# Backyard Pilot vs Absolute RC Simulator

The clearest difference is rating: Absolute RC Simulator at 4.5 against Backyard Pilot's 3.9. Absolute RC Simulator also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (5.4K vs 645). Backyard Pilot's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (4.3 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Absolute RC Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Absolute RC Simulator has 5.4K ratings behind it against 645, 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 75% of Absolute RC Simulator's.

Backyard Pilot ships an update every 11 months, Absolute RC Simulator monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard Pilot | Absolute RC Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (645 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-pilot/id429116457/reviews) | **[4.5 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-rc-simulator/id534915930/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 645 | **5.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 69.6% of reviews | **75.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 106 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | **4.3** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Quantum Design Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/419048022) | [Happy Bytes LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/509114226) |

## 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


### Absolute RC Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-rc-simulator/id534915930)

Master RC flying with a realistic simulator. Practice with a wide variety of planes, helicopters, drones, boats, and cars without the risk of damaging real models. Save money and frustration while learning to fly in any weather.

**Highlights:** Realistic RC model behavior, Wide range of RC planes and helicopters, Includes RC boats and cars, Interactive landing objects, Multiple camera views, Intelligent Auto Pilot

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tangamanga | $2.99 | one-time |
| A10 Warthog | $2.99 | one-time |
| P51 Mustang | $2.99 | one-time |
| AH-64 Apache | $2.99 | one-time |
| Friendly Rigger | $2.99 | one-time |
| Airbus A380 EDF | $2.99 | one-time |
| F15 Eagle | $2.99 | one-time |
| F16 Thunderbird | $2.99 | one-time |
| Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet | $2.99 | one-time |
| All Plane Models | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Realistic simulation
- 🚀 Accurate flight dynamics
- 👍 Great for learning RC flying
- 👍 Smooth controls
- 👍 Variety of vehicles (planes, helicopters, cars, boats)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many vehicles/planes require purchase
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔍 Limited free content
- 🔍 Lack of free planes/vehicles
- 📢 Frequent ads

**Reported bugs**

- Restore purchases not working
- Glitches with certain plane models
- Inconsistent control responsiveness

**Requested features**

- More free planes and vehicles
- Ability to earn planes/vehicles through gameplay
- Multiplayer mode
- More varied environments and maps
- Improved graphics and physics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard Pilot free?

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

### Is Absolute RC Simulator free?

Absolute RC Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Backyard Pilot or Absolute RC Simulator?

Absolute RC Simulator is rated higher. Backyard Pilot averages 3.9 out of 5 from 645 ratings, while Absolute RC Simulator averages 4.5 from 5.4K ratings.

### Do Backyard Pilot or Absolute RC Simulator have ads?

Absolute RC Simulator shows ads; Backyard Pilot does not.

### Which is updated more often, Backyard Pilot or Absolute RC Simulator?

Backyard Pilot ships an update every 11 months, and Absolute RC Simulator monthly. Most recently, Backyard Pilot was updated on September 29, 2026 and Absolute RC Simulator on October 11, 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.*