Comparison

Air Traffic Control vs FlightDeck

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

Head to head
About

Air Traffic Control

Listen to live, real-time audio from air traffic control towers and operations worldwide. Explore hundreds of active feeds from major airports and follow conversations between pilots and controllers. Ideal for aviation enthusiasts and professionals seeking a unique perspective on airport operations.

Highlights
  • Real-time ATC audio feeds
  • 300+ active global feeds
  • Background playback
  • Explore global airports
  • Search and browse by airport
  • Favorite frequencies
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Air Traffic Control Audio – Real-Time Aviation Communications Live ATC delivers real-time audio from air traffic control towers, approach frequencies, and ground operations across the globe. Ideal for aviation enthusiasts, students, pilots in training, or anyone fascinated by what happens behind the scenes in airport operations. HEAR LIVE AIRPORT COMMUNICATIONS 300+ active ATC feeds from major airports Real conversations between pilots and controllers High-quality audio streaming with low latency Continue listening with background playback EXPLORE GLOBAL AIRPORTS Major hubs in the U.S. (ATL, JFK, LAX, SFO...) Key airports in Europe, Asia, Canada & Latin America Organized by region, country, and ICAO codes Always expanding with new locations FEATURES DESIGNED FOR YOU Search or browse by airport and region Favorite your most-used frequencies Clean and intuitive interface Full dark mode support for night sessions Free access to select live feeds Enhanced features for aviation professionals WHO IS IT FOR? Student pilots and flight schools Aviation fans and plane spotters Air traffic control trainees Curious minds who love real-world operations Listen in as planes receive clearance, line up for takeoff, or descend for landing — all in real time. Download now and experience the world of aviation from a completely new perspective. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://applicadev.appmakerpro.website/privacypolicy.html

About

FlightDeck

This app provides real-time flight tracking with AI-generated insights, offering context beyond raw data. It highlights notable aircraft, weather conditions, and airport details, with customizable alerts and emergency detection.

Highlights
  • Real-time flight tracking map
  • AI-generated flight briefs
  • Notable aircraft spotting
  • Weather intelligence overlays
  • Detailed airport information
  • Customizable flight alerts
  • Emergency squawk detection
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

FlightDeck is the flight tracker that shows you what pilots are saying, live. PILOT MESSAGES (ACARS) Read the messages pilots and their airline send each other, decoded live: diversions, medical emergencies, maintenance problems, and the odd joke. Search any flight and day. TRACK YOUR FLIGHT Follow your flight on your Lock Screen: clearance, pushback, takeoff and landing runways, and the plane flying in that becomes yours. 3D MODE The 3D flight tracking you've seen all over social media. Real planes in their airline's paint, gear and all. Nothing else comes close. REPLAY Go back to any flight from the last 30 days and watch it fly again. ALERTS Write an alert in plain English, or draw one on the map. Get notified about emergency squawks and military and government aircraft. ALSO INCLUDED Weather radar, turbulence and pilot reports, D-ATIS, METARs, plain-English NOTAMs, FAA ground stops and delays, active runways, gates, TSA wait times, and approach charts. SUBSCRIPTION FlightDeck requires a weekly or yearly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. It renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it anytime in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.tryflightdeck.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.tryflightdeck.com/terms

Screenshots

Air Traffic Control4 screens
FlightDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: FlightDeck at 4.5 against Air Traffic Control's 1.8. FlightDeck also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 48). Air Traffic Control's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Air Traffic Control sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and FlightDeck sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FlightDeck holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightDeck has 1.5K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 19% and 18% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Air Traffic Control ships an update every 18 months, FlightDeck every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Air Traffic Control versus FlightDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAir Traffic ControlFlightDeck
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.8 (48 ratings)4.5 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.6% of reviews — better18.1% of reviews
Number of ratings481.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 18 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#44 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB163 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJosue MontanoAttracts

Customer experience

Air Traffic Control

All ratings48 ratings
Positive14.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative79.2%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive18.6%
Neutral7.0%
Negative74.4%

FlightDeck

All ratings1,473 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews281 reviews
Positive18.1%
Neutral11.0%
Negative70.8%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Air Traffic Control

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Annual Premium Subscription$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Air traffic Premium$44.99
6 purchases

FlightDeck

Subscriptions6
  • FlightDeck Pro$6.997 Days
  • FlightDeck Pro$12.997 Days
  • FlightDeck Pro$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • FlightDeck Pro$49.991 Year
  • FlightDeck Pro3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • FlightDeck Pro3 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Air Traffic Control free?
Air Traffic Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FlightDeck free?
FlightDeck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Air Traffic Control or FlightDeck?
FlightDeck is rated higher. Air Traffic Control averages 1.8 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while FlightDeck averages 4.5 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Air Traffic Control or FlightDeck have ads?
Both Air Traffic Control and FlightDeck show ads.
Which is updated more often, Air Traffic Control or FlightDeck?
Air Traffic Control ships an update every 18 months, and FlightDeck every 4 days. Most recently, Air Traffic Control was updated on October 26, 2026 and FlightDeck on October 29, 2026.

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