# Aviation Exam vs Ground School

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ground School at every 8 days against Aviation Exam's every 2 months. Ground School also leads on chart position (#189 vs unranked) and review sentiment (88% vs 79%). Aviation Exam's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aviation Exam sells 30 one-off in-app purchases and Ground School sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Aviation Exam against 4.9 for Ground School. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 495 and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Aviation Exam's written reviews are positive against 88% of Ground School's.

Aviation Exam ships an update every 2 months, Ground School every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aviation Exam | Ground School |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aviation-exam-easa/id477687688/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-school/id1444387206/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 495 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | **88.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#189** |
| Size | 34 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aviationexam s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/416832093) | [On The Flight Line Productions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/328833131) |

## What reviewers say

### Aviation Exam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aviation-exam-easa/id477687688)

Prepare for EASA pilot exams with an extensive, offline question bank. Customize your study with advanced filters, access detailed explanations, and track your progress with insightful statistics. Seamlessly integrate with electronic textbooks for a comprehensive learning experience.

**Highlights:** Constantly updated question bank, Offline test preparation, Customizable study filters, Detailed question explanations, Integrated electronic textbooks, Advanced statistics and progress monitoring, Cross-platform synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (30)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $19.90 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $33.49 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $33.49 | one-time |
| 090 - eTextbook | $35.90 | one-time |
| 070 - eTextbook | $35.95 | one-time |
| 031 - eTextbook | $37.49 | one-time |
| 010 - eTextbook | $37.90 | one-time |
| 010 - eTextbook 2016 | $37.90 | one-time |
| 033 - eTextbook | $41.90 | one-time |
| 032 - eTextbook | $42.49 | one-time |
| 062 - eTextbook | $42.49 | one-time |
| 081 - eTextbook | $42.49 | one-time |
| 061 - eTextbook | $43.49 | one-time |
| 050 - eTextbook | $44.90 | one-time |
| 022 - eTextbook | $45.49 | one-time |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $46.90 | one-time |
| 021 - eTextbook | $51.90 | one-time |
| ICAO English Level 5 | $58.90 | one-time |
| EASA Professional Pilot Studies | $63.90 | one-time |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $70.90 | one-time |
| PPL AirCademy (in English) | $80.90 | one-time |
| PPL Fragenkatalog | $81.90 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $87.90 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $87.90 | one-time |
| PPL Questionnaire | $96.90 | one-time |
| All Subjects of PPL Syllabus | $115.99 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $132.99 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $147.99 | one-time |
| All EASA - FCL 2016 Subjects | $209.00 | one-time |
| EASA - All EASA - FCL Subjects | $229.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive question bank
- 💡 Detailed explanations and comments
- 👍 Offline functionality
- 🚀 Efficient study tool for exams
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some questions have missing/inaccurate images
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes
- 🔋 Slow database sync/update
- 👎 Subscription-based model
- 👎 Explanations could be improved in some cases

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for some users
- Sync issues causing incomplete database downloads

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to select specific number of questions easily
- Grouping of questions for users outside Europe
- Landscape mode for reading materials on iPhone


### Ground School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-school/id1444387206)

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Prepare for your FAA written test and become a safer pilot with this comprehensive training app. It combines expert instruction, engaging videos, and interactive practice tests to ensure you gain the knowledge needed to fly your best.

**Highlights:** Expert FAA flight instructor knowledge, Engaging educational videos, Pilot perspective flight footage, Over 1,000 practice test questions, CG animations for concept illustration, Pilot Proficiency dashboard, FAA Knowledge Test endorsement

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – Monthly Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – 3-Month Plan (Sale) | $149.99 | per 3 months |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| All Access – Annual Plan (Sale) | $299.99 | per year |
| All-Access – Annual Plan | $299.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent ground school app
- 👍 Comprehensive and well-presented content
- 🎓 Helpful for passing written exams
- 👍 Great for both new and experienced pilots
- 🎓 Useful for CFIs to stay sharp

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🔍 Lack of desktop version
- 🔍 Limited flashcard and spaced-repetition features
- 🔍 Need for more interactive chart/sectional practice
- 🐛 Some questions have outdated or incorrect answers

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between iPhone and iPad
- Some questions have incorrect or outdated answers

**Requested features**

- Desktop version of the app
- More robust flashcard and spaced-repetition system
- Deeper interactive practice with sectional charts
- Expansion to commercial and ATP levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aviation Exam free?

Aviation Exam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ground School free?

Ground School is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Aviation Exam or Ground School?

Ground School is rated higher. Aviation Exam averages 4.8 out of 5 from 495 ratings, while Ground School averages 4.9 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Aviation Exam or Ground School have ads?

Neither Aviation Exam nor Ground School shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aviation Exam or Ground School?

Aviation Exam ships an update every 2 months, and Ground School every 8 days. Most recently, Aviation Exam was updated on September 22, 2026 and Ground School on September 23, 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.*