Comparison

fDeck vs gapilots.org Flight Recorder

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

Head to head
About

fDeck

This app provides a comprehensive flight deck with realistic instruments for aviation enthusiasts and pilots. It includes navigation tools, real-time weather, and traffic data, functioning as both a training aid and a supplementary instrument set.

Highlights
  • Realistic flight instruments (HSI, VOR, ADF, etc.)
  • Interactive aviation moving map
  • Live weather and ADS-B traffic data
  • Radio navigation training simulation
  • Worldwide aviation database
  • X-Plane flight simulator integration
Features
Read full description

fDeck turns your iPhone or iPad into a working aircraft instrument panel - a graphically beautiful flight deck for your pocket, with live weather, real ADS-B traffic, a flight planner and a powerful radio-navigation trainer. Trusted by 50,000+ pilots, student pilots and flight-sim enthusiasts worldwide. 100% ad-free. A FULL PANEL OF INSTRUMENTS Every instrument is hand-crafted to look and behave like the real thing - responsive, animated, and controlled with intuitive touch. Mix and match any combination to build your own flight deck: • Synthetic Vision (Vision PFD) • Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) • VOR receiver • Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) • Artificial Horizon • Altimeter (GPS/Baro) • Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) • Aircraft compass with heading bug • Groundspeed indicator • Chronometer with fuel totaliser • Live weather & wind, with TAF/METAR in raw or decoded form Every instrument has its own built-in video tutorial. LEARN TO NAVIGATE Pan your aircraft anywhere on the map and watch every instrument respond in real time. Tune any VOR, NDB or radio aid from a worldwide database - or build your own virtual navaids to practise tracking radials, intercepts and holds. The best radio-navigation trainer you can carry. PLAN YOUR FLIGHT Build a flight plan and slave any instrument to it. Waypoints transition automatically as you fly, so every needle keeps pointing exactly where it should - no re-tuning between legs. FLY WITH CONFIDENCE • Worldwide aviation database: 20,000+ airports and navaids, updated monthly • Aviation moving map with airspace, airports and navaids • Optional 5/10/20NM range rings and enhanced radial lines • Live ADS-B traffic with a built-in traffic avoidance (TCAS) system • Tag your own aircraft registration to silence alerts on yourself • Export your tracks as GPX or KML FOR YOUR HOME COCKPIT Drive the instruments straight from X-Plane or Microsoft Flight Simulator via the flight simulation connection, and turn any device into a secondary instrument panel. PRIVACY YOU CAN TRUST No ads. No tracking across other apps. We never sell your data and collect only what is needed to run the app. NEW IN VERSION 3.0 • Vision: a brand-new synthetic vision PFD (early access - 2D now, 3D coming soon) • Now 100% ad-free • Microsoft Flight Simulator support, alongside X-Plane FDECK PREMIUM fDeck is free to download and use. Become a Premium member to unlock: • Premium and Early Access instruments (including Vision) • Unlimited user navigation stations • Monthly navigation database updates • Map weather overlays & live virtual radar • Live ADS-B traffic with TCAS alerting • Live TAF & METAR reports • Unlimited X-Plane & MSFS flight simulation connection • Crazy fast support from the dev! Premium is available as a monthly or annual subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. • Payment is charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase • Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends • Manage or cancel anytime in your account settings IMPORTANT fDeck is a training aid and a supplementary/backup instrument. It is not a certified instrument and must not be used as a primary means of navigation. Questions or ideas? I read every email personally - just use "Contact the developer" in the app, or the contact page on my website: https://fdeck.app/support/#contact Full details of our Terms of Service and Privacy policy can be found at the following URLs: Terms of Use: https://fdeck.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://fdeck.app/privacy/

About

gapilots.org Flight Recorder

This app provides real-time GPS tracking, telemetry monitoring, and flight recording for general aviation pilots and enthusiasts. It allows users to share their flight paths with a community and analyze performance statistics. Designed for ease of use in flight, it respects user privacy regarding shared data.

Highlights
  • Real-time GPS flight tracking
  • Telemetry monitoring
  • Flight recording and sharing
  • Community integration
  • Background tracking
  • Performance statistics analysis
  • Device integration for enhanced telemetry
Features
Read full description

