# XCSoar vs Balloon Pilot Chaser

The clearest difference is price: XCSoar at Free against Balloon Pilot Chaser's $3.99. XCSoar also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Balloon Pilot Chaser's advantage is update cadence (daily vs monthly). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

XCSoar is free to download; Balloon Pilot Chaser costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

XCSoar ships an update monthly, Balloon Pilot Chaser daily. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | XCSoar | Balloon Pilot Chaser |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcsoar/id6741046464/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 331 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [praechtig gbr](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483050323) | [Frank-Alexander Uhdris](https://appshunter.io/developer/6810132285) |

## What reviewers say

### XCSoar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcsoar/id6741046464)

An open-source flight navigation tool for gliders and sailplanes. It offers a moving map, task planning, airspace data, and thermal detection to aid pilots in route optimization and real-time flight information.

**Highlights:** Moving map display, Task planning, Airspace information, Thermal detection, Route optimization, Real-time flight data

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Balloon Pilot Chaser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balloon-pilot-chaser/id6819992804)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is XCSoar free?

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

### Is Balloon Pilot Chaser free?

Balloon Pilot Chaser costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do XCSoar or Balloon Pilot Chaser have ads?

Neither XCSoar nor Balloon Pilot Chaser shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, XCSoar or Balloon Pilot Chaser?

XCSoar ships an update monthly, and Balloon Pilot Chaser daily. Most recently, XCSoar was updated on November 4, 2026 and Balloon Pilot Chaser on November 8, 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.*