Deal-breaker differences between AvPlan and OzRunways

[Virtually There]

With new iPad mini II in hand and trial versions of both EFBs, I thought I'd note some of the differences and ask for other experiences. I've only been running them side-by-side for a couple of weeks and haven't explored all functions, but at some point I will need to purchase a subscription.

So, which would you buy and why?

The most important difference I've found so far has been a simple phone number: AvPlan has one and OzRunways doesn't.

Call me old-skool, but when I need technical help, I like to be able to talk to someone in person. I'm all for reading up on manuals, but I don't have time to interpret obscure/technical references or sustain a lengthy email conversation.

AvPlan have so far been very good on the phone (even returning calls), whilst OzRunways' email system has been a bit hit-and-miss. Even live chat would be better than email support, as there are invariably follow-up questions. Some responses to OzRunways queries have been quick (next day), whilst others have taken a few days (with a little prompting).

Has anyone fared better?

As far as tutorials are concerned, again, I prefer AvPlan's detailed manual with index to OzRunways' multiple subject/slideshow presentation (which can be hard to navigate when looking for detailed info). The slideshow is probably easier for getting the basics up and running, but after that it can be a bit frustrating.

Intuitively, I've found AvPlan easier to navigate than OzRunways. But that was after playing with OzRunways first. If it were the other way around, I may have felt differently. Even then, there are some pretty obscure navigation pages in AvPlan that are easier to find in OzRunways. But, on the whole, AvPlan just seems to make a bit more sense when navigating. The "lifebuoy" icon - which provides a cloud-bubble tutorial for all the functions on screen - was very useful when starting up.

Having the flight plan next to the moving map - with the ability to toggle it on and off - is one of my favourite AvPlan features.

Graphics-wise, again I generally prefer AvPlan's moving map and aircraft/plotting/tracking icons, as it's a bit cleaner and I like the clear 10nm/25nm aircraft ring option (on OzRunways, the 10nm ring is a bit thick and fuzzy) and predicted track lines.

Airports and ALAs are definitely easier (larger, clearer) to see on OzRunways and the moving maps do seem to be more complete, with a lot of new airports that aren't on some of WACs clearly marked.

Avplan's MegaVFR is more seemless than OzRunways' Hybrid VFR (especially when zooming in and out), but the landing areas aren't as prominent and I wish there was an option to increase the font size a little - especially on the iPad mini.

AvPlan rendering seems to be a little slower than OzRunways at times, but is a bit smoother.

It may be that AvPlan is a more complex program and this might explain the lag at times, but anecdotally it seems to have better battery life. AvPlan has the option to run the GPS in the background and automatically fades the screen when not in use. If OzRunways has this function, then I haven't found it, as it needs to be physically put to sleep. In fact, OzRunways appears to override my iPad's screen settings and won't allow it to sleep if the program is open.

EDIT: I've learned AvPlan does have the ability to record a fix (GPS coordinates) when you fly over and point to it on the map, though it is a two-step process, unlike OzRunways that allows you to drop a pin anywhere on the map with one click (dedicated "Drop Pin" icon top right). This is invaluable for search-and-rescue and handy for other pilots.

Maybe it's me, but I haven't been able to find a way to email individual track histories with OzRunways, whereas AvPlans lets you select them individually.

So far, most of the differences I've noted have been down to personal preference, but there are a couple of deal-breakers, IMO.

OzRunways has not crashed on me since I've been trialling it.

AvPlan has crashed more times than I have counted. (It's just done it again as I sit here writing this!). At first I thought it was my fault - hitting the wrong button in-flight etc - but once I had the iPad in my lap at home, I noticed at times it would just crash for no apparent reason.

A couple more bugs I've experienced in AvPlans - apart from the occasional hang-up - are aerodrome charts being loaded incorrectly (click on an aerodrome, then swipe for the charts - it goes to the previously selected aerodrome's charts instead of the new one), and flightplans/tracks being overwritten on top of each other.

In one case, AvPlans merged two flight plans and their associated tracks, and when I went to delete the unwanted tracks by selecting the correct track and aerodrome names, it deleted the ones I wanted to keep which were nowhere near my fingers and had different names!

Battery life may be a deal-breaker for me, but so is stability; much as I want to like AvPlan - it's smoother, slicker and appears to have more of the functions that I need - OzRunways has so far been more stable.

That may be because I've gravitated more towards AvPlan and have used it more lately - increasing my chances of finding bugs. Likewise, OzRunways may be more functional than I'm giving it credit for.

I say all this based on the trials - I haven't used the subscription versions yet - so I'm keen to hear from those who have.

Price-wise, there's not much in it: OzRunways VFR with AOPA airfield and touring guide is about $150; AvPlan VFR with the Country Airstrip Guide is about $160.

I hope this hasn't been too self-indulgent, but it's crunch time and this post is not only helping me reconcile which EFB to go with, but I'm hoping will also open a little debate to help myself and others in future.