Comparison

Tower Drill vs ATC

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

Head to head
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
Read full description

Tower Drill helps US student pilots practice ATC out loud before the next flight lesson. If radio calls make you tense, Tower Drill gives you a private place to rehearse. Hear a simulated controller, answer with push-to-talk, and get focused feedback on the runway, frequency, altitude, squawk code, hold-short instruction, 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. 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. 18 LESSONS, 96 SPOKEN DRILLS Practice phonetics, aviation numbers, first contact, ATIS, taxi, takeoff, pattern work, flight following, Class B and C transitions, IFR clearances, approach calls, holds, CTAF operations, and abnormal situations. Details change between sessions so you learn the structure instead of memorizing one script. FREE TO START The first 5 lessons and 24 drills 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.

About

ATC

Features
Read full description

Designed For Student Pilots who are leaning to talk on the radio! ATC Trainer helps pilots practice radio communication in common towered and non-towered airport scenarios. Work through realistic ATC calls, listen to clearances out loud, and practice responding with speech. The app checks your readback and lets you know what was correct or what was missed, helping you build cleaner, more confident radio habits. Practice scenarios include ground operations, in-air instructions, and airport arrivals. You can also set your aircraft tail number and airplane make so calls are personalized to your aircraft. Features • Towered and non-towered airport scenarios • Ground, in-air, and approaching airport practice • Speech-to-text readback practice • Feedback for missing or incorrect readback items • Optional spoken ATC clearances • Custom tail number and airplane make • Voice selection support for installed iOS voices • Practice for taxi, takeoff, traffic, approach, landing, and pattern calls

Screenshots

Tower Drill4 screens
ATC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ATC at none against Tower Drill's 1. ATC also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Tower Drill sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ATC asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tower Drill ships an update monthly, ATC every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Tower Drill versus ATC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTower DrillATC
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTXN LLCDaniel Moran

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tower Drill

One-time1
  • Tower Drill Pro$8.99
None

ATC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tower Drill free?
Tower Drill is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ATC free?
ATC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tower Drill or ATC have ads?
Neither Tower Drill nor ATC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tower Drill or ATC?
Tower Drill ships an update monthly, and ATC every 4 days. Most recently, Tower Drill was updated on October 6, 2026 and ATC on October 7, 2026.

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