Comparison

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep vs Garmin TXi Trainer

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

Head to head
About

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep

Prepare for FAA Flight and Ground Instructor knowledge tests with a comprehensive database of actual questions and detailed explanations. Stay up-to-date with free updates and ensure your readiness for various instructor ratings.

Highlights
  • Actual FAA questions
  • Free updates
  • Illustrated explanations
  • Compatible with FAA ACS
  • Comprehensive question database
  • Share results with instructor
Features
Read full description

Spend less time studying and more time flying! This is the FAA Flight and Ground Instructor (CFI) 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. 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 * Share Your Results with your instructor * Compatible with all FAA "ground school" classroom-based courses This CFI version of GroundSchool will prepare you for any or all of the following tests: * FIA - Flight Instructor Airplane * FRH - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Helicopter * FIG - Flight Instructor Glider * AFA - Flight Instructor Airplane (added rating) * AFG - Flight Instructor Glider (added rating) * BGI - Ground Instructor Basic * AGI - Ground Instructor Advanced * FRG - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Gyroplane * GFA - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Gyroplane (added rating) * HFA - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Helicopter (added rating) * FOI - Fundamentals of Instruction * MCI - Military Competence Flight Instructor 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. * 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. Fundamentals of Instruction? Yes! This software will prepare you for the FAA Fundamentals of Insruction (FoI) exam that is required of most flight and ground instructor candidates. You do not need to buy this software 'twice' if you want to study for the FOI and another test, for example, the FIA Flight Instructor Airplane. Rather, you can switch through the included tests as often and as much as you'd like. Military Competence Instructor? Yes! This software will prepare you for the MCI military competence instructor test that is required to convert US military flight instructing experience into FAA instructor ratings. What you need to do is select the MCI test within the software and then go to take the test. For details on this test, please visit our website. Good luck on your test!

About

Garmin TXi Trainer

Virtually explore Garmin's G500/G600 TXi flight displays and engine information systems on your iPad. Familiarize yourself with touch interfaces, various configurations, and simulated system information before flying with the actual hardware.

Highlights
  • Simulated touch and bezel interface
  • TXi EIS (Engine Instrumentation System)
  • Multiple display configurations
  • Aviation databases
  • SafeTaxi and FliteCharts
  • Simulated system information
Read full description

The Garmin G500 TXi, G600 TXi and TXi EIS Trainer provides an on-the-ground environment to experience these products virtually anywhere you can take an iPad. Easily familiarize yourself with these flight displays and engine information systems prior to flying behind them. The Trainer includes: - Simulated touch and bezel interface – interact with the primary flight and multi-function displays, become familiarized with the new HSI Map one-touch zoom gesture, full- and split-screen PFD/MFD modes, on-screen autopilot controls, and much more - TXi EIS (Engine Instrumentation System) – demonstrates common engine gauge layouts for single-engine piston, multi-engine piston, and single-engine turboprop aircraft - Selection between 10", 7" Portrait, and 7" Landscape configurations for multiple aircraft types - explore the broad range of options available in the TXi series - Garmin North America and Jeppesen Worldwide/Americas aviation databases are available – go to Settings > More to select the database used. - Garmin SafeTaxi and FliteCharts – view detailed airport information and published approach charts on the moving map - High resolution worldwide terrain and obstacle databases, including powerline alerting - Simulated system information for: - ADS-B and TCAS Traffic with TargetTrend™ Relative Motion - FIS-B and SiriusXM Weather - Garmin GWX 75 Weather Radar - Stormscope Lightning Detection * Note: The Trainer is currently only supported on iPads with an A7 Chip or newer, including iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, and later. * This app contains simulated data and does not receive data from or interact with real Garmin avionics. Content may differ slightly from actual hardware for demonstration purposes or be out-of-date with respect to the latest airborne software and database cycles. This app should not be used for navigation purposes. * Some functionality that requires a navigator or other products, e.g., flight plans from GTN, may be unavailable in this standalone Trainer. * Visit Garmin's web site for additional GTN/TXi Trainer options, TXi flight familiarization and tutorial videos, and to explore our fully-featured training programs.

Screenshots

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep at 70% against Garmin TXi Trainer's 16%. FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep also leads on rating (4.0 vs 1.9) and update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months). Garmin TXi Trainer's advantage is price (Free vs $69.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads 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

Garmin TXi Trainer is free to download; FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep costs $69.99 up front. FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Garmin TXi Trainer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep's written reviews are positive against 16% of Garmin TXi Trainer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep ships an update monthly, Garmin TXi Trainer every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep versus Garmin TXi Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFAA CFI Flight Instructor PrepGarmin TXi Trainer
Price$69.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (21 ratings) — better1.9 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews70.4% of reviews — better16.2% of reviews
Number of ratings21 — better7
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better14
Further details — not scored
Size422 MB2.5 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDauntless SoftwareGarmin DCI

Customer experience

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep

All ratings21 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral9.5%
Negative19.0%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral9.3%
Negative20.4%

Garmin TXi Trainer

All ratings5 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive16.2%
Neutral16.2%
Negative67.6%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep

One-time1
  • Audio Review$19.99
None

Garmin TXi Trainer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep free?
FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep costs $69.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Garmin TXi Trainer free?
Garmin TXi Trainer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep or Garmin TXi Trainer?
FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep is rated higher. FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep averages 4.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Garmin TXi Trainer averages 1.9 from 7 ratings.
Do FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep or Garmin TXi Trainer have ads?
Neither FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep nor Garmin TXi Trainer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep or Garmin TXi Trainer?
FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep ships an update monthly, and Garmin TXi Trainer every 8 months. Most recently, FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep was updated on October 20, 2026 and Garmin TXi Trainer on October 24, 2026.

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