# Planes Live vs VanBook

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VanBook at none against Planes Live's 16. VanBook also leads on ads (none vs shown). Planes Live's advantage is chart position (#11 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planes Live sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. VanBook asks for nothing beyond the download.

Planes Live ships an update every 3 weeks, VanBook every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planes Live | VanBook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (93K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planes-live-flight-tracker/id1097815000/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **93K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 262 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) | [YUQI GAO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869985442) |

## What reviewers say

### Planes Live

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

**Currently charting:** #11 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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Planes Live Premium 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Weekly with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| 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


### VanBook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vanbook/id6757967592)

**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 VanBook free?

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

### Do Planes Live or VanBook have ads?

Planes Live shows ads; VanBook does not.

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

Planes Live ships an update every 3 weeks, and VanBook every 6 weeks. Most recently, Planes Live was updated on October 20, 2026 and VanBook on October 5, 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.*