Comparison

X vs Airplane Games Plane Simulator

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

Head to head
About

X

Experience realistic flight simulation with detailed aircraft and interactive cockpits. Explore numerous 3D airports and terrain, with options to expand globally via subscription. Engage in multiplayer or practice with free tutorials.

Highlights
  • Realistic flight physics
  • Interactive 3D cockpits
  • Detailed 3D airports
  • Free tutorials
  • Massive multiplayer
  • System failure simulation
  • Combat missions
Features
Read full description

The most realistic aircraft. The world at your fingertips. It’s not a game, it’s a flight simulator. ▶ "Highly recommended." — Mel Martin, Engadget ◀ ▶ Featured by Apple in "Best New Games" ◀ ▶ Over 1 million downloads! ◀ Come experience why real pilots fly X-Plane. It starts with the flight model—the same flight model used in our FAA-certified desktop simulator—that’s complete enough to model the flex in your wings & the tilt in your landing gear. Add to that our desktop-quality aircraft with multiple liveries and interactive 3-D cockpits—so detailed you can do a full startup procedure using the hundreds of buttons, knobs, & switches in the cockpit. With working gauges, flight displays, & more, these cockpits are as realistic as those in our full desktop sim. But aircraft are no good without a place to fly them. That's why each of our 5 ▸free◂ regions features detailed terrain, lifelike city buildings, & 3D airports—complete with terminal buildings, jetways, hangars, & more. Want more? Subscribe to unlock global scenery, and get access to over 37,000 airports, with more than 11,500 airports featuring 3D terminals, hangars, & more. ▶ FEATURES √ 9 ▸free◂ tutorials, teaching the basics of takeoffs & landings, traffic patterns, helicopters, & more √ Massive multiplayer with thousands of other pilots and controllers in a single shared world (Professional subscribers only; non-subscribers can get free trial flights for a limited time) √ Fully interactive cockpits on many aircraft, wired to real systems models, with working gauges, displays, buttons, & switches √ Full startup procedures supported on many aircraft (optionally start any aircraft from cold & dark) √ More than 50 systems modeled, each of which can be failed on command √ Emergency scenarios √ Combat missions ▶ AIRCRAFT The app includes 2 aircraft (plus 5 scenery regions) for free. In addition, the following aircraft are available as in-app purchases: • ▸Free!◂ Cessna 172SP w/ 4 liveries • ▸Free!◂ Cirrus Vision SF50 w/ 5 liveries • Cirrus SR22 w/ 3 liveries • Cessna Citation X w/ 3 liveries • Airbus A320 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Airbus A330-300 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Boeing B737-800 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Boeing B777-200ER Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Boeing B747-400 Jumbo Jet w/ 3 liveries • Bombardier CRJ200 Regional Jet w/ 3 liveries • Douglas DC-3 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • McDonnell Douglas MD-80 w/ 3 liveries • A-10 Thunderbolt II (“Warthog”) Fighter • F-22 Raptor Fighter • F-4 Phantom II Fighter • Beechcraft Baron B58 • Beechcraft King Air C90B • Piper PA-18 Super Cub • Piaggio P.180 Avanti • Sikorsky S76 Helicopter ▶ SCENERY 5 scenery regions are ▸free◂ for everyone! • Oahu, Hawaii • Grand Canyon • Seattle/Tacoma, Washington • Juneau, Alaska • Innsbruck, Austria Global scenery is available by purchasing a monthly or yearly subscription. ▶ MULTIPLAYER Join tens of thousands of pilots and controllers in a single, shared world! Take part in the Fly-In of the Day to meet up with hundreds of other pilots, or explore the MMO world for spontaneous encounters with fellow aviators. X-Plane Mobile's massive multiplayer experience continues to grow, with ongoing updates bringing new features, refinements, and improvements to make flying together even better. Terms of Service available at: https://www.x-plane.com/x-plane-mobile-terms-of-service/ Download X-Plane now to experience aviation like never before.

