Comparison

ARINCDirect Cabin Usage vs PFSmarter

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

Head to head
About

ARINCDirect Cabin Usage

Features
Read full description

ARINCDirect's Cabin Usage app takes the headache out of knowing how your connectivity service is being utilized. The app shows current usage in relation to how many days are left in the billing cycle. - With a quick swipe, you can see daily and monthly usage - Set thresholds and be alerted when they are reached. - See a break down of the specific apps being used. -Use the Cabin Widget to quickly glance at your data usage from the lock screen or notification center without even opening your phone or use to quickly track data usage for your favorite aircraft of interest. (add the widget from the edit button at the bottom of your widget page on the notification center).

About

PFSmarter

Features
Read full description

FREE 2-Week TRIAL. NO commitment. CANCEL ANYTIME. The complete flight operations toolkit — built by pilots, for pilots. Weather briefing, dispatch, crosswind, ACN/PCN, offline hazmat decoder, and flight computer — every phase of flight covered in one app. DISPATCH — Operational Command Center The heart of PFSmarter. Enter departure, destination, and alternates — get full route weather, NOTAMs, wind analysis, and alternate window in one screen. iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad. ā–ø Weather List: Color-coded METAR cards (VFR/IFR/LIFR) with wind. Build smart watchlists for Dep, Dest, and Alts with instant IATA/ICAO search. ā–ø Airport Details: Live METAR/TAF/D-ATIS raw and decoded. Crosswind/headwind/tailwind per runway, ceiling and visibility in color-coded Analysis view, usable window per airport. Personal notes and favorite spots pinned to each airport. ā–ø Flight Planner: Great Circle & Rhumb Line with up to 6 alternates. Day/Night terminator overlay. Unified weather briefing for your entire route. ā–ø Smart NOTAMs: Critical closures in red, key info in yellow. Smart offline backup — always available in the cockpit. ā–ø SIGWX Charts: Global significant weather by region and forecast time. Anticipate jet streams, frontal systems, and convective activity. ā–ø World Weather Map: Live turbulence, icing, and convective zones. Tap for SIGMETs, AIRMETs, TAF/METAR, radar, and clouds. ā–ø Night Block: Solar algorithm calculates exact Day vs. Night hours along your route for precise logbook entries. UN DECODER — 100% Offline Hazmat Built to IATA DGR standards. No internet required — cockpit, ramp, anywhere. ā–ø UN Number lookup — instantly see if a substance is forbidden on passenger or cargo aircraft ā–ø Drill Code decoder ā–ø Passenger & Crew limits — resolve gate disputes in seconds FLIGHT COMPUTER ā–ø Density & Pressure Altitude from OAT and QNH ā–ø TAS / IAS / Mach conversion by altitude and temperature ā–ø In-flight wind from GS/TAS difference ā–ø Wind Correction Angle, True Heading, Ground Speed ā–ø GS to IAS/TAS conversion METAR / TAF DECODER Paste any raw METAR — every token decoded line by line in plain English. Wind, visibility, clouds, QNH, RVR, and regional additions covered. ACN / PCN Extensive aircraft database covering rigid and flexible pavements. Select type, weight, and subgrade — get ACN instantly and compare against runway PCN to confirm pavement compatibility. ALTITUDE CORRECTION Cold temperature IFR corrections in seconds. Avoid dangerous approach altitude errors in ISA-low conditions — get the corrected value before you need it. CONVERTER Distance, speed, temperature, pressure, weight, volume — instant result as you type. SUNRISE / SUNSET Civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight for any coordinate and date. Imsak and Iftar times included. Night flight planning and Day/Night block calculation. TOOLBOX ā–ø DME / Altitude Profile — FPA or RoD at any fix, RoD table by speed ā–ø Gradient Calculator — GS + gradient → vertical speed (fpm) ā–ø Hydroplaning Speed — dynamic and total from tire pressure ā–ø SNOWTAM Decoder — surface condition and braking action ā–ø Distance & Track — between two coordinates ā–ø IGA Runway Details — Istanbul Airport CDM by flight number ā–ø Reference Tables — standard atmosphere and conversion factors ā–ø XWind — crosswind and headwind, knots or m/s, color-coded limits ā–ø Crew Rest — minimum rest from duty times, multi-segment support ā–ø Time Calc — HH:MM arithmetic with operation history PRICING All premium features free for 14 days. Choose Monthly or Annual after your trial. Cancel anytime up to 24 hours before renewal. DESIGNED FOR Airline and general aviation pilots, first officers, flight dispatchers, and flight operations officers. Professional IFR preflight briefing, hazmat reference, runway analysis, and logbook calculation — wherever you fly. One app. Every tool. Always with you.

Screenshots

ARINCDirect Cabin Usage4 screens
PFSmarter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ARINCDirect Cabin Usage at none against PFSmarter's 3. ARINCDirect Cabin Usage also leads on iOS requirement (10.3 vs 15.0). PFSmarter's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. PFSmarter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. ARINCDirect Cabin Usage asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ARINCDirect Cabin Usage ships an update every 4 months, PFSmarter every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
ARINCDirect Cabin Usage versus PFSmarter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARINCDirect Cabin UsagePFSmarter
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.3 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB91 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRockwell Collins, Inc.AYLIN BICEN

In-app purchases

None

ARINCDirect Cabin Usage

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

PFSmarter

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Membership (1 Month)$1.991 Month
  • Pro Membership (1 Year)$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Life Time Membership$34.99

Questions

Is ARINCDirect Cabin Usage free?
ARINCDirect Cabin Usage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PFSmarter free?
PFSmarter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ARINCDirect Cabin Usage or PFSmarter have ads?
Neither ARINCDirect Cabin Usage nor PFSmarter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ARINCDirect Cabin Usage or PFSmarter?
ARINCDirect Cabin Usage ships an update every 4 months, and PFSmarter every 3 weeks. Most recently, ARINCDirect Cabin Usage was updated on October 20, 2026 and PFSmarter on October 18, 2026.

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