# Backyard Pilot vs Helicopter Simulator 2018

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backyard Pilot at 70% against Helicopter Simulator 2018's 16%. Backyard Pilot also leads on rating (3.9 vs 1.7) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backyard Pilot sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Helicopter Simulator 2018 sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Backyard Pilot holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backyard Pilot has 645 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Backyard Pilot's written reviews are positive against 16% of Helicopter Simulator 2018's.

Backyard Pilot ships an update every 11 months, Helicopter Simulator 2018 every 34 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard Pilot | Helicopter Simulator 2018 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (645 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-pilot/id429116457/reviews)** | [1.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helicopter-simulator-2018/id1264817328/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **645** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **69.6% of reviews** | 16.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 months** | Every 34 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 106 MB | 318 MB |
| Requires iOS | **4.3** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Quantum Design Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/419048022) | [Thetis Consulting](https://appshunter.io/developer/339173067) |

## What reviewers say

### Backyard Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-pilot/id429116457)

Pilot a plane from airport to airport, delivering cargo and passengers. Experience the thrill of flight with 28 engaging levels, no flight school required.

**Highlights:** Pilot your own plane, Deliver cargo and passengers, Airport to airport travel, 28 levels of gameplay, Casual flight simulation

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MD90 Passenger Jet | $0.99 | one-time |
| 737 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Airport Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cargo Jet | $1.99 | one-time |
| C17 Cargo Plane | $1.99 | one-time |
| Military Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Passenger Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Cargo Plane Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Helicopter Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Spaceship Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing game
- 🚀 Fun and entertaining
- 🚀 Great time killer
- 👍 Awesome game
- 👍 Decent game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🐛 Difficult controls
- 🐛 Unrealistic flight mechanics
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on startup
- Runway and landing strips don't move
- Can't land planes properly
- Planes fall to the ground for no reason

**Requested features**

- Update the game for latest iOS versions
- Add more planes and aircraft types
- Improve graphics and realism
- Add more gameplay modes and challenges
- Improve tutorial and instructions


### Helicopter Simulator 2018

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helicopter-simulator-2018/id1264817328)

Experience realistic helicopter flight with detailed 3D models and over 360 missions. Create your own flight plans, choose weather conditions, and fly through diverse cities. Master takeoff, landing, and complex maneuvers in this immersive simulator.

**Highlights:** Realistic helicopter controls, Detailed 3D helicopter and airport models, Over 360 created missions, Flight planner for custom missions, Dynamic weather and day/night cycles, Multiple camera views

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Restore Fuel | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Club | $2.99 | one-time |
| Trump Sikorsky S-76 | $2.99 | one-time |
| U.F.O. | $2.99 | one-time |
| Boeing AH-64 Apache | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bell 206 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bell 222 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sikorsky MH-53 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bell UH-1 Iroquois | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bell 407 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Boeing CH-47 Chinook | $9.99 | one-time |
| WingFoot Blimp | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlocks all helicopters! | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Helicopter glitch to get free helicopters
- 👍 Good game, needs more free helicopters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Difficult to control helicopters
- 🔒 Most helicopters are locked behind paywalls
- 🔋 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 👎 Poor graphics and unrealistic flight dynamics
- 👎 Lack of tutorial or instructions on how to play

**Reported bugs**

- Helicopters flying erratically or crashing on takeoff
- Inability to see altitude and speed information
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Glitches with purchased helicopters not working properly

**Requested features**

- More free helicopters to unlock
- Improved flight controls and responsiveness
- Better graphics and realistic environments
- In-depth tutorial for new players
- Ability to customize camera views


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard Pilot free?

Backyard Pilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Helicopter Simulator 2018 free?

Helicopter Simulator 2018 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Backyard Pilot or Helicopter Simulator 2018?

Backyard Pilot is rated higher. Backyard Pilot averages 3.9 out of 5 from 645 ratings, while Helicopter Simulator 2018 averages 1.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Backyard Pilot or Helicopter Simulator 2018 have ads?

Helicopter Simulator 2018 shows ads; Backyard Pilot does not.

### Which is updated more often, Backyard Pilot or Helicopter Simulator 2018?

Backyard Pilot ships an update every 11 months, and Helicopter Simulator 2018 every 34 months. Most recently, Backyard Pilot was updated on September 29, 2026 and Helicopter Simulator 2018 on October 5, 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.*