Comparison guide

AI Oral-Practice Tools: Free Access, Trials and Paid Limits

Start with the oral task you need to practice. A free download, one task, a limited session and a timed trial provide different amounts of practice.

By Nick Rae · Published 2026-10-22

How this guide was prepared

Public vendor pages, the US App Store listing and FAA source indexes checked October 22, 2026. This comparison covers advertised access, prices, platforms and certificate scope. No account was created; no paid purchase, voice session, AI answer quality or app behavior was tested. It does not rank accuracy, exam performance or pass likelihood.

Start with the practice task and its limit

For zero-cost oral study, use the current FAA ACS and explain one scenario aloud before buying software. If you want AI follow-up questions, compare the allowance you can actually use: one task, one limited session, a timed trial, or paid access. The reviewed pages describe bounded offers or leave the amount of free practice unclear.

Choose a goal first: explain a weak ACS task, rehearse connected questions, or review an answer with your instructor. Then check your certificate, aircraft category, device and available time. A product advertising several certificates may cover them at different depths; a generated readiness score cannot establish checkride readiness.

Sources: FAA: current Airman Certification Standards index.

Five products, five access boundaries

These are published access terms, not quality scores. Dollar figures are displayed prices; PocketDPE uses the US App Store. Confirm currency, taxes and the actual offer before paying. On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways.

AI oral-practice access and device comparison, checked October 22, 2026
Product	Free access and published paid boundary	Device and certificate scope
ChatDPE	TestFlight/waitlist. No public App Store release or numeric price confirmed. Do not assume unrestricted free access.	iOS. Vendor says Commercial ASEL is most complete; Private and Instrument are expanding.
PocketDPE	Free download; exact current free-practice or trial quantity unconfirmed. Pro: $19.99/week, $39.99/month or $129.99/year.	iPhone/iPad. Private, Instrument and Commercial per listing.
MockDPE.org	One limited session free, no card. Premium: $49/month or $349/year.	Web. Private, Instrument and Commercial per vendor.
HeyDPE	7-day trial with 3 exams, no card; this is also its stated free tier. Paid: $39/month or $299/year.	Modern desktop/tablet browser. Private, Instrument and Commercial.
Checkride.bot	One ACS task per exam free, no account/card. Airplane passes: Private/Instrument $49.99 each; Commercial $59.99; CFI $79.99.	iPhone/iPad, iOS 18+. Each certificate/category pass lasts 30 days and does not renew.

Sources: ChatDPE: public availability and certificate coverage; PocketDPE: official US App Store listing and version history; MockDPE.org: published free-session limit and prices; MockDPE.org: product coverage and free-access FAQ; HeyDPE: trial, subscription and browser FAQ; Checkride.bot: task demo, airplane passes and device requirements.

Keep PocketDPE and MockDPE.org separate

PocketDPE’s App Store history says it was previously named MockDPE. Identify that app by developer London Moren and App Store ID 6761171977. The browser product at mockdpe.org is a separate comparison entry. A shared former name does not transfer either product’s prices, trial terms or account rules to the other.

The PocketDPE listing’s free-download label does not confirm the amount of free practice available now. Older release notes describe an onboarding sample, but do not establish today’s trial quota. Check the current offer rather than budgeting from an old screenshot.

Sources: PocketDPE: official US App Store listing and version history; MockDPE.org: product coverage and free-access FAQ.

Match the device and the session you can finish

For a short topic drill, a bounded task demo can help you inspect the interaction before committing to longer practice. One free Checkride.bot task is not a full free mock oral.
For browser practice, compare MockDPE.org and HeyDPE on your actual desktop or tablet. Check microphone permissions, connection requirements and whether your intended session fits the trial allowance.
For iPhone/iPad practice, inspect PocketDPE’s current store offer or Checkride.bot’s certificate-specific pass. An app listing does not prove that a feature works on your device.
Treat ChatDPE’s TestFlight/waitlist as an availability question. Confirm access and current certificate coverage before including it in a study plan for a near-term test.

Sources: ChatDPE: public availability and certificate coverage; PocketDPE: official US App Store listing and version history; MockDPE.org: product coverage and free-access FAQ; HeyDPE: trial, subscription and browser FAQ; Checkride.bot: task demo, airplane passes and device requirements.

Check the explanation against the source

Pick the applicable certificate and class in the FAA ACS index. Find the full task, including knowledge, risk-management and skill elements. Use its references to locate the relevant FAA handbook, current regulation or aircraft POH/AFM. An app’s ACS label is a starting point for that check, not evidence that every answer is correct.

After an AI session, choose one explanation to inspect. Open the cited source yourself and check its edition, exact section, assumptions and exceptions. Ask whether the statement applies to your aircraft and scenario. Separate a regulatory minimum from a personal planning margin.

Keep the question, your reasoning, the source and the unresolved disagreement. Take that small record to your CFI. Do not let an app’s confident tone, score or simulated examiner persona settle a disputed procedure or determine readiness. This is ground-study review, not flight instruction.

Sources: FAA: current Airman Certification Standards index; FAA: aviation handbooks, manuals and addenda.

Check privacy and the total purchase

Before speaking or uploading documents, read the privacy notice. Look for audio/transcript storage, retention, deletion, processing providers and any training-use setting. Ask the vendor about anything unclear.
Use a generic study scenario when personal documents are unnecessary. A knowledge-test report or logbook may contain identifiers that a practice question does not need.
Check whether account creation or a payment card is required. A no-card trial still has a limit; a free download may lead to a paywall.
Confirm certificate and aircraft category, billing interval, full amount due, renewal and cancellation terms. A 30-day nonrenewing pass and an annual subscription create different commitments.
Before upgrading, decide which missing practice justifies the cost. Keep the displayed offer and its date; advertised terms can change.

A source-first session without a subscription

The FAA publishes ACS documents and aviation handbooks with addenda. Choose one task already covered with your instructor and use its references for a focused session. This suggested routine does not need an AI account.

Write one scenario question and identify the rule or aircraft limitation it involves.
Answer aloud without notes, then open the source and correct missing assumptions.
Change one condition and explain what changes in the reasoning.
Record one gap for your next lesson. Add software only when it supplies practice you still need.