Comparison

Engine Simulator vs Airframe

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

Head to head
About

Engine Simulator

Explore the physics of piston engines by building, tuning, and testing them. Simulate combustion and rigid body motion in real-time. Compete with others on a global leaderboard by posting your creations.

Highlights
  • Physics-based engine simulation
  • Build engines from scratch
  • Tune fuel and ignition maps
  • Real-time power and torque readings
  • 3D engine visualization
  • Global leaderboard
Features
Read full description

Engine Simulator is a physics-based piston engine sandbox. The sound and motion come from a real rigid body simulation of the crank, pistons, valves, and combustion, not recordings. Start an engine, work the throttle, and tune its fuel and ignition maps in the ECU. Build one from scratch (layout, bore, stroke, cam, firing order) or describe what you want and have it generated on device. Watch it run in 3D, read live power and torque on the dyno, or push it past the limiter until it breaks. Post your engines to the global leaderboard and compare against other builders. Engine Simulator for iOS is an unofficial port. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by AngeTheGreat (Ange Yaghi), the creator of the original open source Engine Simulator. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Community Guidelines: https://enginesimulator.app/community-guidelines.html Privacy Policy: https://enginesimulator.app/privacy-policy.html Support: https://enginesimulator.app/support.html

About

Airframe

Design and build your own aircraft using a variety of parts and materials. Then, test your creations in realistic flight simulations with dynamic weather and challenging missions. Manage your own airline, earning money and reputation.

Highlights
  • Part-by-part plane design
  • Realistic physics simulation
  • Touch controls for flight
  • 12 campaign missions
  • Endless open contracts
  • Airline management
  • Free mode sandbox
Features
Read full description

Design your own plane, part by part. Then take the controls and find out if it really flies. Airframe is a plane-building and flight game with real physics. Every wing, engine and tank changes the mass, the centre of gravity and the lift. Your aircraft takes off, climbs, stalls or lands exactly the way you built it. BUILD IT • 24 parts: cockpits, pressurised cabins, cargo holds, long-range tanks, piston engines, turboprops, jets, flap and STOL wings, parachute, airbrakes… • 6 materials, from wood and fabric to titanium: light, strong or cheap, you choose • The workshop shows mass, centre of mass, takeoff distance, range and rotation speed live, before you leave the ground FLY IT • Touch controls designed for iPhone and iPad: pitch, throttle, gear, flaps, brakes • Wind, turbulence, short runways and mountain ridges • Real stalls, G-loads, hard landings and crashes: when it breaks, you understand why DELIVER • 12 campaign missions across 8 airfields: mountain passes, short strips, fragile cargo, medical emergency, dead-stick landing • Endless open contracts for passengers, freight and perishables • A daily challenge, the same for every pilot • Run your airline: money, reputation, insurance, repairs and wear FREE MODE A huge blueprint with no budget to build anything you can imagine, and test-fly it. TRY IT FREE The first mission, your first flight and test flights with the PIONNIER's parts are free. A single in-app purchase unlocks the full game: every mission and challenge, open contracts, all airfields, 15 more parts and 5 materials. No ads, no subscription. Available in 18 languages.

Screenshots

Engine Simulator4 screens
Airframe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Airframe at 5.0 against Engine Simulator's 4.3. Airframe also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). Engine Simulator's advantage is ratings volume (216 vs 5) and chart position (#41 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Engine Simulator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Airframe sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Airframe holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Engine Simulator has 216 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Engine Simulator ships an update every 3 weeks, Airframe every 8 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Engine Simulator versus Airframe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEngine SimulatorAirframe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (216 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings216 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#41 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB70 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperMUHAMMAD SAAD ATACanigou & Co

Customer experience

Engine Simulator

All ratings173 ratings
Positive84.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews143 reviews
Positive75.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative15.4%

Airframe

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Engine Simulator

One-time1
  • Lifetime$8.99
1 purchases

Airframe

One-time1
  • Full Version$3.99

Questions

Is Engine Simulator free?
Engine Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Airframe free?
Airframe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Engine Simulator or Airframe?
Airframe is rated higher. Engine Simulator averages 4.3 out of 5 from 216 ratings, while Airframe averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Engine Simulator or Airframe have ads?
Neither Engine Simulator nor Airframe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Engine Simulator or Airframe?
Engine Simulator ships an update every 3 weeks, and Airframe every 8 days. Most recently, Engine Simulator was updated on November 10, 2026 and Airframe on November 10, 2026.

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