOS versions
- Add more control options and customization
- Improve video recording and sharing features
POWERUP 4.0
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
FreeFlight
- AR.Director FreeFree
- AR.Director$3.99
POWERUP 4.0
No in-app purchases









