# Drone Buddy vs Drone Start

The clearest difference is rating: Drone Buddy at 4.7 against Drone Start's 4.1. Drone Buddy also leads on ratings volume (8.4K vs 48) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Drone Start's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drone Buddy sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Drone Start sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drone Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drone Buddy has 8.4K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Drone Buddy's written reviews are positive against 41% of Drone Start's.

Drone Buddy ships an update weekly, Drone Start every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone Buddy | Drone Start |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (8.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-buddy-fly-drone-safely/id992303145/reviews)** | [4.1 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-start/id1214900467/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8.4K** | 48 |
| Positive reviews | **54.8% of reviews** | 41.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 127 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kirway LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450953426) | [Neil Faulkner](https://appshunter.io/developer/527056831) |

## What reviewers say

### Drone Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-buddy-fly-drone-safely/id992303145)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Drone Buddy Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Drone Buddy Pro 3 months | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Unlock Drone Buddy Pro | $17.99 | per 6 months |
| Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Unlock Drone Buddy Pro Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Unlock Pro Access Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Pro Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Map crashes after populating airports
- Profile settings not saving
- Inconsistent wind speed data

**Requested features**

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


### Drone Start

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-start/id1214900467)

This app provides advanced flight checks and planning for drones, ensuring safe takeoffs and operations. It analyzes weather, GPS, battery health, and local airspace conditions, while also offering detailed flight route planning with elevation and wind data.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive pre-flight safety checks, Detailed flight route planning, Real-time drone battery and sensor monitoring, Weather, GPS, and airspace analysis, No-fly zone and wind map visualization, Daily FlyCast notifications, Intelligent Return To Home height calculation

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Professional Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone Buddy free?

Drone Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Drone Start free?

Drone Start is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drone Buddy or Drone Start?

Drone Buddy is rated higher. Drone Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8.4K ratings, while Drone Start averages 4.1 from 48 ratings.

### Do Drone Buddy or Drone Start have ads?

Neither Drone Buddy nor Drone Start shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone Buddy or Drone Start?

Drone Buddy ships an update weekly, and Drone Start every 3 weeks. Most recently, Drone Buddy was updated on November 11, 2026 and Drone Start on November 2, 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.*