Comparison

PilotGuard vs FlightCheck

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

Head to head
About

PilotGuard

This tool helps pilots make informed go/no-go decisions for every flight by assessing risks using the FAA's FRAT and PAVE frameworks. It automatically fetches live weather data and allows users to set personal minimums for a comprehensive pre-flight evaluation.

Highlights
  • FAA FRAT and PAVE framework integration
  • Live METAR and TAF weather data fetching
  • Automated weather pre-filling
  • Customizable personal minimums
  • Runway analysis with crosswind/tailwind components
  • FAA-sourced risk mitigation suggestions
  • Flight history and trend tracking
Features
Read full description

PilotGuard brings the FAA's Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) and PAVE framework to your iPhone and iPad — so every flight starts with a clear, structured go/no-go decision. HOW IT WORKS Enter your departure and arrival airports plus your estimated time of departure. PilotGuard instantly fetches live METAR and TAF data from NOAA and pre-fills your weather questions automatically. Answer the remaining questions across the four PAVE categories — Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, and External Pressures — and get a risk score in seconds. LIVE WEATHER, BUILT IN No manual lookups. PilotGuard pulls real-time METAR and TAF for both your departure and arrival airports and maps the conditions directly to your assessment. Departure weather, en-route forecast, winds, and time of flight are all pre-filled based on what's actually happening outside. PERSONAL MINIMUMS Set your own limits — maximum crosswind, headwind, and tailwind, minimum runway length, VFR ceiling and visibility, and fuel reserves. PilotGuard checks every flight against your minimums and flags violations clearly in your results, so you're always flying within your personal envelope. RUNWAY ANALYSIS Select your departure and arrival runways and PilotGuard calculates the exact crosswind and tailwind components based on current winds — not just total wind speed. Includes density altitude so you know what your aircraft is actually performing against. FAA-SOURCED RISK MITIGATIONS When any PAVE category scores Moderate or High, PilotGuard surfaces FAA-sourced antidotes specific to that risk area — practical mitigations, not generic advice. FLIGHT HISTORY Every completed assessment is saved to your history. Review past flights, see how conditions compared to your minimums, and track your risk trends over time. BUILT FOR GENERAL AVIATION PILOTS PilotGuard is designed for student pilots building decision-making habits and experienced pilots who want a structured pre-flight discipline. It follows the same 18-question FRAT methodology recommended by the FAA, organized across the four PAVE categories. No account required. No subscription. Your data stays on your device.

About

FlightCheck

This app provides comprehensive digital checklists for pilots, covering normal, emergency, and abnormal procedures. It offers quick-reference performance data and syncs preferences across devices. Always verify information with your aircraft's POH.

Highlights
  • Phase-by-phase normal procedures
  • Emergency and abnormal procedures
  • V-speeds and performance data
  • Cross-device sync
  • Favorites and notes
Features
Read full description

FlightCheck Pro subscription ($5.99/month or $49.99/year) with a 7-day free trial includes: • Phase-by-phase normal procedures — preflight, before-start, engine start, before-taxi, taxi, runup, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, before landing, landing, after-landing, shutdown, and securing • V-speeds and quick-reference performance data • Emergency and abnormal procedures • Cross-device sync of preferences, favorites, and notes Always verify checklists, V-speeds, and performance figures against the actual POH for your specific aircraft and serial number before flight. FlightCheck is not a substitute for the POH/AFM, FAA regulations, or your CFI's guidance. Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lucasthal.github.io/FlightCheck/privacy.html

Screenshots

PilotGuard4 screens
FlightCheck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: PilotGuard at free against FlightCheck's free with in-app purchases. FlightCheck's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. PilotGuard sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and FlightCheck sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PilotGuard against 5.0 for FlightCheck. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightCheck has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PilotGuard ships an update every 8 days, FlightCheck every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PilotGuard versus FlightCheck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPilotGuardFlightCheck
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEdwin CoronadoLucas Thal

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PilotGuard

One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$4.99
2 purchases

FlightCheck

Subscriptions2
  • FlightCheck Subscription7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • FlightCheck Pro Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is PilotGuard free?
PilotGuard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FlightCheck free?
FlightCheck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PilotGuard or FlightCheck?
PilotGuard and FlightCheck are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 7 ratings respectively.
Do PilotGuard or FlightCheck have ads?
Neither PilotGuard nor FlightCheck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PilotGuard or FlightCheck?
PilotGuard ships an update every 8 days, and FlightCheck every 5 days. Most recently, PilotGuard was updated on October 6, 2026 and FlightCheck on October 1, 2026.

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