Comparison

Private Pilot Test Prep vs Embry

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

Head to head
About

Private Pilot Test Prep

Prepare for your FAA written test with this comprehensive study tool. It offers three modes: study questions by topic with detailed explanations, review using flashcards, and take full-length practice tests. Track your progress with detailed reports.

Highlights
  • Study questions by topic
  • Custom review sessions
  • Detailed answer explanations
  • Flashcard review mode
  • Simulated practice tests
  • Progress reports
Features
Read full description

Sporty's Study Buddy prepares you for the FAA Private Pilot knowledge test (the "written") with three ways to study: Study Questions, Flashcards and Practice Tests. Questions are organized by knowledge area, with explanations of the right and wrong answers developed by Sporty's team of Master CFIs, based on their experience preparing students for the Private Pilot certificate. • STUDY QUESTIONS BY TOPIC • Choose whole knowledge areas or individual topics to build your own study session. As soon as you answer, you'll see the correct answer, why it's right, and where to read more. Change your answer anytime, bookmark questions as you go, and jump to any question from the question list. Every study session is shuffled. • REVIEW WITH FLASHCARDS • Flashcards show just the question, so you answer from memory before revealing the correct answer and its explanation. Mark each card Know It or Still Learning, then start a new session from the cards you're still learning. On iPhone Duo, study a card with the phone open and close it to check the answer. • TAKE PRACTICE TESTS • Each Practice Test draws 60 questions at random from the full question bank, gives you 2 hours, and is graded at the FAA's 70% passing score. Afterward, see your score by topic, review every question or only the ones you missed, and turn your misses into a new study session. • PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF • Sessions save as you go. The History tab lets you resume any session in progress and review past results, including your scores by topic. • EVERY FIGURE, OFFLINE • The Figures tab includes the complete FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement, with every figure and legend listed by name and page. Swipe through the pages or open any one full screen. Questions show their figures right alongside, and you can study without a connection. Designed for iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad, with Dark Mode and support for larger text sizes. The FAA does not publish its knowledge test questions, so the questions on your test won't necessarily appear in this app. Study Buddy is meant to complement your training, not to replace flight and ground instruction.

About

Embry

Manage your academic life and connect with your university community. Stay organized with event and class calendars, receive important notifications, and access campus resources. Discover events, join groups, and find your way around campus.

Highlights
  • Event and class calendar
  • Academic tools access
  • Deadline notifications
  • Campus community interaction
  • Campus map and services
  • Group and club involvement
Features
Read full description

The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University App brings campus to your fingertips and enables you to connect with the Embry-Riddle community: Stay on top of your events, classes, and assignments with the built in calendar function, and get notified of important dates, deadlines & security announcements. Make friends, ask questions, and access campus resources at any time! Some other exciting features include: + ACADEMICS: real-time access to all of the critical academic tools. + DEADLINES: Stay on top of multiple deadlines with push-notifications, students receive reminders, alerts and critical notifications. + CLASSES: Manage classes, create to-dos & reminders, and stay on top of assignments. + EVENTS: Discover campus events, set reminders, and track your attendance + FEATURED ACTIVITIES: Orientation, Homecoming, etc. + CAMPUS COMMUNITY: Meet friends, ask questions, and keep up with what's happening on the campus wall. + GROUPS & CLUBS: Get involved with campus organizations and meet people with similar interests + CAMPUS SERVICES: Learn about services offered, such as Academic Advising, Financial Aid & Counselling. + PUSH NOTIFICATIONS: Receive important campus notifications and emergency alerts. + CAMPUS MAP: Find the quickest route to classes, events, and offices.

Screenshots

Private Pilot Test Prep4 screens
Embry4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Embry at Free against Private Pilot Test Prep's $14.99. Embry also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). Private Pilot Test Prep's advantage is chart position (#18 vs unranked) and review sentiment (82% vs 73%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

Embry is free to download; Private Pilot Test Prep costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Embry holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 115 and 457 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of Private Pilot Test Prep's written reviews are positive against 73% of Embry's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private Pilot Test Prep ships an update every 5 months, Embry every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Private Pilot Test Prep versus Embry: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate Pilot Test PrepEmbry
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (115 ratings)4.7 (457 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews — better72.7% of reviews
Number of ratings115457 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB68 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSporty's Pilot ShopEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University Inc.

Customer experience

Private Pilot Test Prep

All ratings115 ratings
Positive82.6%
Neutral4.3%
Negative13.0%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral6.1%
Negative12.1%

Embry

All ratings417 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral7.6%
Negative19.7%

User reviews

Private Pilot Test Prep

From 115 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✅ Excellent for exam prep
  • 💯 Questions are verbatim/similar
  • 💡 Affordable and valuable
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 📚 Good explanations

Room to improve

  • ⚠️ Some questions outdated/inaccurate
  • 📉 Not all questions match real exam
  • 😵 Repeat questions in test mode
  • 📱 Difficult to use on small screens
  • 🤔 Explanations not always perfect

Embry

From 457 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to navigate and user-friendly interface
  • 📚 Comprehensive access to class schedules and course information
  • 🎓 Strong engineering and aeronautical programs with real-world focus
  • 🏫 State-of-the-art labs and facilities
  • 💼 Excellent industry connections and internship opportunities

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and performance issues
  • ⏱️ Slow loading times and sluggish performance
  • 🔐 Login and authentication problems
  • 📍 Limited campus map functionality
  • ⚠️ Incomplete feature set compared to full website

Bugs and requests

Private Pilot Test Prep

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes in test mode
  • Progress not saved on phone
  • Blackout bug when viewing figures or rotating screen
  • Crashes after deleting test sessions
  • Not updated for iPhone X
Show 1 more
  • Save function issues

Requested features

9 requests
  • Ability to save flagged questions across sessions
  • Randomized questions in test mode
  • Improved cross-device progress syncing (iCloud)
  • Interactive map features for practice
  • Search functionality for specific questions
Show 4 more
  • Dark mode option
  • Compatibility with iPhone X
  • More sample test questions from FAA
  • Bundle option for instrument written prep

Embry

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes when selecting courses
  • Login credentials not recognized
  • Campus selection screen freezes
  • Discussion tab shows no responses despite posting
  • Classes fail to load or display current year courses
Show 5 more
  • App icon white border partially cut off
  • Modules and videos inaccessible through app
  • Grades feature doesn't show all submissions
  • Poor synchronization between app and Canvas
  • App freezes and requires reinstall to reset

Requested features

10 requests
  • Building number search in campus map
  • Satellite view for campus map
  • Room number display in daily schedule
  • Calendar export to Apple Calendar and Android
  • Email link integration
Show 5 more
  • Module and video access for non-graded content
  • Social feed featured on home page
  • Discussion tab improvements
  • Better event thumbnails and calendar controls
  • ERNIE integration into app

In-app purchases

None

Private Pilot Test Prep

No in-app purchases

None

Embry

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Private Pilot Test Prep free?
Private Pilot Test Prep costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Embry free?
Embry is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Private Pilot Test Prep or Embry?
Embry is rated higher. Private Pilot Test Prep averages 4.3 out of 5 from 115 ratings, while Embry averages 4.7 from 457 ratings.
Do Private Pilot Test Prep or Embry have ads?
Neither Private Pilot Test Prep nor Embry shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Private Pilot Test Prep or Embry?
Private Pilot Test Prep ships an update every 5 months, and Embry every 6 weeks. Most recently, Private Pilot Test Prep was updated on October 29, 2026 and Embry on October 29, 2026.

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