Comparison

PlaneSpotting vs SpotLog

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

Head to head
About

PlaneSpotting

Track civilian and military aircraft registered in the UK. Log sightings with details like location and photos, or record flight information. Export your data for analysis and bulk import.

Highlights
  • UK aircraft registration database
  • Log sightings with photos
  • Record flight details
  • Data export and import
  • Browse aircraft by type
  • Regular updates
Features
Read full description

PlaneSpotting is the ultimate app for anybody involved with the aviation industry in the UK from professional pilots to plane spotters! It contains the details of every civilian flying machine registered to fly in the UK - more than 20,000 of them! Increasing numbers of UK Military aircraft (current and historic) are also being added with each update. The standard version database is updated annually. If you require the very latest registrations we recommend our Premium Subscription which is updated every two weeks with, typically, 70 registration changes. For Sightings you only need to save the Registration but you can also add: Location, Photo (camera or library), Date & notes. For Flights you only need Origin & Destination but you can also add: Registration (adding number automatically generates a spot), Photo (camera or library), Departure Date & Time (defaults to current date & time for quick save on boarding), Arrival Date & Time & Notes. You can view your data via Trip or Location or Browse the entire internal app database via type! You can export your data for viewing via a spreadsheet, this will also allow you to add sightings or flights in bulk and then import the file. We encourage your interaction with us via our dedicated website or directly from within the app. If you provide us with a default type image (assuming you have copyright permissions) your name and the URL of your choice will be included in the next update! Premium Subscription details: Subscription price: £4.99 Description: Provides our Premium Service database for users who need the very latest UK registrations. Trial duration: None Offered Subscription duration: 1 year Please read below about the auto-renewing subscription nature of this product: Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Terms of Use: http://www.plane-spotting.co.uk/privacyPolicy.htm Privacy Policy: http://www.plane-spotting.co.uk/privacyPolicy.htm

About

SpotLog

Log train sightings with precise location, time, and date. Access detailed datasets for European railway systems, including locomotives and rolling stock. This app is designed for enthusiasts to meticulously record their observations.

Highlights
  • Record train sightings
  • Log location, time, and date
  • UK and European railway datasets
  • Details on locomotives and rolling stock
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Record trains seen with location, time and date. App has datasets for UK and many other European railway systems with details of loco's, units and other rolling stock. https://spotlog.org/spotlog/gettingstarted

Screenshots

PlaneSpotting4 screens
SpotLog4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PlaneSpotting at Free against SpotLog's $2.99. PlaneSpotting also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). SpotLog's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On 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

PlaneSpotting is free to download; SpotLog costs $2.99 up front. PlaneSpotting sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.49 per year. SpotLog asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlaneSpotting ships an update fortnightly, SpotLog every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
PlaneSpotting versus SpotLog: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlaneSpottingSpotLog
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.3 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better70.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size175 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperImagekings LimitedMark Goodspeed

Customer experience

PlaneSpotting

All ratings13 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SpotLog

Written reviews10 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative30.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PlaneSpotting

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Service Database$5.491 Year
None

SpotLog

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PlaneSpotting free?
PlaneSpotting is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SpotLog free?
SpotLog costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do PlaneSpotting or SpotLog have ads?
Neither PlaneSpotting nor SpotLog shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlaneSpotting or SpotLog?
PlaneSpotting ships an update fortnightly, and SpotLog every 2 months. Most recently, PlaneSpotting was updated on September 15, 2026 and SpotLog on September 29, 2026.

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