Comparison

Comms vs Checkride Compass

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Comms

Practice realistic air traffic control radio communications using AI and speech recognition. Build confidence with over 35 scenarios, from basic taxi instructions to complex airspace transitions. Get instant feedback on your phraseology and accuracy.

Highlights
  • AI-powered speech recognition
  • Realistic ATC scenarios
  • Instant feedback on phraseology
  • Transcript review
  • Practice anytime, anywhere
  • Guided responses
Features
Read full description

Master Your Radio Skills. Fly with Confidence. Practice real ATC conversations by speaking into your phone. Comms uses AI and speech recognition to simulate realistic radio exchanges — so you can build confidence before keying the mic in the cockpit. Whether you're preparing for your first solo or sharpening your skills before a checkride, Comms helps you sound like you've been on frequency for years. 35+ Realistic ATC Scenarios - Taxi clearances, progressive taxi, and runway crossings - Takeoff, pattern work, and departures from towered and non-towered fields - VFR flight following — requesting, canceling, and handoffs - Class Bravo and Charlie airspace clearances and transitions - CRAFT clearances, IFR pop-ups, and holding instructions - Approaches, go-arounds, and missed approach procedures - Landing at towered and non-towered airports - Filing PIREPs, opening/closing flight plans, and requesting diversions - VFR into IMC emergency scenarios How It Works - Listen to ATC instructions with realistic controller audio - Respond by speaking your readback out loud - Get instant feedback on accuracy and phraseology - Review your full transcript after each session Built for Student Pilots - Designed for the calls that make new pilots nervous - Practice anytime — no airplane, no instructor, no pressure - Progress from basic taxi calls to complex airspace scenarios - Guided responses help you learn correct phraseology Perfect For - Student pilots preparing for solo or checkride - Private pilot candidates building radio confidence - Flight instructors looking for a training aid - Rusty pilots getting back on frequency Download Comms and take the stress out of talking to ATC. Focus on what matters most — flying the airplane. Terms of use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Checkride Compass

Prepare for your Private Pilot checkride with focused quizzes, flashcards, and real-world scenarios. This tool helps build confidence for oral exams, ACS standards, and written preparation.

Highlights
  • Practice quizzes
  • ACS flashcards
  • Checkride-style scenarios
  • Focused study experience
  • Build confidence
Features
Read full description

Checkride Compass helps student pilots prepare for their Private Pilot checkride with focused quizzes, flashcards, and real-world scenarios based on FAA ACS standards. Features: • Practice quizzes • ACS flashcards • Checkride-style scenarios • Focused study experience Build confidence and stay on course for your oral, ACS, and written prep. Disclaimer: Checkride Compass is an independent educational study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA.

Screenshots

Comms4 screens
Checkride Compass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Checkride Compass at 100% against Comms's 36%. Checkride Compass also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 12). Comms's advantage is ratings volume (207 vs 7) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.2). On price, ads and device support 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. Comms sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Checkride Compass asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Checkride Compass holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Comms has 207 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Comms's written reviews are positive against 100% of Checkride Compass's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Comms ships an update every 4 days, Checkride Compass every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Comms versus Checkride Compass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCommsCheckride Compass
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (207 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings207 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKHV Digital LLCJainik Parekh

Customer experience

Comms

All ratings207 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative15.9%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive35.8%
Neutral13.4%
Negative50.7%

Checkride Compass

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Comms

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and becomes unusable after account setup
  • Incompatible with latest iOS versions
  • Provides incorrect information that goes against FAA guidelines

Requested features

3 requests
  • More detailed and comprehensive pilot scenarios
  • Improved voice recognition and speech-to-text accuracy
  • Better alignment with FAA instructions and procedures

Checkride Compass

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Comms

Subscriptions4
  • Comms Premium Weekly2 variants$6.997 Days
  • Comms Premium Monthly2 variants$14.991 Month
  • Comms Premium Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Comms Premium Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time6
  • Study Guide Private Pilot w/Premium$9.99
  • 25 Scan Credits$9.99
  • Pro - Unlock All Comms$12.99
Show 3 more
  • Study Guide Commercial Pilot$14.99
  • 50 Scan Credits$14.99
  • Study Guide Private Pilot$19.99
None

Checkride Compass

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Comms free?
Comms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Checkride Compass free?
Checkride Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Comms or Checkride Compass?
Checkride Compass is rated higher. Comms averages 4.2 out of 5 from 207 ratings, while Checkride Compass averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Comms or Checkride Compass have ads?
Neither Comms nor Checkride Compass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Comms or Checkride Compass?
Comms ships an update every 4 days, and Checkride Compass every 2 days. Most recently, Comms was updated on October 16, 2026 and Checkride Compass on October 6, 2026.

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