Comparison

iBal Rotary vs Microsoft Authenticator

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

Head to head
About

iBal Rotary

This app helps helicopter pilots quickly calculate weight and balance for their aircraft. It supports numerous helicopter models and allows users to add custom aircraft configurations. The app provides graphical displays and can email mission manifests, aiding in compliance with aviation regulations.

Highlights
  • Supports numerous helicopter types
  • Add custom aircraft configurations
  • Graphical CG displays
  • Email mission manifests
  • Detects weight and CG problems
  • Predefined load lists
Features
Read full description

iBal Rotary is a dedicated Helicopter weight and balance app for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac. Designed from the ground up for professional and private helicopter pilots, it provides for quick and easy entry of loads and checks against type-specific weight, lateral and longitudinal CG limits, load station limits etc. Graphical displays, mission and manifest sent by email and much more. Online information, help and discussion at http://groups.google.com/group/ibal-help http://www.airspayce.com/airspayce/ibal Quick Reference Sheet http://www.airspayce.com/iBal/ReferenceSheet.pdf Features: Many types supported: See http://www.airspayce.com/airspayce/ibal/ibal-types-supported for detailed list of supported types and configurations. Robinson R22 Beta, BetaII, Alpha, HP, R44, R44 II, R66 Agusta A109AII, A109E, A119 and AW119 MK II Agusta Bell AB212 IFR Pax Agusta-Westland AW109SP, AW139 Bell 205A-1 and 205A-1 with STC SH5977NM, 204B, 206B3 Jet Ranger, 206L Long Ranger (L, L1, L3, and L4 models), 210, 222U, 230, 212, 407, 412, 427, 429, 430 Schweizer/Hughes 269C/300C, 333, 333M Hughes OH-6A Eurocopter AS350 B, BA, BA+, B1, B2, B3, D Squirrel, AS332, AS355 N, NP, F1 and F2 twin Squirrel AS365 N1, N2, N3 Dauphin, BK117 A-3, A-4, B, C-1, C+, EC120B Colibri, EC130 B4, EC135 P2+, EC130/H130 EC155 B,B1, EC225 LP Enstrom 280FX, 480B Boeing CH-47 Chinook Cabri G2 MD500D (369D), MD530F-Plus (369FF), MD600N, MD902 MBB105 LS A3 Sikorsky S-76A,A+,A++, S-76B, C, S-76C++, S-92A, UH-61A,L Blackhawk Add any number of your own aircraft, including preconfigured loads and photos of your own aircraft. Send completed CG Solutions (including manifest) and CG graphs to any email address (internet connection required) Configurable Name, BEW, longitudinal and lateral arms and photo for your own aircraft (from camera or photo roll where supported). Easy entry and adjustment of passengers, fuel, cargo and suspended loads. Displays CG for loaded and empty fuel, critical fuel loads with and without any suspended load. Detects and displays weight, longitudinal and lateral CG problems. Displays available load until limits will be exceeded. Displays weights, arms and CG solutions in graphical and tabular formats, with problem alerts. Support for optional Passenger names and Flight Details which appear on the CG solution spreadsheet and are transmitted when Send tapped. This supports new FAA rules requiring FAR Part 135 (Air Taxi) Operators to manifest every flight stage and for it to be transmitted back to base. Support for Predefined Loads: user definable list of commonly carried loads and their weights. Useful for EMS staff lists, oil rig personnel lists, common cargo items etc. List of predefined loads can be accessed from the load edit page to automatically enter the weight and description. The list can be customised to include any number of your own personnel names or freight descriptions plus the weight of each. Predefined loads can be added or removed from your list at any time, and will not be lost when you update iBal. Loads can be entered in your choice of suitable unit: kg, lbs, USGals, litres, stones (also fuel % in applicable types). Supports iPhone gestures: Drag passengers and cargo between stations Flick cargo and passengers off Zoom and scroll floorplans, graphs and load sheets Aircraft-specific Custom Load Stations, allowing you to add new or non-standard loading positions to your own aircraft. Displays helpful loading data, limits and hints. Optional Alert sounds and vibration for bad solutions for easy in-flight use. Configurable fuel SGs Supports Apple AirPrint, Retina, iOS 5 and later on iPhone, iPad, etc. Works with Aeronet http://www.aeronet.co.nz/ a world class maintenance, flight and duty tracking system. Allows operators to automatically update their Aeronet records with the flight details emailed by iBal. Reduces the time and cost of records compliance.

About

Microsoft Authenticator

Securely sign into online accounts with multi-factor authentication, passwordless login, or password autofill. Manage multiple accounts, including non-Microsoft services, and access Microsoft products and services seamlessly.

