# Approach Control vs Flight Simulator The clearest difference is rating: Flight Simulator at 4.1 against Approach Control's 3.2. Flight Simulator also leads on ratings volume (760 vs 18). Approach Control's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them. Both are free to download. Approach Control sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Flight Simulator sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters. Flight Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flight Simulator has 760 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of Approach Control's written reviews are positive against 39% of Flight Simulator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about. Approach Control ships an update every 2 weeks, Flight Simulator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively. ## The numbers | Metric | Approach Control | Flight Simulator | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Rating | [3.2 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/approach-control/id590289016/reviews) | **[4.1 (760 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flight-simulator-plane-games/id1464411012/reviews)** | | Number of ratings | 18 | **760** | | Positive reviews | **46.6% of reviews** | 39.3% of reviews | | In-app purchases | Yes | Yes | | Ads | **No** | Yes | | Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months | | Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases | | Size | 26 MB | 160 MB | | Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 | | Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod | | Age rating | 4+ | 4+ | | Developer | [Big Fat Simulations Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/578114758) | [Supercode Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1539592590) | ## What reviewers say ### Approach Control [App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/approach-control/id590289016) Experience the thrill of managing air traffic in a realistic simulation. Guide passenger jets to safe landings by controlling their heading, speed, and altitude, adhering to strict separation rules. This app offers an authentic taste of air traffic control. **Highlights:** Realistic radar simulation, Authentic pilot voices, Manage heading, speed, and altitude, Maintain aircraft separation, Simulates final approach procedures, Earn points for efficiency **Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support **In-app purchases (5)** | Purchase | Price | Billing | | --- | --- | --- | | Airport 2 | $1.99 | one-time | | Airport 3 | $1.99 | one-time | | Airport 4 | $1.99 | one-time | | Level 5 | $1.99 | one-time | | Level 6 | $1.99 | one-time | **What reviewers like** - 👍 Realistic feel - 👍 Good for passing time - 👍 Challenging gameplay - 👍 Addictive - 👍 Professional interface **What reviewers complain about** - 🐛 Frequent crashes - 🐛 Game freezes - 🐛 Does not save progress - 🐛 Lacks realism in procedures - 🐛 Limited space for traffic **Reported bugs** - Game ends without user awareness - End game screen broken - Try again/replay button doesn't work - Game feels like crashing - Game is frozen **Requested features** - Random VFR traffic - Varying runway alignment - More traffic - Two runways or more - Departures ### Flight Simulator [App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flight-simulator-plane-games/id1464411012) Experience the thrill of aviation with a realistic flight simulator. Engage in diverse missions, fly various aircraft, and master challenging flight scenarios. Offers customizable controls for an immersive piloting experience. **Highlights:** Realistic flight scenarios, Exciting missions (takeoffs, landings, cargo, rescue), Diverse aircraft selection, Customizable controls (joystick/button), Multiple game modes **Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support **In-app purchases (10)** | Purchase | Price | Billing | | --- | --- | --- | | Premium Weekly | $14.99 | per 7 days | | Handful of Cash | $0.99 | one-time | | Unlock All The Missions | $4.99 | one-time | | Bag of Cash | $4.99 | one-time | | Briefcase of Cash | $9.99 | one-time | | RemoveAds | $9.99 | one-time | | Vault of Cash | $14.99 | one-time | | Unlock All The Aircrafts | $14.99 | one-time | | Unlock all Levels | $14.99 | one-time | | Unlock Everything | $34.99 | one-time | **What reviewers like** - 🚀 Intuitive controls - 👍 Great graphics - 🚀 Fun and engaging gameplay - 👍 Easy to learn **What reviewers complain about** - 🐛 Glitches and crashes - 💰 Excessive ads - 💰 In-app purchases required - 🐛 Poor controls and physics **Reported bugs** - Glitching audio - Frequent crashes - Unresponsive controls - Incorrect plane behavior (e.g., banking issues) **Requested features** - More aircraft and mission variety - Free flight mode - Improved physics and controls - Reduced ads or paid ad-free option ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Approach Control free? Approach Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available. ### Is Flight Simulator free? Flight Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available. ### Which has better reviews, Approach Control or Flight Simulator? Flight Simulator is rated higher. Approach Control averages 3.2 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Flight Simulator averages 4.1 from 760 ratings. ### Do Approach Control or Flight Simulator have ads? Flight Simulator shows ads; Approach Control does not. ### Which is updated more often, Approach Control or Flight Simulator? Approach Control ships an update every 2 weeks, and Flight Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, Approach Control was updated on October 10, 2026 and Flight Simulator on October 14, 2026. --- *Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*