SAFE Toolkit vs SimControlX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SAFE Toolkit
This app offers essential news and resources for Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs), including endorsement details, experience requirements, and test codes. It also provides flight test applicants with insights from Designated Pilot Examiners and features a weekly blog and industry news notifications for all pilots.
- CFI endorsements, experience requirements, test codes
- Flight test insights from DPEs
- Weekly SAFE blog
- Industry news push notifications
- Pilot resources
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SAFE Toolkit provides "go-to" news and resources for CFIs: (endorsements, experience requirements, and test codes), but also "Checkride Ready™ for flight test applicants (the inside story from DPEs). Pilots enjoy the SAFE blog every week and push notifications of industry news. Download and stay up to date; "We are here to help! ALl we "sell" is safety!"
SimControlX
Control your flight simulator from your iPad with this instructor station app. Remotely manage aircraft position, weather, and system failures for realistic training and enhanced gameplay. Connects via Wi-Fi to supported simulators.
- iPad instructor station for flight simulators
- Remote aircraft repositioning
- Customizable weather settings
- Simulated system and engine failures
- Worldwide moving map with flight path tracing
- Quick Wi-Fi connection to simulator
- Fuel and battery recharge options
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SimControlX is a sophisticated iPad-based Instructor / Operator Station (IOS) for Prepar3D®, X-Plane and ELITE XTS flight simulators (please review currently supported simulator versions below). SimControlX brings updated iOS platform support, various under-the-hood improvements, a fresh look-and-feel as well as useful new features to its capable predecessor SimControl. It uses Wi-Fi to communicate to the host simulator via custom server software which can be obtained from www.simcontrol.net. SimControlX will enhance your flight simulator experience unlike any other app on the market. This app gives you the power of a powerful instructor station, in your lap! SimControlX grants users the ability to reposition aircraft instantly, change the wind and weather, fail engine components or instruments for realistic training in your simulator and much more without ever needing to get out of the captain’s chair or interrupt the simulation. This helps make the experience fun again by alleviating many of the common complaints, distractions, and tasks that require navigating through multiple computer screens. SimControlX also makes training scenarios easier than ever to achieve. With the use of instant aircraft repositioning you could, for instance, set yourself up for an approach 5, 10 or 15 nautical miles from the runway or even left or right downwind, as many times as you need or practice engine out procedures with the press of a button. Supported Simulators: - Prepar3D® v3.4, v4.0+ and 5.0+ - X-Plane 10 [64-bit] and X-Plane 11 - ELITE XTS Key Features: - Worldwide moving map screen with flight path tracing (requires internet connection) - Changing of user aircraft without using any tedious menus in the host simulator (P3D & X-Plane only) - Instant repositioning of aircraft - Set custom weather settings with multiple layers - Option to use current real METAR weather settings for your local area (requires internet connection) - Quick and easy connection to the simulator over WiFi - Fuel top off and battery recharge at the click of a button - AI traffic display on map (P3D & X-Plane only) - Dedicated failures page for instruments, systems, and engine malfunctions and random failures * This software as well as included data and charts are NOT for real world aviation use. They are intended for flight simulator use only. You must consult appropriate sources before flying a real aircraft. * More information available at www.simcontrol.net * For app support please contact support@simcontrol.net * For non-support questions, please use this email: info@simcontrol.net Credits: * Simulator connectivity thanks to Lockheed Martin® Prepar3D®, Laminar Research's X-Plane and ELITE Simulation Solutions XTS
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SAFE Toolkit at Free against SimControlX's $19.99. SAFE Toolkit also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (18 vs 4). SimControlX's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 7 months). On in-app purchases 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
SAFE Toolkit is free to download; SimControlX costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SAFE Toolkit holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of SAFE Toolkit's written reviews are positive against 50% of SimControlX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
SAFE Toolkit ships an update every 7 months, SimControlX every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SAFE Toolkit | SimControlX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.2 (18 ratings) — better | 3.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David St. George | ELITE Simulation Solutions AG |
Customer experience
SAFE Toolkit
SimControlX
In-app purchases
SAFE Toolkit
No in-app purchases
SimControlX
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SAFE Toolkit free?
Is SimControlX free?
Which has better reviews, SAFE Toolkit or SimControlX?
Do SAFE Toolkit or SimControlX have ads?
Which is updated more often, SAFE Toolkit or SimControlX?
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