Comparison

DJI Assistant vs Drone Buddy

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

Head to head
About

DJI Assistant

This software allows real-time parameter adjustments and data display for DJI flight controllers and gimbals. It supports various DJI systems, offering comprehensive settings for aircraft, motors, and gimbal control.

Highlights
  • Real-time parameter adjustments
  • Real-time flight data display
  • Aircraft, mounting, and RC settings
  • Gimbal motor and SmoothTrack settings
  • Multi-language support
  • Restore default settings
Features
Read full description

DJI Assistant Software Main Features: Real-time Parameter Adjustments Support for Bluetooth 4.0 Support for DJI A2 Flight Controller Systems(with master controller firmware version updated to V2.2 or above, and LED firmware version updated to V1.1 or above ) Support for Ronin and Ronin-M DJI A2 Flight Controller Features: - Real-time Parameter Adjustments - Real-time Flight Data Display - Basic Settings: Aircraft, Mounting, RC, Gain, IMU & Compass - Advanced Settings: Motors, F/S, IOC, Gimbal, Voltage, Flight Limits and Landing Gear - Restore Default Settings - Multi-language Support DJI Ronin Features: - Gimbal Settings: Motor, SmoothTrack - Remote Control Settings: Deadband, Maximum Speed, Smoothing, Endpoint and Channels - Live Data Feed - Restore Default Settings

About

Drone Buddy

This app provides drone pilots with essential flight data, including weather radar, wind maps, and no-fly zone information. It helps users plan safe flights, discover new flying locations, and stay updated on drone news. An optional subscription offers advanced features.

Highlights
  • Weather radar and wind maps
  • No-fly zone data
  • Best flying window forecasts
  • Crowd-sourced flying spot discovery
  • Drone news updates
  • Drone flying hub for jobs and business
Features
Read full description

Don’t waste a trip. Check wind, weather, and airspace before you take off — then find nearby flying sites shared by other pilots. Trusted by over 1 million pilots. 4.7 stars from 8.4K App Store ratings. WHAT YOU GET • Go / no-go — a clear fly check for your pin from weather, TFRs, and U.S. Class B/C/D/E • Wind and weather — live wind, gusts, rain radar, and visibility so you know if it’s actually flyable • Best flying windows — the calmest daylight slots, scored for wind, rain, cloud, visibility, and daylight • No-fly reference maps — global airports, U.S. Class B/C/D/E, US / UK / Canada national parks, TFRs, stadium events, and FAA UAS restricted areas. Adjust airport circle range for your certification. These are planning tools, not official clearance, and not a LAANC filing. • Where to fly — crowd-sourced sites with photos and notes from other pilots • Flying Hub — save favorite spots; businesses can post jobs, inspections, surveys, and training • Drone news — regulations, gear, and industry updates DRONE BUDDY PRO Check any pin first: go / no-go on a searched site, hourly wind, calm flying windows for 10 days, and TFR alerts on the pin you care about. 3-day free trial on the annual plan, then the yearly price shown in-app. Cancel anytime in Apple ID settings. Also available as a 3-month plan or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the period ends. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Manage or cancel in Account Settings. Please cross-check local laws and airspace before every flight. Drone Buddy is not affiliated with the FAA and does not replace B4UFLY or an FAA-listed LAANC app. Maps and community sites can be incomplete — you are responsible for a legal, safe flight. Privacy: https://dronebuddy.io/privacy Terms: https://dronebuddy.io/terms Support: sayhi@dronebuddy.io Web: https://dronebuddy.io

Screenshots

DJI Assistant4 screens
Drone Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Drone Buddy at 55% against DJI Assistant's 8%. Drone Buddy also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.4) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). DJI Assistant's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (7.1 vs 15). On price, ads 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. Drone Buddy sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. DJI Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drone Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drone Buddy has 8.4K ratings behind it against 581, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of DJI Assistant's written reviews are positive against 55% of Drone Buddy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DJI Assistant ships an update every 3 months, Drone Buddy weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DJI Assistant versus Drone Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDJI AssistantDrone Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.4 (581 ratings)4.7 (8.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews8.4% of reviews54.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5818.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS7.1 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB127 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDJIKirway LLC

Customer experience

DJI Assistant

All ratings577 ratings
Positive7.5%
Neutral2.6%
Negative89.9%
Written reviews394 reviews
Positive8.4%
Neutral4.8%
Negative86.8%

Drone Buddy

All ratings8,419 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews241 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral10.0%
Negative35.3%

User reviews

DJI Assistant

From 581 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Functional app
  • 👍 Straightforward and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes constantly
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🐛 Incompatible with newer devices
  • 🐛 Outdated and not updated
  • 🐛 Difficult to connect and calibrate

Drone Buddy

From 8.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Unique and outstanding design
  • 👍 Correct and reliable data
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 👍 Helpful for drone flying

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Missing vital data and information
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🌍 Not accurate for non-US regions

Bugs and requests

DJI Assistant

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on login
  • Menu bar disappears during use
  • Unable to connect to devices
  • Calibration and settings not saving

Requested features

4 requests
  • Update app to support latest iOS versions
  • Improve user interface and navigation
  • Add more device compatibility
  • Enhance stability and reliability

Drone Buddy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Map crashes after populating airports
  • Profile settings not saving
  • Inconsistent wind speed data

Requested features

4 requests
  • Color-coded wind speed indicators
  • Ability to report and verify no-fly zones
  • Integration with air traffic control
  • Metric units support

In-app purchases

None

DJI Assistant

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Drone Buddy

Subscriptions8
  • Upgrade to Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Drone Buddy Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Drone Buddy Pro 3 months$12.993 Months
  • Unlock Drone Buddy Pro$17.996 Months
  • Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Yearly3 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Yearly3 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time2
  • Unlock Pro Access Lifetime$79.99
  • Unlock Pro Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is DJI Assistant free?
DJI Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drone Buddy free?
Drone Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DJI Assistant or Drone Buddy?
Drone Buddy is rated higher. DJI Assistant averages 1.4 out of 5 from 581 ratings, while Drone Buddy averages 4.7 from 8.4K ratings.
Do DJI Assistant or Drone Buddy have ads?
Neither DJI Assistant nor Drone Buddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DJI Assistant or Drone Buddy?
DJI Assistant ships an update every 3 months, and Drone Buddy weekly. Most recently, DJI Assistant was updated on November 5, 2026 and Drone Buddy on November 11, 2026.

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