# OpenADSB — VRS & dump1090 flight tracking

> High-performance iOS flight tracker display for dump1090, tar1090, and VRS. (iPhone/iPad app by Steve Kuo.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openadsb/id1178703539 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Steve Kuo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1178703538)
- Category: Travel, Utilities
- Price: $10.99
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 108 App Store ratings · 102 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 9.0 · 13 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-01-20
- Data updated: 2026-09-03
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openadsb/id1178703539/reviews.md

## What is OpenADSB?

If you enjoy tracking aircraft using dump1090, tar1090 or Virtual Radar Server, then you'll enjoy OpenADSB. OpenADSB is a full featured high performance flight tracker display app that connects to a variety of backend air traffic sources. Enjoy OpenADSB's smooth native iOS experience instead of using the web interface.

PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:
You purchasing a general purpose air traffic display app that connects to a variety of servers types. New traffic sources can be added under Settings (gear button) - Track Source. As a convenience, OpenADSB comes preconfigured to use ADS-B Exchange. Air traffic from ADS-B Exchange is the sole responsibility of ADSBexchange.com, LLC. Frequent users are encouraged to support ADS-B Exchange through donations (adsbexchange.com/donate).

Features:
• Connects to dump1090, tar1090 and Virtual Radar Server.
• Comes preconfigured using ADS-B Exchange (adsbexchange.com). Note that OpenADSB is not affiliated with ADSBexchange.com, LLC
• Smoothly displays thousands of aircraft
• Shows aircraft history trails
• Various aircraft and history trail color schemes and optional legend
• Fully configurable filtering, display only the aircrafts you want to see
• Configurable military, VFR and emergency highlights
• Long-press on an aircraft to perform a browser search engine search of its callsign and registration
• Tap on an aircraft to show more details
• Details are fully configurable and includes callsign, registration, ICAO hex code, altitude, speed, vertical speed, heading, aircraft type, squawk code, MLAT, latitude/longitude and more
• Display values in imperial or metric units
• Bookmark up to 5 favorite locations
• Mail track details feature, send an email containing an aircraft's details along with a map snapshot, fully configurable
• Optimized data fetching logic minimizes network, battery usage and server load
• Highly configurable
• Supports Dark Mode
• Supports Split View, Slide Over and multitasking on iPad
• Keyboard shortcuts for external keyboards

Limitations and Disclaimer
OpenADSB is a general air traffic visualizer for dump1090, tar1090 and Virtual Radar Server data sources. OpenADSB is not affiliated with ADSBexchange.com, LLC. As a convenience, OpenADSB comes preconfigured using ADSBexchange.com as the default data source. Air traffic data, its accuracy, and its validity, is the sole responsibility of the data provider. OpenADSB is for entertainment use only, and not for operational, flight, navigation, traffic avoidance or any mission critical use.

## Key features

- Connects to dump1090, tar1090, and Virtual Radar Server
- Preconfigured with ADS-B Exchange
- Displays thousands of aircraft with history trails
- Configurable filtering and highlights
- Detailed aircraft information
- Imperial or metric unit display
- Supports Dark Mode and multitasking

## Chart rankings

- #27 in Top Paid · Travel (US App Store)

## What do users think of OpenADSB?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive performance
- 💰 One-time purchase with no subscription fees
- 🎖️ Displays military and blocked aircraft other apps censor
- 🔧 Highly customizable filters and settings
- 📊 Comprehensive ADS-B data from ADS-B Exchange
- 🎯 Superior to Flightradar24 for unfiltered tracking
- 👍 User-friendly interface and intuitive design
- 🌍 Excellent for aviation enthusiasts and professionals
- ⚙️ Advanced filtering by military, civilian, operator, etc.
- 📍 Works well with personal dump1090 receivers

**Cons**

- 🎨 Generic plane icon for all aircraft types
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- ❌ App stops showing aircraft after updates
- 📉 Missing 'from-to' flight information display
- 🔍 Search functionality not easily accessible
- 📸 Limited photo display capabilities
- 🗺️ Track history clutters the map
- ⚠️ Inconsistent altitude data accuracy
- 🚁 Helicopters displayed as generic planes
- 🔄 Connection issues with data sources
- 📋 Operator information often blank or incorrect
- 🌙 No dark mode option

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes when moving map or accessing settings
- App refuses to update, requiring reinstallation
- App freezes and locks up iPhone
- No aircraft display despite proper configuration
- JSON response errors after iOS updates
- VRS data source disappears from settings
- App crashes 5 seconds after opening
- Military filter causes all aircraft to disappear
- Photos not loading or displaying
- Incorrect routing information for flights
- Selected altitude data showing wrong values

