Comparison

Memory Sports vs Tower Drill

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

Head to head
About

Memory Sports

Features
Read full description

Memory Sports is an app created by Dean Vaughn Learning Systems, the world's foremost publisher of applied memory systems. For over 50 years, the highly successful Dean Vaughn Total Retention System has achieved success in over 13,000 schools, hospitals, government institutions, and individuals in over 40 countries. GAMES: - Sequential: Memorize and recall items in order — numbers, colors, cards, or text — forward and reverse - Separation: Spot which items you've seen among decoys using mental alteration techniques - Numerical Sorting: Arrange randomized numbers into sequence using codeword conversion - Grid: Master a coordinate-based memory matrix - Cube: Navigate a multi-cell 3D memory array across three color-coded levels - Missing Cards: Identify hidden cards from a standard 52-card deck FEATURES: - Quick Play: Jump into any game with custom settings — choose digit types, set counts, and difficulty - Leaderboards: Ranked by speed with 100% accuracy required - Training Videos: Learn the Vaughn Cube technique, the Number Code System, and real-world memory applications - Codewords Library: Master the complete 00-99 phonetic encoding system - Profile & Stats: Track your personal bests and climb the ranks Whether you're training for memory competitions, sharpening your mind, or just looking for a brain workout, Memory Sports gives you the tools used by memory champions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Tower Drill

Practice aviation radio communications with realistic ATC instructions. This app helps student pilots overcome mic fright through repeatable drills and structured lessons, offering different practice modes and an optional on-device AI for enhanced training.

Highlights
  • Realistic ATC instruction practice
  • Push-to-talk and readback scoring
  • Multiple practice modes (Training, Coached, Solo)
  • 15 structured lessons and 78 drills
  • On-device AI for varied phrasing
  • Aircraft placard for reference
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
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Tower Drill helps US student pilots practice ATC out loud before the next flight lesson. BUILT FOR IPHONE DUO Practice on the outer display, then unfold for a two-pane workspace. Keep the radio conversation beside your guidance and push-to-talk controls. Partially open layouts respect the hinge, including tabletop practice. Lesson briefings and your Logbook adapt too. Also available on iPhone and iPad. If radio calls make you tense, Tower Drill gives you a private place to rehearse. Listen to a simulated controller, respond with push-to-talk, and get focused feedback on the runway, frequency, altitude, squawk code, hold-short instructions, and other details that matter. Tower Drill does not stream live ATC or issue operational clearances. START WITH THE HELP YOU NEED • Listen & Shadow lets you hear both sides and repeat without a score. • Training explains the call and shows the expected response. • Coached gives you key items when you need a prompt. • Solo removes the hints when you are ready to test yourself. PRACTICE AT YOUR HOME AIRPORT Choose from 577 US towered practice airports based on FAA data. Scenarios use runway and frequency references for the field you select, along with your aircraft details. Airport data is for training only; always verify current official sources before flight. PREPARE FOR FLIGHT DAY Check current weather and official airport sources, choose the operation you expect to fly, then rehearse its radio sequence as a clearly labeled simulation. PRACTICE A LITTLE EVERY DAY • Daily Drill gives you four calls in about two minutes, built from your recent misses, your weakest skill, and a quick review. • An optional daily reminder skips days you've already practiced. • Start a drill from Siri or Shortcuts. LOG YOUR RADIO TIME • Every clean call logs radio time, with more credit the less help you use. • Earn ratings from Student Radio Pilot to Tower Ace. Meet the hours and milestones, then pass a short no-hints checkride. • Stay radio current with three clean calls in any seven days, and collect a passport stamp for every airport you work. • Your first solo on the radio earns a shareable shirt tail. FOR FLIGHT SCHOOLS AND INSTRUCTORS • Instructors pick lessons, a support level, a minimum score, and a due date, then share the assignment by link or QR code. • Students see assigned lessons at the top of their syllabus, and a lesson counts only when flown to the standard. • Students send back a one-page PDF record, or a progress code that adds them to the instructor's roster. • No accounts or school server: everything travels inside the link. REVIEW WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SAID • Tape Review replays recent transmissions beside the expected readback. • Practice My Misses builds a short session around weak details. • Taxi Trainer reinforces route order, runway crossings, and hold-short restrictions. • Radio Skills and ACS Readiness show the areas you have practiced. • A CFI-ready PDF summarizes progress for your instructor. 19 LESSONS, 104 SPOKEN DRILLS Build from phonetics and first contact to taxi, takeoff, flight following, IFR, CTAF, and abnormal situations. Changing calls teach structure instead of one memorized script. FREE TO START The first 5 lessons and 24 drills are free. Instructor assignments are free. A one-time $8.99 Pro purchase unlocks the complete course, all 577 practice airports, Flight Day mission rehearsal, Radio Checkride, Commute Mode, and the CFI report. No subscription. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, ads, analytics, or tracking. Speech evaluation happens on device. Practice recordings and transcripts stay on your device. Optional Apple Intelligence features use Apple's on-device system language model on supported devices; core guided lessons do not require it. Tower Drill is an educational practice aid, not a substitute for a flight instructor, current charts and publications, regulations, or real ATC instructions.

Screenshots

Memory Sports3 screens
Tower Drill4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Memory Sports at every 3 weeks against Tower Drill's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Memory Sports sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month and Tower Drill sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Memory Sports ships an update every 3 weeks, Tower Drill every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Memory Sports versus Tower Drill: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMemory SportsTower Drill
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLinnflux, Inc.TXN LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Memory Sports

Subscriptions1
  • Memory Sports Subscription$9.991 Month
1 purchases

Tower Drill

One-time1
  • Tower Drill Pro$8.99

Questions

Is Memory Sports free?
Memory Sports is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tower Drill free?
Tower Drill is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Memory Sports or Tower Drill have ads?
Neither Memory Sports nor Tower Drill shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Memory Sports or Tower Drill?
Memory Sports ships an update every 3 weeks, and Tower Drill every 6 weeks. Most recently, Memory Sports was updated on October 31, 2026 and Tower Drill on November 5, 2026.

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