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If you are studying for the FAA Part 107 exam, two online courses come up again and again: Pilot Institute and Drone Pilot Ground School (run by UAV Coach). Both have taught tens of thousands of drone pilots, both offer lifetime access, and both will refund your money if you fail. So which one should you buy?
Short answer: Pilot Institute is the better value for most people. It costs less at full price, includes unlimited practice exams, and its pass guarantee is simpler. Drone Pilot Ground School is the better pick if you want a live instructor to ask questions, and it is worth considering whenever a promo code brings it down to the same price.
Side-by-side comparison
| Pilot Institute | Drone Pilot Ground School | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (Oct 2026) | $159 (list $249) | $299 list; often around $159 with seasonal promo codes |
| Access | Lifetime | Lifetime, updated regularly |
| Course content | About 15 hours of video in 200+ short lessons across 10 chapters | 70+ lessons; 15–20 hours of study recommended |
| Practice tests | Unlimited practice exams, plus 20 quizzes with 300+ questions | 5 full-length practice tests, plus quizzes |
| Study extras | Illustrated cheat sheet, downloadable slides, flashcard app, audio lessons, 14-day study challenge | Knowledge base, how-to videos and guides, bonus lessons |
| Support | Live office hours and study groups | Email, phone (weekdays) and weekly live webinars with an instructor |
| Pass guarantee | Refunds the course and the $175 test fee if you fail on your first try | Refunds the course and the $175 test fee if you fail on your first try after scoring 85%+ on three practice tests |
| Extra refund window | 30-day money-back guarantee | Not stated beyond the pass guarantee |
| Group pricing | Not the focus | Team and group pricing, plus discounts for military, public safety, educators and non-profits |
Prices and terms change often. Check both sites for the current offer and the full guarantee terms before buying.
Price: Pilot Institute wins at full price
At list price, Pilot Institute is $90 cheaper. Drone Pilot Ground School runs frequent promotions that bring it down to roughly the same $159, so the gap often disappears if you buy during a sale. Either way, both courses cost less than a single failed attempt at the exam once you count the $175 retake fee and the 14-day wait.
Course content and teaching style
Pilot Institute breaks the material into many short videos, a few minutes each, which makes it easy to study in small blocks on a phone. Its extras are aimed at memorisation: a printable cheat sheet, a flashcard app and audio lessons you can play in the car. If you learn by repetition, this format suits you.
Drone Pilot Ground School is structured as 70+ lessons with a clear study path over two to three weeks. It leans more on guided teaching, and its instructor-led webinars give you a regular place to work through the hardest topics with a person.
Both cover the same FAA test topics: Part 107 rules, airspace and sectional charts, weather and METARs, loading and performance, and airport operations. Sectional charts and weather reports are where most students struggle, so pay attention to how each course handles them in its free previews.
Practice tests: Pilot Institute gives you more
Practice exams are the best predictor of whether you will pass. Pilot Institute offers unlimited practice exams drawn from a large question bank. Drone Pilot Ground School includes five full-length practice tests. Five is enough for most students, but unlimited exams let you keep testing until you consistently score well above the 70% pass mark.
Support: Drone Pilot Ground School is more hands-on
If you expect to get stuck and want to ask someone, Drone Pilot Ground School has the edge: weekly live webinars, an instructor you can email, and a phone line on weekdays. Pilot Institute offers live office hours and study groups, which work well too, but Drone Pilot Ground School’s support is more central to how the course is sold.
Pass guarantees compared
Both courses promise to refund the course price and your $175 test fee if you fail on your first attempt. The difference is in the conditions:
- Drone Pilot Ground School requires you to have scored at least 85% on three of its practice tests before your exam to qualify.
- Pilot Institute advertises a refund of the course and the test fee if you do not pass on your first try, and also lists a separate 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full terms on each site before you rely on either guarantee. In practice, if you reach 85% on practice tests you are very likely to pass anyway.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Pilot Institute if you want the lowest full price, unlimited practice exams and lots of quick study tools such as flashcards and a cheat sheet. It is the best balance of price, content and risk for a typical first-time drone pilot.
Choose Drone Pilot Ground School if you want regular live webinars and an instructor you can contact, or if you are training a team and want group pricing or a public-safety, military or educator discount.
Can you pass Part 107 without either course?
Yes. The FAA publishes a free Remote Pilot study guide and sample test questions, and some people pass with free material alone, especially if they already understand airspace and aviation weather. The risk is that you pay $175 for each failed attempt and wait 14 days between tries. For most beginners, a course that costs about the same as one retake – and refunds you if you fail – is the safer bet.
Not sure where you stand? Take our free 25-question Part 107 practice test first.
For the full breakdown of fees, the test format and the sign-up steps, see our Part 107 certification cost and study guide.
FAQ
Is Pilot Institute or Drone Pilot Ground School better?
For most people, Pilot Institute is the better value because of its lower full price and unlimited practice exams. Drone Pilot Ground School is better if you want instructor-led live webinars or group pricing.
How long does it take to finish a Part 107 course?
Both schools suggest about 15–20 hours of study, usually spread over two to three weeks.
Do these courses include the FAA test?
No. The knowledge test is taken in person at a PSI testing centre and costs $175, paid separately. Both courses refund that fee if you fail first time and meet their guarantee terms.
Do I get lifetime access?
Yes. Both courses include lifetime access, which is useful when you need to refresh before your recurrent training every 24 months.
Related reading
- Part 107 certification in 2026: the complete cost and study guide
- What commercial drone insurance actually costs
- Best drone mapping software compared
Last reviewed October 2026 using each provider’s published course, pricing and FAQ pages.