Comparison

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments vs IFD Trainer

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

Head to head

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments

Sim for VOR, ILS, HSI, Holding

Free

📚 Education

★ 4.5952 ratingsView app →

IFD Trainer

Free

📚 Education

★ 3.088 ratingsView app →

About

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments

Master instrument flying with interactive modules and a built-in simulator. Practice navigation instruments, IFR procedures, and holding patterns. Ideal for student pilots and instructors preparing for instrument ratings.

Highlights

Interactive navigation instrument modules
IFR procedure simulator
Holding pattern practice
Step-by-step learning
Built-in IFR simulator
Real-world holding entry training

Features

Read full description

Master instrument flying with this all-in-one IFR trainer. Includes interactive modules for ADF/RMI (FREE), VOR/ILS, HSI, IFR procedures and holding patterns. Ideal for student pilots and flight instructors preparing for instrument rating (IR). • Learn & practice navigation instruments step-by-step • Use animations and interactive exercises • Train with our built-in IFR simulator • Practice real-world holding entries (parallel, teardrop, direct) ### Modules: 1. ADF/RMI Instructor (Free Trial) 2. VOR + ILS Instructor 3. HSI Trainer 4. IFR Procedure Simulator 5. Holding Pattern Instructor Whether you're preparing for your checkride, IR test, or just want to improve situational awareness, this app helps you fly safer and smarter. Designed by pilots, for pilots. ▶ Try the ADF/RMI module for free! ▶ Trusted by aviation schools worldwide. FlyGo Aviation – Elevate Your IFR Skills.

About

IFD Trainer

This flight simulator offers a realistic environment to explore Avidyne's Flight Management Systems. It allows users to familiarize themselves with various IFD models, practice flight planning, and integrate with a companion app for a comprehensive home-based training experience.

Highlights

Realistic flight simulation environment
Explore Avidyne IFD models
Practice flight plan entry and changes
Integrate with IFD100 app
Access free demo navigation and map data
Use qualified Jeppesen data

Read full description

Avidyne’s IFD Trainer is a flight simulator that provides a realistic environment for exploration of Avidyne’s Flight Management Systems. • Get acquainted with the nuances of your Avidyne IFD. • Explore other Avidyne IFDs. • Seamlessly integrate IFD Trainer with the IFD100 app for a big-glass, home-based training experience. From within the app, access free Demo data for navigation, digital charts, terrain, obstacles, and map data. Or, keep the IFD Trainer and IFD100 data consistent with the latest avionics cycle using your qualified Jeppesen account. IFD Trainer mimics the latest features available in Avidyne’s line of IFDs. Whether you’re an Avidyne pilot learning your IFD or if you’re considering an Avidyne IFD yourself, the IFD Trainer provides you with realistic scenarios to experience the simplicity of design that makes entering and changing your flight plan quick and easy. Pair the IFD Trainer with the IFD100 app for a big-glass, home-based training experience.

Screenshots

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: IFR Trainer Flight Instruments at 4.5 against IFD Trainer's 3.0. IFR Trainer Flight Instruments also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (52% vs 36%). IFD Trainer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence 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. IFR Trainer Flight Instruments sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. IFD Trainer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IFR Trainer Flight Instruments has 952 ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of IFR Trainer Flight Instruments's written reviews are positive against 36% of IFD Trainer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments ships an update every 6 weeks, IFD Trainer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments versus IFD Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	IFR Trainer Flight Instruments	IFD Trainer
Price	Free	Free
Rating	4.5 (952 ratings) — better	3.0 (88 ratings)
Positive reviews	52.2% of reviews — better	35.7% of reviews
Number of ratings	952 — better	88
Update frequency	Every 6 weeks — better	Every 2 months
Ads	No — better	Yes
In-app purchases	Yes	No — better
Monetization	Free with in-app purchases	Ad-supported — better
Devices	iPhone, iPad — better	iPad
Requires iOS	18.6	13.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size	155 MB	121 MB
Age rating	4+	4+
Developer	Flygo-Aviation Ltd	Avidyne

Customer experience

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments

All ratings952 ratings

Positive89.1%

Neutral3.3%

Negative7.7%

Written reviews113 reviews

Positive52.2%

Neutral6.2%

Negative41.6%

IFD Trainer

All ratings88 ratings

Positive47.7%

Neutral5.7%

Negative46.6%

Written reviews56 reviews

Positive35.7%

Neutral8.9%

Negative55.4%

Bugs and requests

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

IFD Trainer

Reported bugs

395 issues

Crashes on startup
Crashes frequently
Does not load correctly
Poor graphics
No databases

