# PlaneSpotting vs RIAT

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | PlaneSpotting | RIAT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planespotting/id1367589571/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **13** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 175 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Imagekings Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1194611028) | [THE ROYAL AIR FORCE CHARITABLE TRUST ENTERPRISES](https://appshunter.io/developer/891726908) |

## What reviewers say

### PlaneSpotting

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planespotting/id1367589571)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Service Database | $5.49 | per year |


### RIAT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riat/id6744925651)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PlaneSpotting free?

PlaneSpotting is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is RIAT free?

RIAT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do PlaneSpotting or RIAT have ads?

RIAT shows ads; PlaneSpotting does not.

### Which is updated more often, PlaneSpotting or RIAT?

PlaneSpotting ships an update fortnightly, and RIAT weekly. Most recently, PlaneSpotting was updated on October 19, 2026 and RIAT on October 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*