# ACARS vs VirtualFreedan

The clearest difference is price: VirtualFreedan at Free against ACARS's $2.99. VirtualFreedan also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months). ACARS's advantage is ratings volume (14 vs 2) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 12.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

VirtualFreedan is free to download; ACARS costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

VirtualFreedan holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ACARS has 14 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of ACARS's written reviews are positive against 50% of VirtualFreedan's.

ACARS ships an update every 12 months, VirtualFreedan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ACARS | VirtualFreedan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acars/id386825917/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfreedan/id1374158139/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 41.4% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 2 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Black Cat Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/301047032) | [Masahiko Nogami](https://appshunter.io/developer/806726009) |

## What reviewers say

### ACARS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acars/id386825917)

View ACARS aircraft transmissions on your iOS device without a bulky computer. Requires a radio scanner tuned to the aircraft band. Save decodes to a file or transfer to your computer.

**Highlights:** View ACARS transmissions on iOS, Save decoded packets to a file, Transfer data to computer via iTunes, Built-in aircraft model database, Add custom plane information, Color-coded packet fields

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### VirtualFreedan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfreedan/id1374158139)

Virtually experience a new style of Japanese Buddhist altar. This app allows you to interact with a virtual altar, light candles, burn incense, ring a bell, and customize it with photos and names. It's designed to let you explore the "FreeDan" before considering a purchase.

**Highlights:** Virtual altar experience, Light candles and incense, Ring a virtual orin, Customize with photos, Customize with names, Open and close altar doors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ACARS free?

ACARS costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is VirtualFreedan free?

VirtualFreedan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ACARS or VirtualFreedan?

VirtualFreedan is rated higher. ACARS averages 3.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while VirtualFreedan averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do ACARS or VirtualFreedan have ads?

Neither ACARS nor VirtualFreedan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ACARS or VirtualFreedan?

ACARS ships an update every 12 months, and VirtualFreedan every 3 weeks. Most recently, ACARS was updated on September 23, 2026 and VirtualFreedan on June 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*