Show 390 more

Difficult to use
Useless without database
Simulator stinks
Frequent crashes
Hard to use
Not too great
Worthless
Problematic
Previous app better
Junk trainers
Fairly useless
Does not work on iPad2
Not a good app
Freezes the iPad
Can’t control simulator altitude
Heading up not working
Needs updating
Needs documentation
Still crashes the iPad
Memory issues
Course slider covered
Not usable
Demo app stuck at zero altitude
Lousy documentation
Stupid update
Hard to use knobs
Tutorials don't match unit
Flight plan tutorial mismatch
Can’t fly lesson
Too frustrating
Doesn’t work
Can’t get it to start
Altitude control missing on Mac
Simulator useless
Won’t climb
Can’t track autopilot
Won’t track FMS
Artificial traffic alerts
Terrain alerts
Barely usable for training
Where is PC version?
Frustrating
Can’t save flight plans
Inputs difficult
Not enough memory
Not stable
Can’t figure out IFD440
Needs TLC before release
Not capturing altitudes
Unusable until bugs fixed
Crashing constantly
Annoying to set location
Brittle app
Useless without database
Requires Jeppesen account
No database loaded
Does not work on iPad Pro
Input lag
Graphics poor
Setup incorrect
Uninstalled and reinstalled many times
No change
Crashes right after starting
Shows "establishing communication"
Immediately closes app
Really poor graphics
Hate the trainer
Pretty useless really
Still reads no databases
Awesome app
Superb functionality
Makes learning pleasant
Truly emulates real deal
Extends usability
Extends functionality
Preparing flight plans ahead
Making edits
Frequency updates
Cool things natively available
Ditching GNS430W
Not regretted decision
Would be nice if available for Android
Skip tired excuse
Develop for Samsung
Stand to gain market share
Terrible
Crashes all the time
Difficult to use
A MUST have
For Any Avidyne IFD5xx or 4xx User
If that’s you
You simply MUST work with this app
And your CFII
Before trying anything in the airplane
You’ll save so much time
Doesn’t work
I can’t get it to start
It says “no database”
I down load databases
And try again
It still says “no databases”
Needs updating
There is no altitude control
When running app on a Mac
Which renders the simulator useless
Nice idea
Won’t climb
I have tried to get this trainer to track the autopilot
And fly an altitude
You can have it fly a heading and altitude
But you can’t have it track the flight plan
And set an altitude
Instructions says to set altitude to cross a waypoint
Tried it
Just flys at 20 feet
And tells you to pull up
And it still won’t track the FMS
Good for practicing frequency changes
Good fidelity to actual IFD
With serious usability issues
Avidyne apparently can’t decide
Whether this is a marketing app
Or a training device
When trying to use it
I’m constantly getting bothered by artificial traffic
Terrain alerts, etc.
When trying to figure out how to load and fly an approach
I really shouldn’t have to flounder around figuring out how to be at an altitude above ground
Or how to position the aircraft to a reasonable starting position
I’d call it barely usable for training
A disappointment
Where is the PC version?
Frustrating
Can’t fly lesson in Bauer’s book
With a standard departure
Even though I followed each step
Would have been nice to save time/money working through scenarios on ground
But too frustrating to bother using
While I like the 540 much better than my 530
The trainer app for my GNS was waaay better than this
Heading up not working on IFD 440
Heading up not working on map display
Always shows north up
Please fix
Needs documentation
You can play with all the controls
But there’s little to help how to set up common things like approaches
Also not obvious how to set a start point
Altitude, etc.
Speed is the only obvious setting
Still crashes the iPad
Crashed my iPad with memory issues on first run
Great Simulator
I’m flying with a friend
Who has Avidyne equipment
In his Mooney and Lake Amphibian
This is very helpful
Version10.3 IFD 540 trainer
Does not have CHARTS tab on MAPS page
In navigation mode the course slider is covered up by the iPad bar
And is not usable
Can’t control simulator altitude
Demo this terrain
No documentation for app use
The demo app, is stuck at Zero altitude
So of course it won’t work
Documentation is lousy
Familiarity equals competence
A great tool to practice using the Avidyne kit
Before you jump in an aircraft
Invaluable
Dispatch with IFD100
Stupid update
How come it does not match with the 10.2 version
When there is no 10.3 for the IFD100?
How can we trust in Avidyne
Hardly works
And only on good days
Gets stuck
Crashes
Inputs are difficult
Especially for the knobs
In short I hope the devices themselves are better
Not too great
There are a number of items that simply do not work
For example, the tutorials don’t address the IFD unit you might be trying to learn
The Flight Plan tutorial only addresses the IFD 540
When you are trying to learn the IFD 440
And the two are not even similar
Invaluable to the new owner
