Comparison

ATC vs Runway Rush

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

Runway Rush

Features
Read full description

You are the tower. One thumb, one airport, everything moving at once. ■ Swipe, don't draw Hold an arrival and carry your finger to the runway you want it on. That is the clearance. The aircraft then flies itself onto that runway's approach procedure. No instruction gets second-guessed. Whether it is safe is your call - if a near miss or a runway conflict actually happens, that is one strike. Two strikes and the shift is over. ■ Takeoffs are a timing game Swipe a departure from its gate to a runway to start taxiing. It will not launch on its own. At the hold line, swipe it onto the runway again and it goes - so pick your gap between arrivals. Depart from the runway that matches its exit heading for a DIRECT! bonus. Alternate a landing and a takeoff on the same runway for a RUNWAY FLOW bonus. ■ Never unwinnable, never easy - Speed control (SLOW / NORM / FAST) lets you build your own in-trail spacing - Let them bunch up and you get a spacing go-around. Out of options? DIVERT - LAND BY slots, fuel states and emergencies keep changing what goes first - 13 operational events: runway inspections, closures, wind shifts, rain cells, snow removal, bird activity, FOD, taxiway closures, priority flights and more. Every one of them is announced before it happens - nothing turns into an accident out of nowhere - Night operations cut your visibility, and taxiway lights can fail ■ 26 airports, 1000 levels From a two-runway training field to a mega hub built only for level 1000. More runways, crossing runways, and wind that flips which direction is in use. Every layout is original - no real-world airport is copied. ■ Modes - PUZZLE: 18 handcrafted problems. Wrong order, no solution - DAILY CHALLENGE: one shift a day, the same for everyone - RUSH HOUR: how many aircraft can you clear in 90 seconds? - WEEKLY CHALLENGE: a longer special shift, new every week - ENDLESS: traffic keeps building. Go until it breaks - FINAL SHIFT: the last shift of each airport - night, weather and inspections ■ Collect and progress Controller Rank, 28 achievements, 14 badges, Airport Mastery and a world map. An 8-category aircraft collection. Coins only buy looks (airport themes, aircraft skins, towers, runway effects, trails) - never difficulty. ■ Also - Plays offline (ads need a connection) - English and Japanese - Reduce Motion and small-screen support - Stars: 1 for clearing, 2 for a clean shift, 3 for the bonus goal This game is a work of fiction. It is not connected to any real airport, airline, flight number or air traffic control service, and it is not intended for real controller training. Contains ads (rewarded video and interstitial) and in-app purchases (ad removal, coin packs and cosmetic packs).

Screenshots

ATC4 screens
Runway Rush4 screens

Verdict

The call

ATC and Runway Rush are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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 Runway Rush sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ATC ships an update every 9 days, Runway Rush every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
ATC versus Runway Rush: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterATCRunway Rush
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames PayoyoOcta Air

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ATC

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

Runway Rush

One-time6
  • Coin pack S$0.99
  • Starter pack$1.99
  • Remove ads$2.99
Show 3 more
  • Style pack$2.99
  • Coin pack M$4.99
  • Coin pack L$9.99

Questions

Is ATC free?
ATC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Runway Rush free?
Runway Rush is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ATC or Runway Rush have ads?
Both ATC and Runway Rush show ads.
Which is updated more often, ATC or Runway Rush?
ATC ships an update every 9 days, and Runway Rush every 11 days. Most recently, ATC was updated on November 10, 2026 and Runway Rush on November 10, 2026.

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