Comparison

ATC vs Tower 27

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

Tower 27

Features
Read full description

One aircraft on approach. Another waiting to depart. You coordinate what happens next. Take the tower at New York JFK in Tower 27. Watch arriving and departing aircraft, select a flight and issue its next instruction. From the runway to the apron, each movement is part of the airport's wider flow. FROM ARRIVAL TO DEPARTURE Manage arriving traffic and guide aircraft through their next steps on the ground. Coordinate pushback, taxi, line-up and takeoff. Follow traffic as it moves around the airport and keep track of more than one aircraft at a time. PUT EACH INSTRUCTION IN CONTEXT Select an aircraft, check its state and follow the on-screen radio exchanges. Decide when it is ready for its next step. Tower 27 connects the view from the tower with the individual movements on the apron and runway. CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW Watch the airport from the tower or follow an aircraft up close. Switch views to inspect activity on the ground and see how aircraft, taxi routes and apron operations fit together. BUILD YOUR LOCAL CAREER Learn the flow through training shifts and continue your local career. Airport equipment upgrades add another dimension to your progress, giving each new shift a place in your own tower career. DESIGNED FOR IPHONE Play in landscape with an English-language interface. Radio exchanges appear as text; the current version does not include spoken radio audio. For people who enjoy watching airports and want to coordinate the action themselves. Tower 27 is an entertainment simulation, not an aviation training or operational tool.

Screenshots

ATC4 screens
Tower 274 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tower 27 at none against ATC's 3. Tower 27 also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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. ATC sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Tower 27 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ATC ships an update every 9 days, Tower 27 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ATC versus Tower 27: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterATCTower 27
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB506 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJames PayoyoSenol Tastan

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ATC

One-time3
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • Role Pack: Center + Clearance$4.99
  • Premium — Full Roster$9.99
None

Tower 27

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ATC free?
ATC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tower 27 free?
Tower 27 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ATC or Tower 27 have ads?
ATC shows ads; Tower 27 does not.
Which is updated more often, ATC or Tower 27?
ATC ships an update every 9 days, and Tower 27 weekly. Most recently, ATC was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tower 27 on October 14, 2026.

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