# Planes Live vs CPA

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CPA at none against Planes Live's 10. CPA also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Planes Live's advantage is review sentiment (34% vs 0%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planes Live sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. CPA asks for nothing beyond the download.

CPA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planes Live has 93K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Planes Live's written reviews are positive against 0% of CPA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Planes Live ships an update every 3 weeks, CPA every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planes Live | CPA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (93K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planes-live-flight-tracker/id1097815000/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cpatracker-for-cathay-pacific/id1107564810/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **93K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **33.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 262 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) | [fikret urgan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1713710233) |

## What reviewers say

### Planes Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planes-live-flight-tracker/id1097815000)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

Track flights globally in real-time with detailed aircraft information, schedules, and airport data. Get instant alerts for flight status changes and find planes near you. Ideal for aviation enthusiasts and travelers.

**Highlights:** Global flight tracking, Real-time flight status alerts, Detailed aircraft information, Airport departure/arrival schedules, Weather forecasts, Nearby planes and airports

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Planes Live Premium 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Planes Live Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Planes Live Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Flight Tracker & Weather Radar | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly with Free Trial | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Sub with Free Trial | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Planes Live Premium 1 Month | $17.95 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate tracking
- 🌟 Informative and interesting
- 👍 Great app for plane enthusiasts
- ✈️ Useful for tracking family/friends' flights

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate flight information
- 🔍 Difficult to find/track specific flights
- 💰 Aggressive monetization/subscription model
- 📢 Too many ads in free version
- 🔌 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Flights disappearing from map
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel
- Crashes and freezes on launch

**Requested features**

- Improved map view with better plane tracking
- More detailed flight information (e.g. plane model, altitude, speed)
- Option to track multiple flights simultaneously
- Ability to customize notifications and alerts


### CPA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cpatracker-for-cathay-pacific/id1107564810)

Track Cathay Pacific flights globally in real-time. Get detailed insights into aircraft, flight paths, speed, and airport weather. Discover your favorite aircraft and stay updated on departure and arrival times.

**Highlights:** Global flight tracking, Aircraft model and speed details, Real-time departure/arrival times, Airport weather information, Detailed flight path monitoring, Tailored aircraft searches

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planes Live free?

Planes Live is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CPA free?

CPA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planes Live or CPA?

CPA is rated higher. Planes Live averages 4.6 out of 5 from 93K ratings, while CPA averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Planes Live or CPA have ads?

Both Planes Live and CPA show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planes Live or CPA?

Planes Live ships an update every 3 weeks, and CPA every 8 months. Most recently, Planes Live was updated on November 8, 2026 and CPA on November 4, 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.*