Comparison

Readback vs SimFly Pad

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

Head to head
About

Readback

Streamline your air traffic control note-taking with this utility. Quickly record clearances and updates, eliminating the need for a physical scratchpad. Maintain a comprehensive log of all your flight information for better organization.

Highlights
  • Quickly capture ATC clearances
  • Record ATIS updates
  • Digital log of all clearances
  • Printable flight log
  • Add flight number to log
Features
Read full description

Good morning, Captain! Take your ATC note-taking to the next level. This app allows you to quickly capture ATC clearances, ATIS updates, and more—no more relying on a scratchpad, which isn’t the safest practice. Even the fastest controllers won’t slow you down. Jot down everything with ease and keep a complete log of all your clearances. Whether you’re taxiing at JFK, enroute to Los Angeles, or descending into Heathrow, this app ensures you stay organized and informed. You can even print your log and add your flight number for a full flight record. A must-have tool for every phase of flight.

About

SimFly Pad

Enhance your flight simulation experience with interactive checklists, in-game camera recording, and direct cockpit control. Manage flight records and sync media to the cloud for permanent storage.

Highlights
  • Interactive flight checklists
  • In-game virtual camera
  • Cockpit instrument control
  • Flight record management
  • Cloud synchronization for media
  • Voice interaction for checklists (Beta)
Features
Read full description

SimFly Pad is an app focused on enhancing your flight simulation game experience. In SimFly Pad, you can quickly find a sophisticated flight checklist to help you complete each stage of your flight with precision. SimFly Pad is also the first App that comes with a built-in "Camera" allowing you to capture and record every moment of your flight through your phone. All photos and videos are supported for syncing to the cloud for permanent storage. Through the built-in Cockpit page of SimFly Pad, you can directly manipulate the simulated aircraft in your game, such as turning on or off landing lights, adjusting NAV frequencies, and other operations. (Note: The camera function requires an application installed on your PC to work) All Features: * Interactable checklist * Over ten elaborate build-in checklists. * Supports voice interaction (Beta version) * Supports importing custom checklists. * Virtual Camera * Capture and record your in-game footage in real-time. (requires SimFly Linker) * All photos/videos support lossless synchronization to the cloud. * Your flight data is also carried in your photos and videos. * Support real-time view of in-flight data. (barometric pressure, wind, altitude, etc.) * Support exporting videos with beautiful flight data charts. * All exported videos/photos would carry geographic metadata. (meaning you can view the geographic location in your system album). * Cockpit Instrument Control * Direct control of various panels during flight (autopilot, lighting, switches, flaps, etc.) * Supports A320/A330//A340/A350/A380/B737/B757/B777/B787/C250/G1000/C172/CRJ/GA/TBM930/SR22/B777CDU/StreamingScreen. * All components are implemented natively, offering higher performance and lower latency. * Flight Records * Manage all your flight records by tags. * Supports analysis and display of FDR data. * Support for reviewing the flight path. * Support generating and exporting flight path maps. The checklists currently included in the app are: * Douglas DC6A/6B * Airbus A320NX * Airbus A310 * Boeing 737 * Boeing 777 * Carenado M20R * Bombardier CRJ-500/700 * DATER TMB930 * Bae 146 * Cessna 310R * Beech King Air 350 * McDonnell Douglas 82 * Cessna 172SP * Comanche 250 More checklists and features are arriving. If you have any suggestions, please let us know via email at ethantoken@gmail.com or in the comments. NOTE: !!! Please DO NOT use this App in real flight. This App should ONLY be used for simulation games!!!!

Screenshots

SimFly Pad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SimFly Pad at 4.7 against Readback's 2.3. SimFly Pad also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 months). Readback's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Readback sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and SimFly Pad sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SimFly Pad holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Readback's written reviews are positive against 60% of SimFly Pad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readback ships an update every 6 months, SimFly Pad every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Readback versus SimFly Pad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadbackSimFly Pad
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (8 ratings)4.7 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings815 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB150 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSantiago Borja LopezSeeingSky Inc.

Customer experience

Readback

All ratings8 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%

SimFly Pad

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Readback

One-time5
  • Clearance Keypad$0.99
  • Qwerty Keypad$0.99
  • Azerty Keypad$0.99
Show 2 more
  • CDU Keypad$0.99
  • Qwertz Keypad$0.99
12 purchases

SimFly Pad

One-time12
  • SimFly Pad Premium Panel - B767$19.99
  • SimFly Pad B757 Premium Panel$19.99
  • Premium Panel - B737 Ng/Max$24.99
Show 9 more
  • Premium Panel - A320$24.99
  • Premium Panel - B787$24.99
  • SimFlyPad Premium Panel C250$24.99
  • Premium Panel - B777$24.99
  • Premium Panel - A330$24.99
  • Premium Panel - A380$24.99
  • SimFly Pad A350 Premium Panel$24.99
  • SimFly Pad A340 Premium Panel$24.99
  • SimFly Pad Panel - CRJ$24.99

Questions

Is Readback free?
Readback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SimFly Pad free?
SimFly Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Readback or SimFly Pad?
SimFly Pad is rated higher. Readback averages 2.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while SimFly Pad averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do Readback or SimFly Pad have ads?
Neither Readback nor SimFly Pad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readback or SimFly Pad?
Readback ships an update every 6 months, and SimFly Pad every 10 days. Most recently, Readback was updated on June 8, 2026 and SimFly Pad on September 13, 2026.

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