**Most requested features**

- Aircraft-specific icons (like Flightradar24)
- Search button on main screen for N-number lookup
- Dark mode for nighttime use
- Notifications/alerts for tracked aircraft
- 3D map view like Google Earth
- Track single aircraft with auto-panning
- Full flight history tracking
- iCloud sync for filter settings
- Ability to toggle ground vehicles on/off
- Adjustable range rings on map
- Historic aircraft lookup
- Different icons for helicopters vs planes
- Departure/arrival boards display
- Filter by operator name instead of codes
- Radar ID display and filtering
- iOS 16 dark icon support
- Improved settings organization
- German localization

## Recent user reviews (10 of 102)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openadsb/id1178703539/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Awesome app

*2025-12-02, version 1.6.14*

I’m not a pilot, just love planes, this is easily the best app by far, I just wish they used silhouettes of planes like on ADSB exchange instead of 1 generic plane model, so you could get a relative ID by looking instead of having to click on every plane.

### 5/5 — Nützliche App

*2025-12-02*

Seit langem oft und intensiv im Gebrauch, absolut nichts auszusetzen. Danke!

### 5/5 — Best Unfiltered ADSB

*2025-09-23, version 1.6.14*

You’re not going to find a better alternative to ADSB exchange than this right here. The only thing better would be using the ADSB Exchange website. 

Big shoutout to the developer. App works perfect and comes in at a very reasonable price!

### 5/5 — Great native app

*2025-09-18, version 1.6.14*

It works across the devices, have filters, that you can save.

### 5/5 — Super App

*2025-09-16*

Eine super App. Können wir ein Update auf iOS26 inkl. schwarzem Icon erwarten?

### 3/5 — Grundsätzlich gute App

*2025-07-29*

Darstellung ist gut, mir fehlt allerdings die from-to Info. Anzeigefeld ist da aber stets ohne Daten. Zudem könnten die Einstellungen etwas übersichtlicher gestaltet werden.

### 5/5 — Part of my flight bag

*2025-06-14, version 1.6.14*

As a pilot this comes in handy for many things, needless to say.

### 2/5 — Please improve this

*2025-05-31, version 1.6.14*

Show helicopters as helicopters and not as planes, because they’re not planes, I mean the coloured icon. I paid £9.99 for this app and flightrader is free and does this. Come on

### 1/5 — App crashes

*2025-04-18, version 1.6.14*

Several times now I’ve had this app refuse to update, forcing me to delete and repurchase in the App Store. Apple refuses to offer a refund. An app that costs $11 should be expected to work properly and update when necessary without crashing.

### 5/5 — Outstanding

*2025-02-09*

I’ve had this for a long time and it gets better with better photos. Living in an active military airspace, I like to see what is inbound to my area like fighter drags for refueler training overhead or an Osprey pass. So excited for my choice

## Frequently asked questions about OpenADSB

### What does OpenADSB do?

OpenADSB is a flight tracking display app that connects to various air traffic data sources like dump1090, tar1090, and Virtual Radar Server. It offers a smooth, native iOS experience for viewing aircraft information, history trails, and customizable display options.

### What are the key features of OpenADSB?

Key features include connecting to multiple backend air traffic sources, displaying thousands of aircraft with history trails, customizable filtering and highlights, detailed aircraft information, and support for imperial/metric units. It also offers Dark Mode and multitasking support on iPad.

### How much does OpenADSB cost?

The application is a paid download. The description does not mention any in-app purchases or subscription models, indicating a one-time purchase price.

### What data sources does OpenADSB support?

OpenADSB connects to dump1090, tar1090, and Virtual Radar Server. It comes preconfigured with ADS-B Exchange as a default data source for convenience, though it is not affiliated with ADSBexchange.com, LLC.

### Who is OpenADSB intended for?

This app is designed for users who enjoy tracking aircraft using specific backend systems like dump1090, tar1090, or Virtual Radar Server. It's for entertainment purposes and provides a more streamlined experience than using web interfaces.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.6.14 — 2025-03-03

• Bug fixes.

### 1.6.13 — 2025-02-23

• Bug fixes.

### 1.6.12 — 2024-09-02

• Bug fixes.

### 1.6.11 — 2023-10-17

• Bug fixes.

### 1.6.10 — 2021-05-10

• Bug fixes.

## Apps similar to OpenADSB

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| --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| [Plane Finder ⁃ Flight Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plane-finder-flight-tracker/id361273585) | 4.7 (60,105) | Free | Travel |
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## Related topics

[open adsb](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/open-adsb) · [adsb exchange](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/adsb-exchange) · [adsb](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/adsb)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-03.*