Pilot Display vs DroneSense
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pilot Display
This app serves as a companion for ARS and ION devices, offering pilots navigational aid and real-time aircraft information. Passengers can also view live video feeds and data overlays for enhanced situational awareness.
- Live streaming video (up to 3 channels)
- Customizable data overlays (over 20 fields)
- Multiple video layout options
- Gimbal, Marker, Vehicle Follow, and Camera Follow modes
- User-configurable display fields and text color
- Support for various measurement units
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Pilot Display is the iOS companion application for the Shotover Systems ARS and ION devices. Pilot Display is designed to be viewed by the pilot to provide a navigational aid when flying to a location, or a search pattern. The application can also be used by any passengers or crew who may be interested in information about the aircraft or viewing live video. Pilot Display supports live streaming video for up to three channels. You can view what the cameras are recording or what the ARS screen is displaying all in real-time. Flick up or down on the video to switch channels. Tap the screen to show the settings option and configure Pilot Display. Flick left and right to change the view. Video can be turned on or off at any time and viewed in three different layouts: - Thumbnail Video - Full Screen Video - Full Screen Video with Overlays Pilot Display provides lots of data overlays. Over 20 different data fields are available depending on the current system mode. Gimbal Mode provides information about the gimbal and camera: - Aircraft Absolute Heading - Camera Field of View - Camera Slant Range - Camera Target Absolute Heading - Camera Target Relative Heading - Camera Elevation Absolute Angle - Aircraft Altitude (AMSL / AGL) - Aircraft Speed - Orbit Helper Radius - TGT Coordinates Marker Mode provides information about a specific point of interest in addition to all of the Gimbal Mode information: - Marker Address - Marker Absolute Heading - Marker Relative Heading - Marker Estimated Time to Arrival - Marker Estimated Time Enroute - Marker Ground Distance - Marker Coordinates Vehicle Follow Mode provides information about a search pattern, plus most of the Gimbal Mode information: - Offset shows how far left or right of the ideal search pattern the aircraft is - Next Waypoint Estimated Time To Arrival - Next Waypoint Estimated Time Enroute - Distance Remaining in Search Pattern - Distance Completed in Search Pattern - Distance to next waypoint Camera Follow Mode provides information about a camera search pattern including most information from the Gimbal and Vehicle Follow Modes. No offset is provided in this mode. All fields are user reconfigurable - just tap and select to customize your layout. You can even select the color of the text for enhanced visibility. Fields can be viewed in several measurement units. Your mission system will need to be configured to use a WIFI access point if not already installed. Please contact your support representative to discuss updating and enabling the Pilot Display feature. Please note that ION support will require software version 2.X or above.
DroneSense
This platform enables public safety agencies to manage drone operations, from pilot control and asset management to real-time situational awareness for incident commanders. It offers automated flight logging and a centralized system for organizing personnel, hardware, and flight history.
- Professional drone piloting
- Live video streaming
- Automated flight logging
- Asset and risk management
- Real-time situational awareness
- Collaborative operations hub
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For UAS Pilots - Fly a wide range of professional drones with DroneSense! Simply download this app directly onto your iPad and plug directly into any drone remote. Incorporating the latest and greatest drone is easy; there is no new training as the pilot will always fly with our app and have the same experience, no matter what drone is chosen. Share your live video stream with incident commanders easily to enable increased situational awareness on-scene. Automated flight logging ensures all data from all flights are available at any time. For Program Administrators - DroneSense is your complete system of record. It is a complete asset and risk management tool that provides accountability and transparency across your organization. Organize your people, hardware, and flight history in a powerful but intuitive interface. Whether it is automatically logging flight hours, filing NOTAMs, or managing personnel, DroneSense is your one-stop solution. Our software lets you quickly leverage all your resources so you can spend more time focused on the mission at hand. For Incident Commanders - DroneSense gives incident commanders and remote stakeholders the power to strategize and tactically collaborate. Our Operations Hub enables you to share real-time, low-latency, high definition views of a scene and plan dynamically. Anyone with a connected device can see a live pilot session, and multiple drone pilots can work together seamlessly. Please note that usage of the DroneSense Platform requires user registration and authorization from accredited public safety agencies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DroneSense at 4.6 against Pilot Display's 4.0. DroneSense also leads on ratings volume (32 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DroneSense holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DroneSense has 32 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Pilot Display ships an update every 2 months, DroneSense monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pilot Display | DroneSense |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 4.6 (32 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 32 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 375 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Earthscape | DroneSense INC |
Customer experience
Pilot Display
DroneSense
In-app purchases
Pilot Display
No in-app purchases
DroneSense
No in-app purchases








