# ALPA Mobile vs The Air Current

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Air Current at 100% against ALPA Mobile's 22%. The Air Current also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.7). ALPA Mobile's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Air Current holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of ALPA Mobile's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Air Current's.

ALPA Mobile ships an update monthly, The Air Current every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ALPA Mobile | The Air Current |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpa-mobile/id423642917/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-air-current/id6746278742/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | 21.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 106 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Air Line Pilots Association, International](https://appshunter.io/developer/561681760) | [JAO Aero Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1816038549) |

## What reviewers say

### ALPA Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpa-mobile/id423642917)

This app provides ALPA pilots with essential tools and resources, including jumpseat information, flight time calculations, and access to pilot group content. It offers a personalized experience with saved favorites and an intuitive search function for quick access to documents and contacts.

**Highlights:** Jumpseat and flight finder, Flight time/duty time calculator, MEC and LEC content access, Personalized favorites, In-app search, Member resources and contacts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great jumpseat section (older review)
- 👍 Search feature for KCM airports (older review)
- 👍 Good start, accessible JS info (older review)
- 👍 Nice layout (older review)
- 👍 Leveraging mobile platform (older review)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App is non-functional
- 🐛 Features are broken/missing
- 🐛 Flight times are unreliable/incorrect
- 🐛 Update forces issues

**Reported bugs**

- Jumpseat flight finder missing/not working
- Flight times incorrect/unreliable
- App forces update with bugs
- Jumpseat finder doesn't display correctly
- Cargo not showing up (FedEx, UPS)

**Requested features**

- Add "aircraft's previous flight" to jumpseat finder
- Make saved/notify buttons intuitive (on/off or red/green)
- Remember Non-Stop/One-Stop/Multi-Leg preference for jumpseat searches
- Add airline code to Jumpseat section
- Make jumpseat info available offline


### The Air Current

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-air-current/id6746278742)

Access in-depth aviation news and intelligence with a focus on technical detail and journalistic rigor. Features exclusive scoops, breaking industry news, and an AI-powered news aggregator. Aviation safety reporting is provided as a public service.

**Highlights:** In-depth aviation reporting, Exclusive scoops, Breaking industry news alerts, AI-powered news aggregator, Mobile-first reader experience, Aviation safety reporting

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ALPA Mobile free?

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

### Is The Air Current free?

The Air Current is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ALPA Mobile or The Air Current?

The Air Current is rated higher. ALPA Mobile averages 2.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while The Air Current averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do ALPA Mobile or The Air Current have ads?

Neither ALPA Mobile nor The Air Current shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ALPA Mobile or The Air Current?

ALPA Mobile ships an update monthly, and The Air Current every 3 weeks. Most recently, ALPA Mobile was updated on November 10, 2026 and The Air Current 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.*