Comparison

Readback vs AviATC

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

AviATC

This app acts as a flight recorder for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, capturing ATC audio, video, and telemetry. It allows for real-time tracking of aircraft and airports, with features for post-flight debriefing and sharing flight replays for training or insurance purposes.

Highlights
  • Live ATC radio and ATIS transcription
  • Real-time aircraft and airport tracking
  • In-flight video recording (Beta)
  • Flight data recording with synced audio
  • 3D flight path and telemetry playback
  • Sharable flight replays
Features
Read full description

Listen to Live ATC. Track Every Flight. Built for pilots and aviation enthusiasts who want to listen, track, and follow the skies in real time. Tune into live ATC radio from towers across the country, watch aircraft move on a live traffic map, and read transcribed ATC and decoded airport weather — all from your phone. Save the moments worth keeping to your personal Listening Library, complete with AI summaries and searchable transcripts. Follow Airports Save your favorite airports to monitor live ATC radio, active traffic, and real-time weather with transcribed ATIS from anywhere. Listen to Live ATC Tune into ground, tower, approach, and center frequencies at airports nationwide. A live ATC scanner in your pocket. Hear the action exactly as it happens. Live Traffic Map Track aircraft in real time on an interactive map. Tap any plane to see its altitude, speed, and route as it flies. Real-Time Transcription Follow every callout as text while you listen. Catch tail numbers, clearances, and instructions even when the frequency is busy or hard to hear. Your Listening Library Save any session and come back to it later. Go Pro for AI-written summaries, fully searchable transcripts, and 30-day history — and bookmark your favorites to keep them forever. Airport Weather, Decoded Plain-English METAR and TAF briefings for any airport, plus a live radar overlay, so you always know the conditions. For Pilots and Enthusiasts Whether you're studying real-world phraseology, following traffic at your home field, or just love aviation, AviATC puts the live national airspace in your pocket. Shareable Share sessions and summaries with students, instructors, or fellow aviators for training, review, or the love of flying. Everything you save is stored privately and securely — your own record of the skies, whenever you want it. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

AviATC3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AviATC at 4.3 against Readback's 2.3. AviATC also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (48 vs 8). Readback's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 AviATC sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AviATC holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AviATC has 48 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Readback's written reviews are positive against 63% of AviATC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readback ships an update every 6 months, AviATC every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Readback versus AviATC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadbackAviATC
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (8 ratings)4.3 (48 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings848 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSantiago Borja LopezAviscript

Customer experience

Readback

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

AviATC

All ratings48 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative14.6%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%

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
3 purchases

AviATC

Subscriptions2
  • AviATC Monthly$7.991 Month
  • AviATC Pro3 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$149.99

Questions

Is Readback free?
Readback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AviATC free?
AviATC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Readback or AviATC?
AviATC is rated higher. Readback averages 2.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while AviATC averages 4.3 from 48 ratings.
Do Readback or AviATC have ads?
Neither Readback nor AviATC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readback or AviATC?
Readback ships an update every 6 months, and AviATC every 5 days. Most recently, Readback was updated on June 8, 2026 and AviATC on September 23, 2026.

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