About

Airplane Games Plane Simulator

Experience realistic flight simulation with a diverse aircraft fleet. Navigate dynamic weather, complete challenging missions, and explore stunning landscapes. Engage in aerial combat or cooperative missions with friends.

Highlights
  • Diverse aircraft fleet
  • Dynamic weather systems
  • Challenging missions
  • Realistic graphics and sound
  • Flight training and aerial combat
  • Customizable aircraft
  • Multiplayer modes
Features
Read full description

Embark on an exhilarating journey with Skyborne: Master the Skies, the ultimate flight simulation experience. Take control of a diverse fleet of aircraft, from agile fighter jets to massive commercial airliners, and explore the boundless beauty of the skies. In Skyborne: Master the Skies, you'll navigate through dynamic weather systems, face challenging missions, and discover breathtaking landscapes. Whether you're soaring above towering mountain ranges, gliding over sprawling cities, or flying through turbulent storms, the stunningly realistic graphics and immersive soundscapes will make you feel like a true aviator. Perfect for both seasoned pilots and newcomers, Skyborne: Master the Skies offers a range of gameplay modes, from detailed flight training to high-stakes aerial combat. Customize your aircraft, plan intricate flight routes, and master advanced maneuvers as you rise through the ranks to become the ultimate skyborne commander. With multiplayer capabilities, you can join forces with friends for cooperative missions or compete in thrilling aerial dogfights. The sky is not the limit in Skyborne: Master the Skies—it's just the beginning. Take to the skies and prove your mastery in the most authentic and captivating flight simulator ever created.

Screenshots

X4 screens
Airplane Games Plane Simulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: X at 58% against Airplane Games Plane Simulator's 19%. X also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (25K vs 135). Airplane Games Plane Simulator's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 days) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. X sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Airplane Games Plane Simulator sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Airplane Games Plane Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: X has 25K ratings behind it against 135, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of X's written reviews are positive against 19% of Airplane Games Plane Simulator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

X ships an update every 6 days, Airplane Games Plane Simulator every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
X versus Airplane Games Plane Simulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXAirplane Games Plane Simulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (25K ratings)4.3 (135 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.0% of reviews — better18.5% of reviews
Number of ratings25K — better135
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.0 GB337 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperLaminar ResearchMUHAMMAD FAIZAN

Customer experience

X

All ratings24,677 ratings
Positive74.6%
Neutral7.2%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews2,677 reviews
Positive58.0%
Neutral14.5%
Negative27.6%

Airplane Games Plane Simulator

All ratings133 ratings
Positive78.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative15.8%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive18.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative74.1%

Bugs and requests

X

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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 Games Plane Simulator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

X

Subscriptions2
  • X-Plane Mobile Basic$4.991 Month
  • X-Plane Mobile Professional$5.991 Month
One-time8
  • Piper SuperCub$0.99
  • Baron B58$1.99
  • Sikorsky S76$2.99
Show 5 more
  • Airbus A320$4.99
  • F-22 Raptor$4.99
  • Boeing 777-200ER$4.99
  • Boeing 747-400$4.99
  • Boeing B737-800$4.99
1 purchases

Airplane Games Plane Simulator

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days

Questions

Is X free?
X is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Airplane Games Plane Simulator free?
Airplane Games Plane Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, X or Airplane Games Plane Simulator?
Airplane Games Plane Simulator is rated higher. X averages 4.0 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Airplane Games Plane Simulator averages 4.3 from 135 ratings.
Do X or Airplane Games Plane Simulator have ads?
Airplane Games Plane Simulator shows ads; X does not.
Which is updated more often, X or Airplane Games Plane Simulator?
X ships an update every 6 days, and Airplane Games Plane Simulator every 2 days. Most recently, X was updated on November 10, 2026 and Airplane Games Plane Simulator on November 5, 2026.

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