# X vs Airplane Lander

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Airplane Lander at none against X's 11. Airplane Lander also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). X's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (58% vs 24%). On price, rating, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. X sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Airplane Lander asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for X against 4.1 for Airplane Lander. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: X has 25K ratings behind it against 829, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of X's written reviews are positive against 24% of Airplane Lander's.

X ships an update fortnightly, Airplane Lander every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | X | Airplane Lander |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-plane-flight-simulator/id566661426/reviews) | **[4.1 (829 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airplane-lander/id6444161825/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 829 |
| Positive reviews | **58.2% of reviews** | 24.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.0 GB | 187 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Laminar Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/290619948) | [Backpack Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1516613435) |

## What reviewers say

### X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-plane-flight-simulator/id566661426)

Experience a highly realistic flight simulator with accurate physics and detailed 3D cockpits. Explore numerous airports and terrain, with options to expand scenery and aircraft through subscription and in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Realistic flight model, Interactive 3D cockpits, Detailed 3D airports, Free tutorials, Massive multiplayer, System failure simulation, Emergency scenarios

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| X-Plane Mobile Basic | $4.99 | per month |
| X-Plane Mobile Professional | $5.99 | per month |
| Piper SuperCub | $0.99 | one-time |
| Baron B58 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sikorsky S76 | $2.99 | one-time |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Airbus A320 | $4.99 | one-time |
| F-22 Raptor | $4.99 | one-time |
| Boeing 777-200ER | $4.99 | one-time |
| Boeing 747-400 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Boeing B737-800 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Realistic flight physics
- 👍 Highly interactive cockpits
- 🤠 Great for flight enthusiasts
- 💡 Potential to be used for flight training

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive planes and subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches in some planes
- 🌍 Limited free global scenery
- 🎮 Challenging controls for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Altitude hold issues in the MD-80
- Inconsistent cockpit quality across different planes
- Unexpected plane behavior during takeoff and landing

**Requested features**

- More free planes, especially commercial airliners
- Larger free flight area and more airports
- Improved autopilot and flight planning features
- Addition of ground services like pushback and jetways
- More realistic weather, lighting, and environmental effects


### Airplane Lander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airplane-lander/id6444161825)

Build a global airline by connecting cities with routes. Earn cash as planes land, then reinvest to expand your fleet and reach. Optimize routes and boost earnings by watching optional ads.

**Highlights:** Connect cities with routes, Expand to a global carrier, Earn cash from landings, Upgrade fleet and prices, Manage destination limits, Optional ad optimization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Enjoyable graphics
- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Great potential

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Geographical inaccuracies in city locations
- 🔋 Excessive ads interrupting gameplay
- 🐛 Bugs causing progression issues
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect city names
- Quests asking to buy planes already owned
- Game resetting progress on reopen

**Requested features**

- Offline earnings option
- Ability to save progress
- Instructions and tutorial
- Option to play without ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is X free?

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

### Is Airplane Lander free?

Airplane Lander is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, X or Airplane Lander?

Airplane Lander is rated higher. X averages 4.0 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Airplane Lander averages 4.1 from 829 ratings.

### Do X or Airplane Lander have ads?

Airplane Lander shows ads; X does not.

### Which is updated more often, X or Airplane Lander?

X ships an update fortnightly, and Airplane Lander every 6 days. Most recently, X was updated on November 1, 2026 and Airplane Lander on October 22, 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.*