Comparison

Flight Gauges vs iBFDmonochrome

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Flight Gauges

This app provides essential flight instruments including a barometric altimeter, vertical speed indicator, and GPS ground speed. It also features an attitude indicator and compass, with customizable units for pressure and altitude. Designed for pilots, it offers an alternative to physical instruments but should not be used as a primary source.

Highlights
  • Barometric Altimeter
  • Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
  • GPS Ground Speed Indicator
  • Attitude Indicator
  • Compass
  • QNH Setting
  • Alternate GPS Altimeter Mode
Features
Read full description

Barometric Altimeter with Vertical Speed Indicator, and GPS ground speed indicator, in knots, mph and kph. Attitude Indicator and Compass. * Current pressure readings * QNH setting with mbar and inHg units * Alternate GPS altimeter mode * Altitude is displayed in feet and meters Warning: To use the Barometer, you need a device that supports it (iPhone 6 or later), otherwise the app will continue in GPS mode. DISCLAIMER: These instruments should never be used as primary source of orientation during flight. Drift and sensor error are expected. Speed is always GPS Ground Speed and depends on correct GPS signal. Altimeter can be GPS or Barometer based. If Barometer is selected, the source is cabin air, which usually resents a lower than outside pressure. Usage in pressurised cabins will present obvious errors.

About

iBFDmonochrome

This app provides pilots with a backup flight display, including an attitude indicator, heading indicator, and altimeter. It can also function as a flight data and cockpit voice recorder, offering essential information in emergencies when primary instruments fail.

Highlights
  • Attitude Indicator
  • Heading Indicator
  • Altimeter
  • Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
  • Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
  • Map with airport information
  • Multiple display color modes
Features
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integrated Backup Flight Display (iBFD) Real pilots understand the risk of a primary flight instrument failure while flying. In certain situations the loss of the Attitude Indicator is perhaps the greatest risk a pilot can face. This iPhone based integrated Backup Flight Display (iBFD) is an inexpensive, easy to operate tool intended to reduce risk and improve safety if an instrument fails and no other backup is available. This application consists of an Attitude Indicator, Heading Indicator, Altimeter, Vertical Speed Indicator, speed Indicator, Side Slip Indicator, and Clock. Furthermore, in the portrait mode of the iPad, a Map is displayed below the Attitude Indicator, and when you enter an airport code such as KFTW, the direction and distance to the airport are displayed. It can also be used as Flight Data Recorder(FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder(CVR). This function is activated by touching the red circle in the upper left corner. Recording is stopped by touching the red circle again or it will be stopped automatically when large G is applied. iBFD uses the iPhone's 3 axis Gyro sensor as its primary sensor. Pitch and Roll angles are calculated using the Gyro data and the same algorithm as strap down Inertial Reference Systems (IRS). GPS and Accelerometer are used with Kalman filter as sensor fusion to prevent gyro drift and improve Accuracy. The iBFD performs noticeably better than other comparable applications on the market. Unfortunately the iBFD doesn't have FAA certification. It doesn't have enough reliability for use as Primary Flight Instruments, and neither our software nor your iPhone have been subjected to rigorous certification tests. And the accuracy of Map and Airport Information is not guaranteed. All information displayed on the iBFD is for reference only! Therefore, we are not responsible for any death, injury or damage as a result of using the iBFD. USE THIS DEVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK! Nevertheless, during an In Flight Emergency having an iBFD is far better than having no instrument at all. Particularly if in a limited visibility situation with an inoperative Attitude Indicator. Engine vibration can affect accuracy of the iBFD, so special consideration must be given to mounting the iPhone to the cockpit instrument panel or glare shield. Other features (1) There are three display color modes; Day, Night or NVC. (2) Altitude/Speed is selectable in units of feet/knots, feet/MPH or meter/kilometers per hour. (3) Airspeed is calculated using GPS Speed, Wind Direction, and Wind Velocity. Wind Direction and Velocity are obtained via ATIS and set manually. (4) Pitch angle zero can be adjusted manually by touching center of the display or slider setting. (5) Magnetic Heading or True Heading, and GPS or M.S.(Magnetic Sensor) are selectable. (6) Settings Window for entering parameters and user preferences. (7) Battery Icon indication. (8) Recorded data can be accessed by Files. (9) Magnetic Heading can be adjusted with the slider. (10) Function to correct roll angle. However, when performing this function, the iPhone needs to be correctly placed horizontally. (11) Local time or UTC is selectable. (12) GPS Altimeter and Barometric Altimeter. (13) Roll indicator (Sky pointer or Ground pointer) is selectable. Note: Initial roll and pitch angle are calculated using the accelerometer at the time of alignment (same as real IRS). Therefore, if acceleration due to motion is applied during alignment, an angle error will occur. However, such initial angle error automatically decreases with time and disappears after a few minutes in case of level flight.

Screenshots

Flight Gauges3 screens
iBFDmonochrome1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Flight Gauges at 5.0 against iBFDmonochrome's 4.4. Flight Gauges also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months) and iOS requirement (9.1 vs 13.0). iBFDmonochrome's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Flight Gauges sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iBFDmonochrome asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flight Gauges holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iBFDmonochrome has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flight Gauges ships an update every 3 months, iBFDmonochrome every 11 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Flight Gauges versus iBFDmonochrome: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlight GaugesiBFDmonochrome
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.4 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews—88.9% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.1 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmidio CunhaTatsuo Saeki

Customer experience

Flight Gauges

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

iBFDmonochrome

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Flight Gauges

One-time1
  • Unlock QNH$1.99
None

iBFDmonochrome

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flight Gauges free?
Flight Gauges is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iBFDmonochrome free?
iBFDmonochrome is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Flight Gauges or iBFDmonochrome?
Flight Gauges is rated higher. Flight Gauges averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while iBFDmonochrome averages 4.4 from 9 ratings.
Do Flight Gauges or iBFDmonochrome have ads?
Neither Flight Gauges nor iBFDmonochrome shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flight Gauges or iBFDmonochrome?
Flight Gauges ships an update every 3 months, and iBFDmonochrome every 11 months. Most recently, Flight Gauges was updated on November 2, 2026 and iBFDmonochrome on November 2, 2026.

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