# Private Pilot Checkride vs Private Pilot Test Prep

The clearest difference is price: Private Pilot Test Prep at Free against Private Pilot Checkride's $9.99. Private Pilot Test Prep also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and review sentiment (85% vs 52%). Private Pilot Checkride's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and chart position (#147 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Private Pilot Test Prep is free to download; Private Pilot Checkride costs $9.99 up front. Private Pilot Test Prep sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Private Pilot Checkride asks for nothing beyond the download.

Private Pilot Test Prep holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Private Pilot Test Prep has 1.5K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Private Pilot Checkride's written reviews are positive against 85% of Private Pilot Test Prep's.

Private Pilot Checkride ships an update every 19 months, Private Pilot Test Prep fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Pilot Checkride | Private Pilot Test Prep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-checkride/id385104649/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-test-prep-faa/id1455479633/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 52.2% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#147** | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) | [Aeroapps Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/923860276) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Pilot Checkride

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

**Currently charting:** #147 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


### Private Pilot Test Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-test-prep-faa/id1455479633)

Prepare for your FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test with over 900 questions and explanations. Unlock a complete ground school course with detailed tracking and premium test prep, including a free trial.

**Highlights:** Over 900 FAA questions and explanations, Custom study sessions by topic, Simulated FAA exams, Review missed questions, Cross-device data sync, Instructor endorsement upon course completion

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Private Pilot Course Trial | Free | one-time |
| Private Pilot Test Prep | $49.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Ground School | $99.99 | one-time |
| Private Pilot Ground School | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Thorough course with good foundation
- 🚀 Great graphics and easy to follow
- 🚀 Helped pass the FAA exam
- 🚀 Realistic practice exams with FARs and AIMs
- 🚀 Excellent explanations and figures

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Grading issues and incorrect marking of answers
- 🐛 Frequent app updates required, causing issues for users with poor internet
- 🐛 Inability to review missed questions after exiting the app
- 🐛 Lack of zoom and drawing tools for charts
- 🐛 Crashes and login issues reported

**Reported bugs**

- Grading issues and incorrect marking of answers
- Frequent app updates required, causing issues for users with poor internet
- Inability to review missed questions after exiting the app
- Crashes and login issues reported

**Requested features**

- Add sound when choosing correct answers
- Provide separate guides for each chapter
- Offer 50-question practice tests by chapter
- Allow users to pause and resume simulated tests
- Provide a bank of all practice tests and simulated tests


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Pilot Checkride free?

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

### Is Private Pilot Test Prep free?

Private Pilot Test Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Private Pilot Test Prep is rated higher. Private Pilot Checkride averages 3.3 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Private Pilot Test Prep averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.

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

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

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

Private Pilot Checkride ships an update every 19 months, and Private Pilot Test Prep fortnightly. Most recently, Private Pilot Checkride was updated on November 4, 2026 and Private Pilot Test Prep on November 2, 2026.

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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.*