Moving from Garmin to Avidyne
There is no substitute for hands on practice
To learn the operating differences
This app made it so much easier
And it’s run well on an iPad Air
Includes user manuals and tutorial videos
IFD Trainer for 550
This is great!
I used the app while the avionics shop installed the IFD
And before I even picked up the plane
I was so familiar with its use when I picked up the plane
I was ready to receive my clearance in just a few minutes
And had all the flight plans with the SID & route to home programmed
Ready to go
A disappointment
Where is the PC version?
Freq won’t load
This app doesn’t work on iPad Pro
IFD550 training simulator
Have used only for a few days
It’s spectacular
It’s blowing me away
Will love to use the real unit
Good trainer app
I’ve got the IFD540And love it
This app is plenty good for getting you up to speed
Blows the doors off my old Garman 750
Avidyne was a one box solution
The Garmin required six other $1000 boxes to get it to work like the Avidyne
Top notch
I think Avidyne have exceeded all expectations with this trainer
The ability to learn while on the couch
And see how it actually works
Is confidence building
Thanks Avidyne
Freezes the iPad
The app frequently freezes my iPad (mini, 5th)
But it was free!
And you need something to explore what all these automatisms will do
Don’t take anything for granted with the IFD
Learning
This is great for practice!
PCC
Very Nice and usefull
Very useful to evaluate the functionality of the IFD Series FMS
(I used it before I bought an IFD440)
And today I am using it to explore functionality of my unit
But at home on the couch
You can simulate approaches and other stuff
And you know how the device is behaving before you get into the aircraft
Thanks for this opportunity
Junk trainers
I hope your real units work
These trainers are a joke
It would be nice to get familiar with the system
As I am in the process of installing a new Ifd 440
I will be looking hard for ANY bugs in the system
Very Disappointed
Ok for practicing how to load a flight plan
The simulator Stinks!
Super trainer
For a new customer accustomed to Garmin gear
This flattens the learning curve before you fly
Super job,Avidyne
Does not work on ipad2
Downloaded the app and filled out my information
App downloaded terrain but no Start or Tutorial button appeared
I can't run the simulator!
Not a good app
I am trying to decide between Avidyne and Garmin
If this app is any indication of the quality of the Avidyne software
I am buying a Garmin
If they did not have a tutorial app
I would buy a Garmin because they have a great app
The app should work like the unit in the plane
And this app does not work like the unit
Is out of date
And simply crashes too much to be useful
Frequent crashes, hard to use
Frequent crashes makes it useless
Except for some elementary functions
(On iPad Pro with plenty of memory, worse on iPad2)
Lacks adequate controls
Like controlling altitude in most scenarios
And set initial position of aircraft
Flight plan and settings are lost on crash/restart
Documentation useful to sales demo level
Not deep enough for actual training
Coupling of Jepps database extremely confusing for beginners
Desperately needs an simple explanation of the system architecture
In addition to the overly simplistic instructions
Also, downloading a live database apparently not shared copy with app used with real units
(Should just bypass the whole Jepps step by default, would be much easier for beginners.)
Good practice but memory-hungry app
The latest update requires a lot more memory than the previous version
Making it less stable on my admittedly old iPad 2
That drops it from 5 to 3 stars
Maps on simulator are free and require no Jepp account
Contrary to what others have said here
It's a little tricky
But you have to select "Demo" rather than logging in
I'm lucky I got some good practice in before the update
I feel mostly ready to get my upgraded plane back from Port City Air and fly some real approaches
Avidyne MFD Simulator
Very nice!
Works well
Great for learning how to fully utilize their amazing navigation products
Stick with the previous version
Previous version worked fine for me
Updated to the new version which asked for my personal details before it will open
Provided this information and nothing
So no longer able to use what was a great app to help with my IFD440 training
Very frustrating!
Problematic.....
Newest version asks for name and N-number
Then starts to load terrain
Once done
It asks for the same info again
Deleted and downloaded again; same problem
Needs some TLC prior to release!
Previous app better
This app had sooo much potential
But they blew it
It’s no longer capturing altitudes regardless if you change it in the flight plan
Why can’t you just say direct (enter,enter) and have it capture the flight plan
Then when you move the heading bug it goes back to heading mode?
Really, not too hard
Now, this awesome sim is unusable until you fix the bugs
