# Holding Pattern Trainer vs Stratus Horizon Pro

The clearest difference is price: Stratus Horizon Pro at Free against Holding Pattern Trainer's $4.99. Stratus Horizon Pro also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Holding Pattern Trainer's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 42%) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Stratus Horizon Pro is free to download; Holding Pattern Trainer costs $4.99 up front. Stratus Horizon Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Holding Pattern Trainer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Holding Pattern Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 114 and 36 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Holding Pattern Trainer's written reviews are positive against 42% of Stratus Horizon Pro's.

Holding Pattern Trainer ships an update every 5 months, Stratus Horizon Pro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Holding Pattern Trainer | Stratus Horizon Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holding-pattern-trainer/id456327713/reviews)** | [3.8 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stratus-horizon-pro/id1001279833/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **114** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 41.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 281 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FLEMINGER MEDIA LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/427480054) | [Appareo Systems, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/440740330) |

## What reviewers say

### Holding Pattern Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holding-pattern-trainer/id456327713)

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

Master IFR holding pattern entries on your mobile device to save time and money on instrument flight training. Practice at your convenience to make choosing the correct entry a breeze.

**Highlights:** Entry Trainer for holding pattern drills, Holding calculator for scenario visualization, Holding tutorial for quick learning, Practice at your own pace, Save on flight and ground lessons

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for practicing holds
- 💡 Excellent visualization tool
- 🚀 Helps learn fast
- ✅ Accurate for many users
- 🧠 Reinforces knowledge

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Incorrect entries/drawings
- ⚠️ Wrong answers/info
- 😞 Wastes valuable time
- 💸 Overpriced for some
- 🤔 Confusing for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Entries are wrong for turns
- Plan view is incorrect
- App drawing entries in wrong directions
- Slicing the fix completely wrong
- Bearing questions are wrong

**Requested features**

- Include more methods in tutorial
- Add teardrop heading to fly
- Allow practice with bearings on/off
- Show outbound teardrop/inbound parallel correction headings
- Work in portrait mode


### Stratus Horizon Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stratus-horizon-pro/id1001279833)

This app provides a backup Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) for pilots, displaying pitch and bank information on a tablet. It also offers radio transcription and playback of air traffic control communications, converting audio to text for easy reference. Firmware updates for compatible devices are also available.

**Highlights:** Backup Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), Responsive pitch and bank instrument display, Automatic AHRS alignment, Radio transcription and playback of ATC communications, Visual assist for referencing audio clips, Firmware updates for Stratus receivers, Day, night, and heads-up display modes

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ATC Transcription - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| ATC Transcription - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Holding Pattern Trainer free?

Holding Pattern Trainer costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Stratus Horizon Pro free?

Stratus Horizon Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Holding Pattern Trainer or Stratus Horizon Pro?

Holding Pattern Trainer is rated higher. Holding Pattern Trainer averages 4.1 out of 5 from 114 ratings, while Stratus Horizon Pro averages 3.8 from 36 ratings.

### Do Holding Pattern Trainer or Stratus Horizon Pro have ads?

Neither Holding Pattern Trainer nor Stratus Horizon Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Holding Pattern Trainer or Stratus Horizon Pro?

Holding Pattern Trainer ships an update every 5 months, and Stratus Horizon Pro every 2 months. Most recently, Holding Pattern Trainer was updated on September 27, 2026 and Stratus Horizon Pro on September 13, 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.*