# Private Pilot Checkride vs Aviation Exam

The clearest difference is price: Aviation Exam at Free against Private Pilot Checkride's $9.99. Aviation Exam also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 19 months). Private Pilot Checkride's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 31) and chart position (#195 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Aviation Exam is free to download; Private Pilot Checkride costs $9.99 up front. Aviation Exam sells 31 one-off in-app purchases. Private Pilot Checkride asks for nothing beyond the download.

Aviation Exam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aviation Exam has 498 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 79% of Aviation Exam's.

Private Pilot Checkride ships an update every 19 months, Aviation Exam every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Pilot Checkride | Aviation Exam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-pilot-checkride/id385104649/reviews) | **[4.8 (498 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aviation-exam-easa/id477687688/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **498** |
| Positive reviews | 52.2% of reviews | **78.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) | [Aviationexam s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/416832093) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Pilot Checkride

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

**Currently charting:** #195 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


### Aviation Exam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aviation-exam-easa/id477687688)

Prepare for EASA pilot exams with an extensive, offline question bank. Customize your study with advanced filters, access detailed explanations, and track your progress with insightful statistics. Seamlessly integrate with electronic textbooks for a comprehensive learning experience.

**Highlights:** Constantly updated question bank, Offline test preparation, Customizable study filters, Detailed question explanations, Integrated electronic textbooks, Advanced statistics and progress monitoring, Cross-platform synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (31)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $18.95 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $32.49 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $32.49 | one-time |
| Pilot Assessment | $33.49 | one-time |
| 090 - eTextbook | $35.90 | one-time |
| 070 - eTextbook | $35.95 | one-time |
| 010 - eTextbook | $36.90 | one-time |
| 031 - eTextbook | $37.49 | one-time |
| 010 - eTextbook 2016 | $37.90 | one-time |
| 033 - eTextbook | $41.90 | one-time |
| 032 - eTextbook | $42.49 | one-time |
| 062 - eTextbook | $42.49 | one-time |
| 081 - eTextbook | $42.49 | one-time |
| 061 - eTextbook | $43.49 | one-time |
| 050 - eTextbook | $43.90 | one-time |
| 022 - eTextbook | $45.49 | one-time |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $46.90 | one-time |
| 021 - eTextbook | $51.90 | one-time |
| ICAO English Level 5 | $58.90 | one-time |
| EASA Professional Pilot Studies | $61.90 | one-time |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $70.90 | one-time |
| PPL AirCademy (in English) | $80.90 | one-time |
| PPL Fragenkatalog | $81.90 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $84.90 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $84.90 | one-time |
| PPL Questionnaire | $96.90 | one-time |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $115.99 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $132.99 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $143.99 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $209.00 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $224.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive question bank
- 💡 Detailed explanations and comments
- 👍 Offline functionality
- 🚀 Efficient study tool for exams
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some questions have missing/inaccurate images
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes
- 🔋 Slow database sync/update
- 👎 Subscription-based model
- 👎 Explanations could be improved in some cases

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for some users
- Sync issues causing incomplete database downloads

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to select specific number of questions easily
- Grouping of questions for users outside Europe
- Landscape mode for reading materials on iPhone


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Pilot Checkride free?

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

### Is Aviation Exam free?

Aviation Exam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Private Pilot Checkride or Aviation Exam?

Aviation Exam is rated higher. Private Pilot Checkride averages 3.3 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Aviation Exam averages 4.8 from 498 ratings.

### Do Private Pilot Checkride or Aviation Exam have ads?

Neither Private Pilot Checkride nor Aviation Exam shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Private Pilot Checkride or Aviation Exam?

Private Pilot Checkride ships an update every 19 months, and Aviation Exam every 2 months. Most recently, Private Pilot Checkride was updated on October 28, 2026 and Aviation Exam on October 30, 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.*