# E6B Descent Planner vs Hughes App

The clearest difference is rating: Hughes App at 4.9 against E6B Descent Planner's 3.5. Hughes App also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 9 months). E6B Descent Planner's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hughes App holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 8 respectively.

E6B Descent Planner ships an update every 9 months, Hughes App fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | E6B Descent Planner | Hughes App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e6b-descent-planner/id673252710/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hughes-app/id1491944548/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 37 MB | 494 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arthur Varrassi](https://appshunter.io/developer/673243828) | [HUGHES Aerospace](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491944547) |

## What reviewers say

### E6B Descent Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e6b-descent-planner/id673252710)

This tool offers a digital circular slide rule for pilots to perform real-time descent planning. It calculates crucial metrics like top of descent distance, descent angle, and glide ratio with simple one-finger operation.

**Highlights:** Digital circular slide rule, Real-time descent planning, Top of descent distance calculation, Descent angle calculation, Vertical descent rate calculation, Glide ratio calculation, Maximum glide distance calculation

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hughes App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hughes-app/id1491944548)

This navigation app provides pilots with essential flight data, including dynamic maps, georeferenced charts, and real-time weather updates. It offers comprehensive aeronautical information and robust safety tools for flight planning and execution.

**Highlights:** Dynamic moving maps, Georeferenced charts, Aeronautical data access, Real-time weather updates, Safety reporting tools, Personalized service requests

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is E6B Descent Planner free?

E6B Descent Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hughes App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, E6B Descent Planner or Hughes App?

Hughes App is rated higher. E6B Descent Planner averages 3.5 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Hughes App averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do E6B Descent Planner or Hughes App have ads?

Neither E6B Descent Planner nor Hughes App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, E6B Descent Planner or Hughes App?

E6B Descent Planner ships an update every 9 months, and Hughes App fortnightly. Most recently, E6B Descent Planner was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hughes App on November 7, 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.*