Have ALL of the controls available all the time
With two more buttons- NAV, and Heading
Done
Great, but crashes constantly
Great simulator app
But it crashes far too frequently
The app needs some attention from developers to make it stable enough to use effectively
It would also be very nice if a user-defined origin point could be saved
It’s annoying to have to set the current location every time the app is started
Especially because the app is so brittle and crashes all the time
A great gps navigator deserves a more reliable simulator app to showcase the avionic’s capabilities and to provide a better learning experience
Worthless
I’ve used several simulators
And I am familiar with and use a variety of systems similar to the Avidyne 540
I purchased an airplane with the 540 already installed
And after giving it a try and attempting this simulator
I’m just going to yank it out and get a functional GPS
Don’t get me wrong I think the 540 has promise
But avidyne needs to figure out how to make it easy to learn and get started on
The simulator data base issue where you need to have a jeppsen account just to use the simulator
And the demo data base doesn’t work is just designed for frustration
Same problem with the actual unit
I really think it could be an easy to use unit
Provided you can get started with it
The folks at avidyne just have to many useless hurdles with unnecessary complications
I’ve already been to two avionics shops
And the unit just needs updates that are difficult to install
Require repeated calls to tech support
And take way to much time
Just like the simulator
Other systems are plug and play compared to these
And I strongly suggest looking at other systems
Great tool to learn the IFD
This worked very well for me learning the IFD
I now have one and really like flying it
I see the complaints about not having a database
I had a similar issue originally
But I called Avidyne they they talked me through it so I could use it with the demo database
I would like to use it as an IFD440 but can’t figure that out
That is the only complaint I have
Useless without database
Requires a Jeppesen account
I use Garmin
So don’t have Jeppesen
I wanted to install the sim to compare UI with GTN-750 to make a buying decision
Unfortunately, not possible
Garmin simulator for PCs just work by comparison
Fantastic app
Download the available databases
And it exactly duplicates a IFD440 or 540
I taught myself how to use the IFD540 while the actual GPS was being installed in my airplane with this app
Reading the IFD pilot guide is a must
But being able to actually simulate what you are reading is the next best thing to using it while in flight
This app allows you to do that while learning how to use the IFD
Works as promoted with IFD100 app
This app simulates the panel mounted IFD4XX/IFD5XX device
Use the IFD100 on a sound iPad to “remotely” program the panel device as you would in the cockpit
WARNING: Using a second iPad uses one of the available subscription devices
Works fine if you figure out how
Edited
My original comment was similar to the other negative one
No database
So you really can't do anything
I contacted Avidyne
Instead of bypassing the Jepp database logon screen by touching "Exit"
You need to actually log on with no username or password
You will come to a screen with a list of demo databases available for download into the simulator
Fairly useless
The simulator is of little value without a database
The instructions say to log in without a user id or password in order to use a sample database
However, logging in without a user id and password does not work
And no database is loaded

Requested features

5 requests

Android version availability
PC version availability
Altitude control on Mac
Saving user-defined origin point
Ability to use as IFD440

In-app purchases

6 purchases

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments

One-time6

Holding Instructor$5.99
VOR+ILS Instructor$9.99
HSI Instructor$9.99

Show 3 more

IFR Simulator$11.99
All in one$31.99
All in one$37.99

None

IFD Trainer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is IFR Trainer Flight Instruments free?

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Is IFD Trainer free?

IFD Trainer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

Which has better reviews, IFR Trainer Flight Instruments or IFD Trainer?

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments is rated higher. IFR Trainer Flight Instruments averages 4.5 out of 5 from 952 ratings, while IFD Trainer averages 3.0 from 88 ratings.

Do IFR Trainer Flight Instruments or IFD Trainer have ads?

IFD Trainer shows ads; IFR Trainer Flight Instruments does not.

Which is updated more often, IFR Trainer Flight Instruments or IFD Trainer?

IFR Trainer Flight Instruments ships an update every 6 weeks, and IFD Trainer every 2 months. Most recently, IFR Trainer Flight Instruments was updated on September 24, 2026 and IFD Trainer on September 9, 2026.