Comparison

Cloud Topper vs Virtual PAPI

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cloud Topper

This utility app helps pilots determine cloud height using their device's camera and sensors. It offers a modern alternative to traditional methods and corrects for Earth's curvature.

Highlights
  • Camera, gyroscope, and accelerometer integration
  • Calculate height above or below clouds
  • Earth's curvature correction
  • Modern alternative to traditional sight levels
  • Easy to use interface
Features
Read full description

Pilots, it's time to get rid of your sight level, water bottle or whatever "old school" method you have been using to determine cloud height. Introducing Cloud Topper, a revolutionary new sight level designed specifically for the iPad and iPhone. With Cloud Topper you can use your device camera, gyroscope and accelerometer as a traditional sight level. Plus you can enter the distance to a cloud and Cloud Topper will calculate your height above or below that cloud. The displayed cloud height is even corrected for the curvature of the earth. Cloud topper is a fun, easy to use app that should be included in every pilots EFB. Cloud Topper is not an FAA approved source to determine cloud height. Cloud Topper is not intended to replace weather radar or pilot skills and judgement. Always consult the Aircraft Manufacturer’s Aircraft Flight Manuals, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) websites and publications, and individual company policies.

About

Virtual PAPI

This app offers adjustable visual descent guidance for any runway, allowing pilots to select airports and runways, then customize descent angles and aiming points. It provides accurate vertical guidance for various approach types and works offline with an extensive runway database.

Highlights
  • Adjustable visual descent guidance
  • Select airport and runway
  • Customize descent angle and aiming point
  • Accurate vertical guidance
  • Works offline
  • 30,000+ runway database
Features
Read full description

Pilots love runways with visual descent guidance, such as PAPI or VASI, but unfortunately they don't exist everywhere. This app provides an adjustable visual descent guidance for every runway on the planet. The pilot can select an airport, a runway, adjust the desired descent angle and the aiming point, then Virtual PAPI will create a glide slope indicator style. The glide slope will provide accurate vertical guidance to the aiming point from any direction, 360 degrees, providing a valuable guidance for any type of approach, like base entries, short approaches, straight-ins, etc. The app comes with over 30 thousand runways in its offline database, and more will be added as they are discovered. The app works completely offline and never tries to use the internet. All it needs is access to your location. Virtual PAPI is and free and open source, with all the code available on GitHub.

Screenshots

Cloud Topper3 screens
Virtual PAPI2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Virtual PAPI at Free against Cloud Topper's $1.99. Virtual PAPI also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 65%). Cloud Topper's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Virtual PAPI is free to download; Cloud Topper costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Virtual PAPI holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cloud Topper has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Cloud Topper's written reviews are positive against 100% of Virtual PAPI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cloud Topper ships an update every 12 months, Virtual PAPI weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Cloud Topper versus Virtual PAPI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCloud TopperVirtual PAPI
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating2.7 (7 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCrop Applications, LLC.Marlon Dutra

Customer experience

Cloud Topper

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive65.4%
Neutral11.5%
Negative23.1%

Virtual PAPI

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Cloud Topper

No in-app purchases

None

Virtual PAPI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cloud Topper free?
Cloud Topper costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Virtual PAPI free?
Virtual PAPI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cloud Topper or Virtual PAPI?
Virtual PAPI is rated higher. Cloud Topper averages 2.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Virtual PAPI averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Cloud Topper or Virtual PAPI have ads?
Neither Cloud Topper nor Virtual PAPI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cloud Topper or Virtual PAPI?
Cloud Topper ships an update every 12 months, and Virtual PAPI weekly. Most recently, Cloud Topper was updated on September 29, 2026 and Virtual PAPI on September 26, 2026.

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