PlaneSpotting vs RIAT
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- UK aircraft registration database
- Log sightings with photos
- Record flight details
- Data export and import
- Browse aircraft by type
- Regular updates
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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
RIAT
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The official App for The Royal International Air Tattoo, held every July at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. Everything you need to enjoy your visit to the world's greatest airshow is here.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RIAT at none against PlaneSpotting's 1. PlaneSpotting's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. PlaneSpotting sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.49 per year. RIAT asks for nothing beyond the download.
PlaneSpotting ships an update fortnightly, RIAT weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PlaneSpotting | RIAT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (13 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 175 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Imagekings Limited | THE ROYAL AIR FORCE CHARITABLE TRUST ENTERPRISES |
In-app purchases
PlaneSpotting
- Premium Service Database$5.491 Year
RIAT
No in-app purchases








