# PilotAssist vs FAA

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PilotAssist at none against FAA's 4. FAA's advantage is update cadence (every 8 months vs every 20 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FAA sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. PilotAssist asks for nothing beyond the download.

PilotAssist ships an update every 20 months, FAA every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PilotAssist | FAA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotassist/id6642684166/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 8 months** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kelly Gayneaux](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082576429) | [Bhautikkumar Kalariya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854310812) |

## What reviewers say

### PilotAssist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilotassist/id6642684166)

This app provides essential aviation calculations and references for student and everyday pilots. It offers tools for fuel, temperature, and time conversions, runway headings, crosswind calculations, descent planning, and airport weather retrieval.

**Highlights:** Fuel, temperature, and time conversion, Landing crosswind calculator, Descent planner, Airport weather (METAR) retrieval, Runway reciprocal finder, Flight briefing tips

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### FAA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faa-private-pilot-prep-test/id6755902173)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FAA Private Pilot : Yearly Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| FAA Private Pilot : Weekly Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| FAA Private : Lifetime Gift Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| FAA Private Pilot : Lifetime Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PilotAssist free?

PilotAssist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FAA free?

FAA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do PilotAssist or FAA have ads?

Neither PilotAssist nor FAA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PilotAssist or FAA?

PilotAssist ships an update every 20 months, and FAA every 8 months. Most recently, PilotAssist was updated on October 30, 2026 and FAA on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*