Highlights
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Passwordless sign-in
  • Password autofill
  • Support for non-Microsoft accounts
  • Account management for work/school
  • Cert-based authentication
Read full description

Use Microsoft Authenticator for easy, secure sign-ins for all your online accounts using multi-factor authentication, passwordless, or password autofill. You also have additional account management options for your Microsoft personal, work or school accounts. Getting started with multi-factor authentication Multi factor authentication (MFA)provides a second layer of security. When enabled, during login after entering your password, you’ll be asked for an additional way to prove it’s really you. Either approve the notification sent to the Microsoft Authenticator, or enter the one-time password (OTP) generated by the app. The OTP codes have a 30 second timer counting down. This timer is so you never have to use the same time-based one-time password (TOTP) twice and you don’t have to remember the number. The OTP doesn’t require you to be connected to a network, and it won’t drain your battery. You can add multiple accounts to your app, including non-Microsoft accounts like Facebook, Amazon, Dropbox, Google, LinkedIn, GitHub, and more. Getting started with passwordless Use your phone, not your password, to log into your Microsoft account. Just enter your username, then approve the notification sent to your phone. Your fingerprint, face ID, or PIN will provide a second layer of security in this two-step verification process. After you’ve signed in with two factor authentication (2FA), you’ll have access to all your Microsoft products and services, such as Outlook, OneDrive, Office, and more. Microsoft personal, work or school accounts Sometimes your work or school might ask you to install the Microsoft Authenticator when accessing certain organization resources. You will need to register your device to your organization through the app and add your work or school account. Microsoft Authenticator supports cert-based authentication by issuing a certificate on your device. This will let your organization know that the sign-in request is coming from a trusted device and help you seamlessly and securely access additional Microsoft apps and services without needing to log into each. Microsoft Authenticator may request the following optional permissions, which require your consent. You can continue to use Microsoft Authenticator without granting these permissions. However, some features may be limited or unavailable. For more information, please see below: - Face ID: To enable app lock and help protect your accounts - Camera: To scan QR codes when adding accounts to Microsoft Authenticator.

Screenshots

iBal Rotary4 screens
Microsoft Authenticator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iBal Rotary at 83% against Microsoft Authenticator's 12%. Microsoft Authenticator's advantage is price (Free vs $17.99) and ratings volume (703K vs 24). 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

Microsoft Authenticator is free to download; iBal Rotary costs $17.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Microsoft Authenticator holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Authenticator has 703K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of iBal Rotary's written reviews are positive against 12% of Microsoft Authenticator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iBal Rotary ships an update every 2 months, Microsoft Authenticator every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
iBal Rotary versus Microsoft Authenticator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriBal RotaryMicrosoft Authenticator
Price$17.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (24 ratings)4.7 (703K ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.1% of reviews — better11.7% of reviews
Number of ratings24703K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank—#5 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB226 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAirSpayceMicrosoft Corporation

Customer experience

iBal Rotary

All ratings24 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive83.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative14.3%

Microsoft Authenticator

All ratings703,149 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews4,292 reviews
Positive11.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative84.2%

User reviews

iBal Rotary

From 24 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and accurate calculations
  • 👍 User-friendly and simple interface
  • 🛠️ Excellent customer support
  • ✅ Reliable and functional
  • 💡 Versatile and complete

Room to improve

  • 💰 Repurchase required for new versions
  • 🔊 Annoying sounds
  • 👎 Poor user interface
  • 📉 Outdated data
  • 🤷‍♂️ Stations cannot be deleted

Microsoft Authenticator

From 703K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Seamless authentication
  • 🔒 Secure login process
  • 👍 Convenient passwordless sign-in
  • 🚀 Smooth app performance

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Broken Apple Watch functionality
  • 🐛 Backup and restore issues
  • 🐛 Confusing login flow
  • 🐛 Accounts disappearing after phone change

Bugs and requests

iBal Rotary

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on iPhone 4 since latest update
  • Choose photo function does not work on iPad Mini Retina
  • Math is sometimes wrong
  • Rounding of aircraft values is annoying

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add B3E aircraft
  • Ability to modify aircraft data
  • Add BK-117 D2/D3 (H145) to aircraft list
  • Add Bell 505 to aircraft library
  • Input fuel burn to calculate flight duration estimate
Show 5 more
  • Adjustable minimum fuel
  • Add AS 350 B3 to list
  • Simplify PDF/printed page to one page
  • Remove sound features
  • Allow building own configuration with lateral c of g

Microsoft Authenticator

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Authenticator app getting locked and requiring Touch ID
  • Notification failures and authentication issues
  • Accounts not syncing properly between devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add search and sorting for accounts
  • Improve Apple Watch integration
  • Provide better backup and restore options
  • Streamline login process

In-app purchases

None

iBal Rotary

No in-app purchases

None

Microsoft Authenticator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iBal Rotary free?
iBal Rotary costs $17.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Microsoft Authenticator free?
Microsoft Authenticator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iBal Rotary or Microsoft Authenticator?
Microsoft Authenticator is rated higher. iBal Rotary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Microsoft Authenticator averages 4.7 from 703K ratings.
Do iBal Rotary or Microsoft Authenticator have ads?
Neither iBal Rotary nor Microsoft Authenticator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iBal Rotary or Microsoft Authenticator?
iBal Rotary ships an update every 2 months, and Microsoft Authenticator every 3 weeks. Most recently, iBal Rotary was updated on October 16, 2026 and Microsoft Authenticator on October 19, 2026.

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