GApilots turns your phone into a professional flight tracking, traffic awareness and safety companion for gyroplane, microlight and general aviation pilots. LIVE TRAFFIC AWARENESS AND COLLISION WARNINGS See nearby aircraft directly on your live flight map using real-time ADS-B traffic data. Clearly differentiated aircraft icons show traffic type and direction of travel Configurable range and altitude filtering keeps the display focused on relevant traffic Intelligent proximity monitoring calculates closing speed, vertical separation and estimated time to impact Potential conflicts are highlighted on the map with prominent visual warnings Spoken alerts identify the threat's clock position, relative altitude and estimated time to impact, helping you keep your eyes outside the cockpit System notifications provide an additional warning when traffic requires attention Your own transponder-equipped aircraft is automatically excluded from nearby traffic SKYDEMON AND GDL90 INTEGRATION Use GApilots as a GDL90-compatible traffic source for SkyDemon and other compatible electronic flight bag apps. Your live position and nearby traffic can be broadcast directly to an EFB running on the same phone or on another device connected through Wi-Fi or a personal hotspot. The high-frequency 4 Hz data stream has been optimized to maintain a reliable connection with SkyDemon, including on slower receiving devices, without requiring a separate ADS-B receiver. BACKGROUND FLIGHT TRACKING Track every flight in real time, even when the app is minimized or the screen is off. High-precision GPS logs your position, speed, altitude and heading throughout the flight. Flight points are queued locally and automatically synchronized to the cloud. Tracking therefore continues through patchy or lost mobile coverage and catches up as soon as connectivity returns. Mean sea level altitude correction provides more accurate altitude recording across supported devices. STAY SAFE - KEEP FAMILY IN THE LOOP Safety is built into the core of the app: Automatic email and push notifications to your chosen friends and family when you take off and land "Last seen" alerts if no GPS update arrives within your chosen time window, so someone knows to check on you Stationary reminders if you forget to stop tracking after landing Public, private or invisible flight visibility, giving you complete control over who can see your flight Live browser-based flight following for anyone you invite, with no app required A COMPLETE IN-FLIGHT TOOLKIT Live 2D map showing your flight path and nearby traffic Full 3D flight path playback after landing Artificial horizon powered by your phone's motion sensors, showing pitch, roll and heading Flight timer with Hobbs meter tracking and sunset countdown Live onboard camera streaming using any RTMP/SRT-capable camera or encoder, including our turn-key RPI Streamer hardware Full Gyropedia integration to automatically start and stop your flight log and upload Hobbs times Aircraft profile management for quickly switching between registrations Whether you are a student pilot on your first solo or an experienced aviator flying cross-country, GApilots helps you monitor surrounding traffic, record every flight, keep loved ones informed and access essential flight tools from one place. GApilots traffic information and warnings are advisory only. They depend on network connectivity and third-party ADS-B coverage, may not show every aircraft, and are not a substitute for visual lookout, certified collision-avoidance equipment or responsible airmanship. Completely free to use, forever. No advertisements and no in-app purchases.

Screenshots

fDeck4 screens
gapilots.org Flight Recorder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: gapilots.org Flight Recorder at none against fDeck's 3. gapilots.org Flight Recorder also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). fDeck's advantage is ratings volume (330 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. fDeck sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. gapilots.org Flight Recorder asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

gapilots.org Flight Recorder holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: fDeck has 330 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

fDeck ships an update every 3 weeks, gapilots.org Flight Recorder every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
fDeck versus gapilots.org Flight Recorder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterfDeckgapilots.org Flight Recorder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (330 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings330 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size141 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDarren YeatesTom felici

Customer experience

fDeck

All ratings329 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative7.1%

gapilots.org Flight Recorder

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

Bugs and requests

fDeck

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Compass inverted display
  • Map pointer inverted
  • VOR OBS reverse sensing (TO/FROM indication incorrect)
  • Maps fail to load/display
  • X-Plane simulator connection unreliable
Show 4 more
  • VSI inaccuracy compared to actual aircraft instruments
  • App incompatible with iPhone SE screen format
  • Ads cannot be closed and require app restart
  • Weather pressure readings 1mb inaccurate

Requested features

9 requests
  • Compass horizontal configuration support (180 degrees)
  • CarPlay functionality for in-vehicle navigation
  • EFIS version for advanced glass cockpit simulation
  • Local NOTAM integration
  • CAA airspace overlay for UK users
Show 4 more
  • User-defined waypoints with latitude/longitude input
  • Primary flight display (PFD) for airliner-style instruments
  • Accurate elevation data for locations
  • iPad split-screen compatibility

gapilots.org Flight Recorder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

fDeck

Subscriptions2
  • fDeck monthly lounge access$3.991 Month
  • fDeck annual lounge access$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • fDeck lifetime lounge access$49.99
None

gapilots.org Flight Recorder

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is fDeck free?
fDeck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is gapilots.org Flight Recorder free?
gapilots.org Flight Recorder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, fDeck or gapilots.org Flight Recorder?
gapilots.org Flight Recorder is rated higher. fDeck averages 4.8 out of 5 from 330 ratings, while gapilots.org Flight Recorder averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do fDeck or gapilots.org Flight Recorder have ads?
Neither fDeck nor gapilots.org Flight Recorder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, fDeck or gapilots.org Flight Recorder?
fDeck ships an update every 3 weeks, and gapilots.org Flight Recorder every 4 days. Most recently, fDeck was updated on November 6, 2026 and gapilots.org Flight Recorder on November 3, 2026.

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