Comparison

PermitPal vs PermitPilot

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

Head to head
About

PermitPal

Prepare for your state's DMV permit test with interactive lessons, sign challenges, and mock exams. Covers car, motorcycle, and CDL permits for all 50 states, available in English and Spanish. Practice offline with no ads or account required.

Highlights
  • All 50 states covered
  • Car, Motorcycle, and CDL permits
  • Mock exams mirroring real tests
  • Sign Sprint and Match games
  • Spaced repetition learning
  • Bilingual (English & Español)
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Pass your DMV permit test the fun way, in any state. PermitPal turns your state's driver handbook into a game you'll actually want to play: short lessons, road-sign challenges, smart flashcards, and mock exams that mirror your state's real test exactly. ALL 50 STATES. THREE LICENSES. ONE APP. • Car learner's permit, motorcycle permit, and CDL, every state • CDL prep covers the three core knowledge tests: General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and Combination Vehicles • 38,400+ questions, every one verified against your state's official handbook or the federal regulations, never copied from other apps YOUR STATE'S REAL FORMAT • Mock exams match your state's published test: question count, passing threshold, per-topic quotas • 36 questions in California, 40 in New Hampshire, 20 in Alaska. Whatever your state does, PermitPal matches it ENGLISH & ESPAÑOL • Fully bilingual wherever the real exam is officially offered in Spanish • If your state tests in English only, PermitPal tells you and keeps questions in English to match the real thing WHY IT WORKS • FSRS spaced repetition brings each fact back right before you'd forget it • Miss a question anywhere and it lands in your review queue automatically • Sign Sprint and Match games drill the most-tested signs with official federal (MUTCD) artwork • Daily quests, streaks, and achievements keep you showing up STUDY TOGETHER • Share a question with a friend and see who gets it right • Share your mock exam score when you pass NO ACCOUNT, NO ADS, WORKS OFFLINE • No sign-up and no account, ever • No ads and no third-party trackers. We never sell or share your information • Everything you study stays on your phone and works in airplane mode PRICING, PLAINLY • Free to start: your first unit, the sign games, smart review, and a mock exam • PermitPal Pro Weekly: $6.99 a week, and your first week is $5.99. Cancel any time in your Apple ID settings • Cram Pass: $7.99 unlocks everything for 10 days when your test is days away. A one-time charge that never renews • PermitPal Pro: one $29.99 purchase unlocks every state and every license type, forever • Pass Guarantee: pass your knowledge test or get your money back • Family Sharing: one purchase covers your whole household • Pass your car permit now; your motorcycle or CDL prep is already included when you're ready PermitPal is an independent study aid published by Genesis One and is not affiliated with any state DMV or government agency. Official sources for every state are listed at getpermitpal.com/sources. SUBSCRIPTION Permit Pal Weekly: $6.99 per week, auto-renewing. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel any time in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://getpermitpal.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://getpermitpal.com/privacy

About

PermitPilot

Prepare for your state's DMV permit or driver's license test with practice exams and a comprehensive road sign library. This study aid offers focused practice based on official driver handbooks, with progress tracking to ensure readiness.

Highlights
  • Practice quizzes by state, license class, and topic
  • Timed exam simulation
  • Road signs library with explanations
  • Step-by-step license guides
  • Progress tracking
  • Optional free account for syncing
Features
Read full description

PermitPilot is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any state Department of Motor Vehicles or government agency. Get ready for your state's DMV written test with practice exams written from each state's official handbook. STUDY PATH Start at the beginning and work forward. Short lessons teach one topic at a time — road signs, right-of-way, traffic laws — then check what stuck. Units unlock as you finish them, or test out of any unit you already know. A readiness estimate updates with every answer (an estimate from your practice, not a guarantee), and "Review weak spots" pulls back only the questions you keep missing. PRACTICE BY TOPIC Pick your state and license class, practice by topic, and get the answer instantly, with an explanation of why it's right. OFFICIAL-STYLE EXAM Simulate the real thing: the same number of questions and the same passing score your state uses, with the option to flag questions and review them before you submit. ROAD SIGNS Browse the library of regulatory, warning and guide signs, or practice signs only until you recognize them without hesitating. GUIDES Read how to get your license step by step: the documents to bring, current fees, teen driver requirements, and what to expect on test day. YOUR PROGRESS See your attempts, your pass rate, and the topics that give you the most trouble. An account is optional: everything works without signing up, and if you sign in your progress syncs across devices. The app is available in English and Spanish, and follows your iPhone's language.

Screenshots

PermitPal4 screens
PermitPilot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PermitPilot at none against PermitPal's 1. PermitPal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating and device support 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. PermitPal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PermitPilot asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PermitPal against 5.0 for PermitPilot. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PermitPal ships an update every 3 days, PermitPilot fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
PermitPal versus PermitPilot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPermitPalPermitPilot
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMARDANIA LLCKai Ming Liao

Customer experience

PermitPal

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PermitPilot

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PermitPal

One-time1
  • PermitPal Pro$24.99
None

PermitPilot

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PermitPal free?
PermitPal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PermitPilot free?
PermitPilot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PermitPal or PermitPilot?
PermitPal and PermitPilot are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do PermitPal or PermitPilot have ads?
PermitPilot shows ads; PermitPal does not.
Which is updated more often, PermitPal or PermitPilot?
PermitPal ships an update every 3 days, and PermitPilot fortnightly. Most recently, PermitPal was updated on September 7, 2026 and PermitPilot on September 19, 2026.

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