IFR Flight Simulator vs ATC Archive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IFR Flight Simulator
This aviation simulator helps pilots master IFR procedures and prepare for instrument ratings. Practice holdings, intercepts, and approaches with realistic flight simulation and navigation tools on your phone. Ideal for student and experienced pilots seeking convenient, effective training.
- Realistic aviation training
- Worldwide flight navigation database
- Comprehensive training modes
- Real-time flight simulator
- Integrated autopilot
- Optimal holding entry path overlay
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Practice holdings, radial intercepts, and DME arcs on your phone before your next simulator session. Calculate the procedure, fly it with live instruments, and review your track in the debrief. IFR Flight Simulator combines focused IFR procedure training with real-time flight simulation, worldwide navigation data, and a choice of glass cockpit or classic gauges. What you can practice: • Holding Trainer: Randomized holding situations. Determine the entry, calculate the wind correction angles, then fly the pattern. • Intercept Trainer: Inbound and outbound radial intercepts as well as QDM/QDR intercepts. • DME Arc Trainer: Fly DME arcs and calculate the angle of lead to turn onto the inbound course at the right moment. • Approaches: Set up a final intercept, a position in the pattern (downwind, base, or final), or a full approach at any airport, including ILS. • IFR mental math: Practice entries, wind correction angles, and lead points until the calculations become automatic. Worldwide navigation database: • Navigation data from a recent AIRAC cycle, with worldwide coverage: 13,000+ airports and 10,000+ VORs, NDBs, and other navaids. • Train with real airports and navaids instead of generic exercise locations. Real-time flight simulator: • Modern glass cockpit (PFD and ND) or classic gauges. • Autopilot with rotary controls for heading, altitude, and speed, or fly manually by tilting your device. • Fast-forward mode to repeat procedures efficiently. • Live Map: your position and flight path in real time. • Live Needle Overlay: watch where the HSI and CDI needles actually point as they move with the aircraft symbol across the map. • Optimal Holding Entry Path Overlay: compare your flown track with the wind-corrected entry and holding pattern. • Flight Log with Debrief: every flight is recorded. Replay the track and the needle movement, or resume the flight later. Built for instrument rating training, proficiency practice, and simulator assessments. "I am currently training for my Instrument Rating, and my FI recommended this app to me. I didn't think such a high quality, useful training tool was possible as an app. Incredible for VOR bearings, practicing holds and command headings." App Store review by Sa4mmy Questions or feedback? Reach us at support@ifrsimulator.com. Disclaimer: This application is for training and educational purposes only. It must not be used for real-world flight planning or in-flight decision-making. While the developer strives to provide information and calculations that are as accurate and up-to-date as reasonably possible, they may still be incomplete or inaccurate, and other accepted methods exist for deriving procedures and correction angles. Always verify data against official aeronautical publications and follow the guidance of a certified flight instructor. The developer accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or outcomes arising from use of this software. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
ATC Archive
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Original radio. Decisions under pressure. The facts behind the flight. ATC Archive helps you understand documented aviation events on your iPhone. Hear available original recordings, follow a visual case review and explore what the source material and investigations establish. Discover 27 playable reviews within a library of 168 aviation case entries. HEAR THE RADIO. FOLLOW THE STORY. Watch available episodes in 16:9 or open a landscape view. Jump to key events and follow available radio captions. Visual timelines help explain the sequence. Selected radio editions shorten verified quiet sections while keeping the episode timeline aligned. GO BEYOND THE HEADLINE Search by flight, airline or location. Open a case for aircraft and route details, passenger and crew figures, documented conditions and investigation findings where sources establish them. Available photographs, original documents and source links let you explore the evidence further. BUILD YOUR OWN WATCHLIST Save cases and resume playback on your device. Included films and case information work offline, so you can return to the archive without a connection. External source links require internet access. START WITH THREE FREE FILMS Watch US Airways 1549, JFK 2023 with American 106 and Delta 1943, and Southwest 1380 free. One optional, non-consumable in-app purchase unlocks the other available films. No subscription. Apple processes purchases, which can be restored using the same Apple Account. Research entries without films remain freely accessible. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS Every playable case includes original radio, but recording, caption and position coverage varies. Ten newer reviews have partial source or caption coverage, with those limits identified in the app. Separately timed recordings and silent recorded-flight-data sections are labeled. Report summaries are distinguished from radio captions, and missing positions or uncertain timing are disclosed. A research entry does not necessarily contain a playable film. Made for people curious about aviation history and the communication between flight crews and air traffic control. Some cases discuss fatalities, injuries and distressing events; the collection presents them as factual history, with respect for those involved. ATC Archive is a historical information app, not a live flight tracker or an operational aviation tool.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: IFR Flight Simulator at 3 against ATC Archive's 1. IFR Flight Simulator also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. IFR Flight Simulator sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and ATC Archive sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IFR Flight Simulator | ATC Archive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (107 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 107 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 117 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Tobias Maihoff | Senol Tastan |
In-app purchases
IFR Flight Simulator
- Full Access2 variants$9.991 Month
- Full Access7 Days trial$19.993 Months
- Full Access$19.993 Months
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- Full Access7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Full Access7 Days trial$79.991 Year
ATC Archive
- Full Archive$9.99
Questions
Is IFR Flight Simulator free?
Is ATC Archive free?
Do IFR Flight Simulator or ATC Archive have ads?
Which is updated more often, IFR Flight Simulator or ATC Archive?
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