OpenADSB vs ADSB Tracker Live
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OpenADSB
This app provides a high-performance, native iOS interface for tracking aircraft. It connects to various air traffic data sources like dump1090 and Virtual Radar Server, offering detailed aircraft information and customizable display options for an enhanced user experience over web interfaces.
- 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
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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.
ADSB Tracker Live
Track live air traffic worldwide with real-time aircraft data. See callsigns, types, altitude, speed, and more. Includes military aircraft and emergency squawks, with customizable filters and notifications.
- Live worldwide flight map
- Detailed aircraft information
- Military aircraft tracking
- Emergency squawk alerts
- Customizable filters
- Tail number tracking and notifications
- Aircraft type silhouettes
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Plane spotting, live. ADSB Tracker Live shows every aircraft in the sky above you in real time — built for plane spotters and aviation enthusiasts. See live air traffic worldwide using the same unfiltered ADS-B data the spotting community trusts. No subscription required to start. No commercial-flight-only censorship. Just the sky, live. WATCH EVERY AIRCRAFT - Live worldwide map, updated every 2 seconds - See callsign, tail number, aircraft type, altitude, speed, heading, and vertical speed for any plane on screen - 130+ airlines decoded — see "Delta 2547" instead of "DAL2547" - 160+ aircraft types — "Boeing 737-800" instead of just "B738" - Pinch-to-zoom from continent view down to airport detail SEE WHAT OTHER APPS HIDE - Military aircraft highlighting — uncensored. See KC-135 tankers, C-17 transports, F-22 fighters - Emergency squawks (7500 hijack, 7600 lost-comm, 7700 emergency) flash on the map - VFR traffic (squawk 1200) on uncontrolled approaches - Track specific tail numbers and get notified when they appear nearby - Filter by aircraft type, operator, altitude band, or squawk code BUILT FOR PILOTS AND SPOTTERS - 25 aircraft-type silhouettes — a Cessna doesn't look like a 747 anymore - Adjustable altitude color bands (10 bands in Pro) - Save filter presets like "Military within 50nm" or "Heavies over 30k" - Native dark mode, iPad split view, and Apple Vision Pro support WORKS OUT OF THE BOX No SDR receiver required. No server to set up. Just install and watch. ONE WEEK OF PRO, FREE Every Pro feature unlocked for your first 7 days — no purchase, no signup. After that, keep Pro with a small subscription, or stay on the free tier with the live radar. Data sourced from open community feeds (adsb.fi, airplanes.live, adsb.lol). For entertainment and educational use only. Not for navigation, traffic avoidance, or operational flight use. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ADSB Tracker Live at Free against OpenADSB's $10.99. ADSB Tracker Live also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). OpenADSB's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#12 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, 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
ADSB Tracker Live is free to download; OpenADSB costs $10.99 up front. ADSB Tracker Live sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. OpenADSB asks for nothing beyond the download.
ADSB Tracker Live holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 108 and 100 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of OpenADSB's written reviews are positive against 75% of ADSB Tracker Live's.
OpenADSB ships an update every 2 weeks, ADSB Tracker Live every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OpenADSB | ADSB Tracker Live |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $10.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (108 ratings) | 4.8 (100 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.6% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 108 — better | 100 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Best chart rank | #12 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Steve Kuo | Vikorus, LLC |
Customer experience
OpenADSB
ADSB Tracker Live
Bugs and requests
OpenADSB
Reported bugs
11 issues- 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
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- 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
Requested features
18 requests- 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
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- 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
ADSB Tracker Live
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
OpenADSB
No in-app purchases
ADSB Tracker Live
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Annual3 Days trial$7.991 Year
Questions
Is OpenADSB free?
Is ADSB Tracker Live free?
Which has better reviews, OpenADSB or ADSB Tracker Live?
Do OpenADSB or ADSB Tracker Live have ads?
Which is updated more often, OpenADSB or ADSB Tracker Live?
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