PlaneSpotting vs TailTag
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
TailTag
Log every aircraft you see with photos, registrations, and airline details. Organize your sightings in a clean collection and search instantly by airline, registration, or model. Perfect for aviation enthusiasts, plane spotters, and travelers.
- Log aircraft by registration, airline, type
- Tag sightings with photos
- Organize spottings in a collection
- Search by airline, registration, model
- Designed for plane spotters
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TailTag is the ultimate app for aviation enthusiasts, plane spotters, and travellers who love tracking the skies. Whether you’re at the airport fence or window seat at 30,000 feet, TailTag helps you log every aircraft you see, complete with photos, registrations, and airline info. Key Features • Add aircraft by registration, airline, and aircraft type • Tag each one with a photo from your library • Built for Plane Spotters • Organize your spottings in a clean, scrollable collection • Instantly search by airline, registration, or aircraft model • Designed with aviation in mind Spot. Snap. Save. TailTag keeps your aircraft sightings in one place, with an elegant interface that makes every entry feel like a collectible. Whether you’re a hardcore spotter or just getting started, TailTag brings order to the skies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TailTag at none against PlaneSpotting's 1. TailTag also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.3). PlaneSpotting's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (13 vs 2). On price, review sentiment and ads 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. TailTag asks for nothing beyond the download.
TailTag holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PlaneSpotting has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
PlaneSpotting ships an update fortnightly, TailTag every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and July 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PlaneSpotting | TailTag |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (13 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 175 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Imagekings Limited | Josh Mansfield |
Customer experience
PlaneSpotting
TailTag
In-app purchases
PlaneSpotting
- Premium Service Database$5.491 Year
TailTag
No in-app purchases








