# Drone Buddy vs RC AR Flight Simulator

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RC AR Flight Simulator at none against Drone Buddy's 11. RC AR Flight Simulator also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15). Drone Buddy's advantage is ratings volume (8.4K vs 1) and update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drone Buddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. RC AR Flight Simulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

RC AR Flight Simulator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drone Buddy has 8.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Drone Buddy ships an update every 10 days, RC AR Flight Simulator monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drone Buddy | RC AR Flight Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (8.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drone-buddy-fly-drone-safely/id992303145/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rc-ar-flight-simulator/id1315403176/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.4K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 54.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 127 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kirway LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450953426) | [长锋 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1077355406) |

## 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 (11)**

| 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 |
| Drone Buddy Pro Access Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| 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


### RC AR Flight Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rc-ar-flight-simulator/id1315403176)

Experience realistic drone flight in augmented reality. Control various drone models with intuitive controls and explore virtual environments overlaid on your real surroundings. Perfect for aspiring pilots and drone enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality drone simulation, Realistic flight controls, Multiple drone models, Virtual environments, Intuitive user interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drone Buddy free?

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

### Is RC AR Flight Simulator free?

RC AR Flight Simulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drone Buddy or RC AR Flight Simulator?

RC AR Flight Simulator is rated higher. Drone Buddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8.4K ratings, while RC AR Flight Simulator averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Drone Buddy or RC AR Flight Simulator have ads?

Neither Drone Buddy nor RC AR Flight Simulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drone Buddy or RC AR Flight Simulator?

Drone Buddy ships an update every 10 days, and RC AR Flight Simulator monthly. Most recently, Drone Buddy was updated on November 1, 2026 and RC AR Flight Simulator on October 20, 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.*