Comparison

ATC vs Approach

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

Head to head
About

ATC

Experience the thrill of air traffic control by issuing real clearances using your voice. Manage aircraft on the ground, in the air, and through busy airspace at authentic airports. This game is designed for aviation enthusiasts and flight simmers.

Highlights
  • Voice-native air traffic control
  • Authentic ATC phraseology
  • Ground, Tower, Approach, and Center roles
  • Real-world airport simulations
  • Offline voice recognition
  • Career progression and premium airports
Features
Read full description

You have the mic. You have the frequency. Every aircraft is waiting on your word. ATC: Cleared for Takeoff is the voice-native air traffic control game where you don't tap buttons — you SPEAK. Issue real clearances out loud and watch pilots read them back and follow your instructions, all recognized right on your device. SPEAK LIKE A REAL CONTROLLER Key the mic and use authentic phraseology. "Cleared for takeoff." "Turn left heading two seven zero." "Contact tower." The recognizer is tuned to real ATC language and runs on your device — no internet required, and your audio is processed on your phone. WORK EVERY SEAT Move up through the tower cab and the radar room: • Ground — taxi aircraft to the runway without gridlock • Tower — sequence departures and arrivals on the runway • Approach & Departure — vector traffic through busy terminal airspace • Center — run high-altitude en-route sectors and keep jets separated REAL AIRPORTS Control traffic at faithfully laid-out real-world airports, from your first quiet field to demanding hubs. Earn your way up the career ladder, or unlock premium airports to jump straight into the deep end. BUILT FOR AVIATION FANS Whether you're a flight simmer who has always wanted to be on the OTHER side of the radio, a student pilot drilling radio calls before your first solo, or someone who loves listening to live ATC — this is the controller's chair you have been waiting for. Think you can keep them separated? Grab the mic. You're cleared for takeoff.

About

Approach

Experience realistic flight landings with intuitive tilt controls. Master 32 challenging approaches across 10 real-world airports with various aircraft. Improve your skills with detailed scoring and replay options.

Highlights
  • Intuitive tilt controls for flight simulation
  • 32 handcrafted landing approaches
  • 10 real-world airport scenarios
  • Multiple aircraft types
  • Detailed landing performance scoring
  • Replay landing sequences
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Forty seconds. One runway. Land the plane. Tilt your iPhone or iPad like a control column, guide the aircraft through the approach rings, and put it down where it counts. Every landing is graded, every mistake is yours, and every good arrival earns a better rank. FLY 32 HANDCRAFTED APPROACHES Take four increasingly demanding aircraft—from a nimble turboprop to a jumbo jet—into 32 focused landing scenarios. Ten real-world airports include island strips, mountain runways, steep approaches and city turns. LAND, LEARN, IMPROVE Your report scores touchdown softness, centreline, crab angle, speed, touchdown zone, wings level, rollout, rings and pace. Earn up to three stars, then replay the landing from beside the runway to see what worked. TILT CONTROLS, BUILT FOR PLAY Bank and pitch by tilting the device. Work the throttle, flaps, gear, rudder, brakes and reverse thrust by touch. Tap the artificial horizon at any time to re-centre the controls, and choose Gentle, Standard or Sharp tilt sensitivity. ARCADE FLYING WITH REAL CONSEQUENCES Wind, gusts, stalls, flap failures, engine failures, short runways and rising terrain keep every final different—without turning the game into a cockpit manual. The complete Turboprop chapter and the opening flights of every other chapter are free: 15 of 32 levels. One optional non-consumable purchase unlocks the remaining 17. No ads. No subscriptions. No account required. Plays offline.

Screenshots

ATC4 screens
Approach4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Approach at 5.0 against ATC's 2.8. Approach also leads on ads (none vs shown). ATC's advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 2). On price, update cadence, 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. ATC sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Approach 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

Approach holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ATC has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ATC versus Approach: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterATCApproach
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (10 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames PayoyoRakesh Wimmer

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ATC

One-time3
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • Role Pack: Center + Clearance$4.99
  • Premium — Full Roster$9.99
1 purchases

Approach

One-time1
  • Unlock All Levels$1.99

Questions

Is ATC free?
ATC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Approach free?
Approach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ATC or Approach?
Approach is rated higher. ATC averages 2.8 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Approach averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do ATC or Approach have ads?
ATC shows ads; Approach does not.
Which is updated more often, ATC or Approach?
ATC ships an update every 9 days, and Approach every 9 days. Most recently, ATC was updated on October 24, 2026 and Approach on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons