Comparison

ATC vs PatternCall

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

Head to head
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

About

PatternCall

Practice real air traffic control radio calls with personalized scenarios based on your home airport and callsign. Receive instant, detailed feedback on every transmission to build confidence and accuracy. Offers structured learning paths for various flight operations, from basic communication to advanced IFR procedures.

Highlights
  • Personalized ATC scenarios
  • Real airport frequencies
  • Instant element-by-element feedback
  • Multiple difficulty modes
  • Structured learning paths
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Stop dreading the mic. Practice real ATC radio calls at YOUR home airport, with YOUR callsign and real local frequencies — then get instant, word-by-word feedback on every transmission. Build the muscle memory so when you key the mic, the right words come out. PatternCall is the only radio communication trainer built around the airport you actually fly out of. Free to start with the Radio Basics path — upgrade to Pro for every scenario. PERSONALIZED TO YOU Enter your N-number and home airport. Every scenario uses your callsign and real frequencies from your field — so you practice exactly the calls you'll make. WHAT YOU GET - Training scenarios across structured learning paths - Real airport frequencies, airspace classes, and local procedures for 100+ US airports - Three difficulty modes: word panel (easy), hints only (medium), and free-type (hard) - Auto difficulty that levels up as you improve - Instant element-by-element feedback after every transmission — callsign, readback, runway, frequency, and more - ATC audio with ICAO phonetics and proper aviation number pronunciation LEARNING PATHS - Radio Basics — The Four W's, CTAF self-announce, readback rules - First Flight — Your first towered departure and arrival - Traffic Pattern — Downwind, base, final, touch-and-go - Ground Ops — Taxi clearances, ATIS copying, IFR clearances - XC VFR — Flight following, frequency changes, VFR diversions - Advanced VFR — Class C/B transitions, special VFR, weather - IFR Ops — Approaches, holds, vectors, missed approaches - Emergencies — Mayday, pan-pan, lost comm, diversions WORKS OFFLINE All scenarios run on-device. Practice on the ramp, in the FBO, or anywhere without cell service — no mic, no talking to your phone in public. FREE TO START The Radio Basics path is free. Unlock all scenarios and learning paths with PatternCall Pro: - PatternCall Pro Monthly — $5.99/month - PatternCall Pro Annual — $49.99/year (save 30%) Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Manage or cancel from Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions on your iPhone. PatternCall is a supplemental practice tool. It is not a certified flight training device. Always follow your CFI's guidance and current FAA procedures. Privacy Policy: https://patterncall.com/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://patterncall.com/terms.html

Screenshots

ATC4 screens
PatternCall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ATC at none against PatternCall's 2. PatternCall's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 4 days). 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. PatternCall sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. ATC asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ATC ships an update every 4 days, PatternCall daily. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
ATC versus PatternCall: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterATCPatternCall
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel MoranBroken Cloud Group LLC

In-app purchases

None

ATC

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

PatternCall

Subscriptions2
  • PatternCall Pro$5.991 Month
  • PatternCall Pro Annual$49.991 Year

Questions

Is ATC free?
ATC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PatternCall free?
PatternCall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ATC or PatternCall have ads?
Neither ATC nor PatternCall shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ATC or PatternCall?
ATC ships an update every 4 days, and PatternCall daily. Most recently, ATC was updated on October 7, 2026 and PatternCall on October 18, 2026.

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