Comparison

PPLAce vs Private Pilot Test Prep

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

Head to head
About

PPLAce

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Pass the Private Pilot written test and walk into the checkride oral ready. PPL Ace turns the FAA knowledge areas into a daily plan you can actually keep. STUDY SMARTER, NOT LONGER • 1,135 questions across all 16 knowledge areas: aerodynamics, weather, regulations, airspace, navigation, performance, weight and balance, systems, instruments, airport operations, radio, emergencies, night, cross-country, human factors, aeromedical. • Every question has a full explanation and the CFR, AIM or FAA handbook reference behind it. • Answers are shuffled every time, so you learn the material, not the letter. • Missed questions come back on a spaced-repetition schedule until you own them. A PLAN BUILT AROUND YOUR TEST DATE • Set your test date and get a day-by-day calendar: weak topics get more days, a mock exam every week, a full 60-question mock before the test, and a rest day after. • Today's Plan on the Home screen tells you exactly what to do. Completion is tracked from your real sessions, no manual check-offs. • A readiness score tells you when you are actually ready. MOCK EXAMS LIKE THE REAL THING • 20, 40 or 60 questions, timed at the FAA's pace, 70% to pass. • Results broken down by topic with ACS codes, just like the official knowledge test report, so you know exactly what to brief with your instructor. CHECKRIDE ORAL PREP • 70 examiner-style questions organized by ACS task, from pilot qualifications to emergency operations. • Answer out loud, reveal the key points the examiner is listening for, grade yourself, and see the follow-up they are likely to ask. • Flashcards for rapid-fire review. Swipe right if you knew it, left to see it again. • Examiner Log: write down what your instructor or examiner actually asked you, then drill those questions like any other. TOOLS FOR TEST WEEK • Cram sheets built from the explanations of everything you missed, per topic or across the board. Export to PDF. • A pre-test checklist for the knowledge test, the checkride and the final 48 hours: endorsements, IACRA, what to bring. • A weekly recap with a shareable card showing your scores, streak and the topics that moved. STAY CONSISTENT • Free Question of the Day with its own streak. • Study streaks, 16 achievements, and a daily plan that fits the time you have. • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets with your streak, today's progress and the Question of the Day. • Daily reminders that name today's topic, and a nudge when a streak is at risk. • iCloud sync keeps everything in step across your devices. FREE AND PREMIUM Free: one quiz a day, the Question of the Day, the first oral prep task, bookmarks, review, cram sheets, and the study plan. Premium unlocks unlimited quizzes and mock exams, flashcards, every oral prep task and the mock oral, PDF export, and a weekly streak freeze. Monthly or one-time lifetime purchase. Questions are written to the Private Pilot Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C) and current 14 CFR Parts 61 and 91. Found something wrong? Flag it from any question and it is fixed in the next update. Privacy: no account, no ads, no tracking. Your study data stays on your device and in your iCloud. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://d4vis24.github.io/PPLACE/privacy.html

About

Private Pilot Test Prep

Features
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Private Pilot Test Prep helps you pass the FAA Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) knowledge test — the written exam every student pilot takes before the checkride. Study with 2,000+ practice questions, 450+ flashcards, 42 built-in study guides, and a full timed mock exam, all working completely offline. IMPORTANT: The app is free to download with a short intro. Unlocking the full question bank, flashcards, study guides, mock exam, and progress tools requires a paid subscription or a one-time Lifetime purchase (pricing below). WHAT YOU GET • 2,000+ practice questions covering every PAR knowledge area: regulations (FARs), airspace and airport operations, aviation weather and METAR/TAF decoding, aerodynamics, aircraft systems and instruments, performance, weight and balance, navigation and sectional charts, cross-country and E6B math, and aeromedical factors and decision-making. • Step-by-step explanations for every question, each citing the governing FAA reference (14 CFR, AIM, PHAK, AFH). • Includes the FAA's own public sample PAR questions, plus hundreds of worked calculation problems. • 450+ flashcards with Leitner spaced repetition for real active recall. • 42 study guides — a built-in ground school you can search and listen to. • Quick 10, build-your-own quizzes, timed quizzes, and single-topic drills. • Full mock exam: 60 questions, 2 hours 30 minutes, 70% passing standard, with a strict exam-simulation mode. • Mistake bank that automatically saves every question you miss so you can drill your weak areas. • Progress dashboard: per-topic mastery, syllabus completion, accuracy charts, spaced-repetition forecast, and study streaks. • Read-aloud, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, and dark mode. • 100% offline. No account, no ads, no tracking. SUBSCRIPTION & PRICING • Monthly — $9.99 per month • Yearly — $49.99 per year (includes a 3-day free trial) • Lifetime — $99.99 one-time purchase (not a subscription) Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Auto-renewable subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://appios432.blogspot.com/p/privacy-policy_01139292984.html Private Pilot Test Prep is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Practice questions are original works based on public-domain FAA materials, plus the FAA's public sample questions. This app is a study aid and is not a substitute for instruction from a certificated flight instructor.

Screenshots

PPLAce4 screens
Private Pilot Test Prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

PPLAce and Private Pilot Test Prep are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. PPLAce sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Private Pilot Test Prep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
PPLAce versus Private Pilot Test Prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPPLAcePrivate Pilot Test Prep
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael DavisMD Shahariar Nazim Joy

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PPLAce

Subscriptions1
  • PPL Ace Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • PPL Ace Premium (Lifetime)$14.99
3 purchases

Private Pilot Test Prep

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is PPLAce free?
PPLAce is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Private Pilot Test Prep free?
Private Pilot Test Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PPLAce or Private Pilot Test Prep have ads?
Neither PPLAce nor Private Pilot Test Prep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PPLAce or Private Pilot Test Prep?
PPLAce ships an update every 4 months, and Private Pilot Test Prep every 4 months. Most recently, PPLAce was updated on October 18, 2026 and Private Pilot Test Prep on October 19, 2026.

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