PC Pilot vs Kitplanes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PC Pilot
This digital magazine delivers comprehensive coverage of flight simulation, from reviews of the latest software and add-ons to in-depth tutorials and industry news. It caters to both novice and experienced virtual pilots, offering insights into various simulation types.
- Flight simulation software reviews
- Add-on aircraft and scenery reviews
- Industry profiles and interviews
- Advanced flight tutorials
- Beginner's guides
- Latest simulation news
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PC Pilot Magazine Brought to you by Key Publishing Ltd, the World’s Leading Aviation Publisher. Published bi-monthly, PC Pilot magazine is the biggest-selling flight simulation magazine in the world. From the most detailed instrument-only simulator to fast-paced combat sims and everything in between, it’s your one-stop shop for Flight Simulation! Each issue features reviews of the latest simulation software, new stand-alone programmes, add-on aircraft, plus scenery and utility software for Microsoft’s Flight Simulator series and other commercial simulations. Each issue* also includes free access to the download content, supplied with the print edition. Regular features include: • Sim News: The latest flight simulation news from around the world • Product Reviews: Reviews of the latest simulation software – who will achieve the coveted PC Pilot Platinum award? • Industry Profiles: Interviews with publishers and developers within the industry • Tutorials: Advanced flight tutorials and training, from expert virtual pilots • Beginner’s Guides: Tips and technical advice for the novice flight simmer And much more! *Available from Issue 85 / May -June 2013 onwards. Please note: Posters, calendars or wall planners, plans, decals etc. may not necessarily be included with this digital issue. Please check the specific issue’s description within the app, to see if it is included with that digital version. Published by Key Publishing Ltd. The entire contents of this title is © copyright. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest regular issue at the time of purchase. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx
Kitplanes
Access a wealth of information on building and owning experimental aircraft. Enjoy offline reading, customizable text views, and an interactive table of contents for a seamless experience.
- Offline reading of downloaded issues
- Customizable reading modes (light, dark, sepia, gray)
- Adjustable font size
- Interactive table of contents
- Save articles with bookmarks
- Responsive text view
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KITPLANES Magazine is your Homebuilt Aircraft Authority. We cover topics relevant to anyone who has ever dreamed of building or owning a homebuilt experimental aircraft. Site: https://kitplanes.com/ FEATURES: -Optimized for Your Device: Enjoy a smooth, browser-friendly experience. -Offline Reading: Download issues to your device browser to read anytime, even without wifi. -Bookmarks: Save articles to revisit later. -Text View: Switch to a responsive reading view for comfort. -Reading Modes: Customize background (light, dark, sepia, gray) and adjust font size. -Interactive Table of Contents: Easily jump between articles. NOTE: When purchasing a subscription or single copy of this title, you agree to the privacy and policy and terms of use which can be viewed at http://Firecrown.com/Privacy-Policy and http://Firecrown.com/Terms-of-Use. KITPLANES publishes 10 issues per year, but reserves the right to change the number of issues in an annual term, including discontinuing any format and substituting and/or modifying the manner in which the subscription is distributed. Apple iOS Subscriptions: Subscription(s) will automatically renew via your Apple Account prior to the end of your subscription term. You can turn off the Apple auto-renew feature up to 24-hours before the end of your subscription by going into Apple Account Settings. Subscriptions cannot be cancelled during the active subscription period.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Kitplanes at free against PC Pilot's free with in-app purchases. Kitplanes also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). PC Pilot's advantage is ratings volume (64 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 13.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. PC Pilot sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 2 months and Kitplanes sells 21 in-app purchases, starting at $35.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Kitplanes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PC Pilot has 64 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
PC Pilot ships an update every 5 months, Kitplanes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PC Pilot | Kitplanes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (64 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 64 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.2 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Key Publishing | Flying Media Group, LLC |
Customer experience
PC Pilot
Kitplanes
Bugs and requests
PC Pilot
Reported bugs
13 issues- App crashes after login/authentication
- App crashes after updates
- Endless loop of downloading purchased issues
- App crashes when opening purchased magazines
- App stuck on blue loading screen
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- Pages missing from magazine issues
- App crashes when trying to read downloaded issues
- Download status bar freezes
- App crashes constantly, even when idle
- Cannot create a user account
- App crashes and becomes unresponsive
- App is very slow on iPhone 4
- Rendering issues fixed in newer versions
Requested features
8 requests- Fix app crashes
- Ensure compatibility with latest iOS versions
- Improve download stability
- Provide links to add-on aircraft
- Reformat magazine for better iPad screen display
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Allow disabling page turning animation
- Update app for iPhone 5 compatibility
- Rework flimsy menus
Kitplanes
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PC Pilot
- PC Pilot Magazine7 Days trial$3.992 Months
- PC Pilot Magazine14 Days trial$12.996 Months
- PC Pilot Magazine1 Month trial$23.991 Year
- Issue 80: July-... (id:797190)$5.99
- Issue 82 Novemb... (id:796744)$5.99
- Issue 83: Janua... (id:797153)$5.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Issue 84: March... (id:797289)$5.99
- Issue 95 (id:793322)$5.99
- X-Plane 10 - Th... (id:797168)$5.99
- Microsoft's Fli... (id:793299)$5.99
Kitplanes
- Subscription 1 year$35.991 Year
- Feb-26$5.99
- May/June 2026$5.99
- Feb-27$5.99
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- November/December 2026$5.99
- Aug-26$5.99
- Jul-26$5.99
- Apr-26$5.99
- Jan-27$5.99
- Sep-26$5.99
- Mar-26$5.99
- 2025 December$5.99
- 2025 April$5.99
- November/Dec 2024$5.99
- 2024 October$5.99
- 2024 March$5.99
- 2025 January$5.99
- May/June 2024$5.99
- 2025 February$5.99
- 2024 July$5.99
- 2024 April$5.99
Questions
Is PC Pilot free?
Is Kitplanes free?
Which has better reviews, PC Pilot or Kitplanes?
Do PC Pilot or Kitplanes have ads?
Which is updated more often, PC Pilot or Kitplanes?
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