# Piper PA vs SimControlX

The clearest difference is price: Piper PA at $9.99 against SimControlX's $19.99. Piper PA also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and review sentiment (78% vs 50%). SimControlX's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.1). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Piper PA costs $9.99 and SimControlX $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Piper PA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Piper PA has 384 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Piper PA's written reviews are positive against 50% of SimControlX's.

Piper PA ships an update every 4 months, SimControlX every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piper PA | SimControlX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$9.99** | $19.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (384 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piper-pa-44-training/id844432720/reviews)** | [3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simcontrolx/id1380341055/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **384** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#107** | — |
| Size | 20 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.1 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aircraft Training Aids, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/692999325) | [ELITE Simulation Solutions AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1699597702) |

## What reviewers say

### Piper PA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piper-pa-44-training/id844432720)

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Study aircraft systems and limitations with interactive diagrams and detailed descriptions. Practice normal and emergency operations, and explore a detailed cockpit illustration. This app serves as a reference for aviation training.

**Highlights:** Interactive system diagrams, Normal and emergency operation practice, Detailed cockpit illustration, POH information organization, System limitations noted

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for students
- 👍 Good information and visuals
- 👍 Makes systems learning a breeze
- 👍 Well worth the money
- 👍 Fantastic app for Seminole familiarization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Works poorly on iPhone
- 👎 Extremely basic information
- 👎 Not worth the money
- 👎 Not comprehensive enough
- 👎 Some areas poorly written/shown

**Reported bugs**

- Works very poorly on the iPhone
- Landing gear system is wrong
- Nose gear in wrong position
- Typos and spelling errors (e.g., 'cabin hear', 'string loaded')
- Information on up limit switches for gear system may be incorrect

**Requested features**

- Add G1000 functionality
- Include poster of G1000 and fuel injected models
- Add prop governor system
- Update app with more information and diagrams
- Fix typos and spelling errors


### SimControlX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simcontrolx/id1380341055)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piper PA free?

Piper PA costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SimControlX free?

SimControlX costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Piper PA or SimControlX?

Piper PA is rated higher. Piper PA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 384 ratings, while SimControlX averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do Piper PA or SimControlX have ads?

Neither Piper PA nor SimControlX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Piper PA or SimControlX?

Piper PA ships an update every 4 months, and SimControlX every 6 weeks. Most recently, Piper PA was updated on October 18, 2026 and SimControlX on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*