Comparison

PilotBuddy vs Vane

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

Head to head
About

PilotBuddy

Read full description

PilotBuddy is an essential app for pilots, providing all the information needed to make informed decisions before and during their flights. PilotBuddy allows instant access to important information about airports, including METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report), TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast), NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen), PIREPs (Pilot Reports), real-time weather conditions, aviation-centric meteogram, and webcams. One of the key features of PilotBuddy is its comprehensive airport directory, which includes detailed information on thousands of airports around the world. Pilots can search for airports by name, ICAO or IATA code to view important details such as runway lengths, frequencies, etc. In addition to airport information, PilotBuddy also provides access to vital aviation weather data, including METAR and TAF reports, which provide pilots with current and forecasted weather conditions at their destination airport. This includes information on visibility, wind direction and speed, and cloud cover. PilotBuddy also includes a NOTAMs feature, allowing pilots to view notices that may affect their flight, such as temporary flight restrictions or runway closures. The PIREPs feature allows pilots to view reports from other pilots on actual weather conditions and other important information. But that's not all - PilotBuddy also includes a webcam feature, providing pilots with live streaming video from airports around the world. Providing pilots with a real-time look at weather conditions and other factors that may impact a flight is especially important. One unique feature of PilotBuddy is the ability to view METAR, TAF, and NOTAM reports along a flight path. This allows pilots to plan for any potential weather or other issues that may arise during the flight. Overall, PilotBuddy is an essential tool for any pilot, providing access to all the information and resources needed to make safe and informed flying decisions. --- The use of PilotBuddy is free of charge. Within the app, you can sign up for „Pro“ subscription to unlock all features. When you purchase a subscription, your Apple ID account is immediately charged for the subscription period at confirmation of purchase. Each subscription automatically renews unless you choose to disable automatic renewal (via the Account Settings of your OS device or via the Manage Your Subscriptions button in the Settings menu of the app) at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. The cost of a renewal by one month or respectively year is the same as the cost of the original subscription. If automatic renewal happens, your Apple ID account will be charged for the next subscription period up to 24 hours prior to the current subscription period. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. Any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when purchasing the subscription. Privacy Policy: https://bastian.codes/privacy-policy/pilotbuddy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

About

Vane

This aviation app provides 14 essential flight calculators and instruments, including weather decoding and navigation planning. It's designed for pilots to use offline, showing step-by-step calculations for understanding and accuracy. Offers multiple cockpit themes and unit preferences for a personalized flying experience.

Highlights
  • 14 pilot instruments
  • Offline calculators
  • Show your work calculations
  • METAR & TAF decoding
  • Nav log with 48,000 airports
  • Weight & Balance calculator
  • Day, night, and red night-vision themes
Features
Read full description

Vane is a modern glass-cockpit E6B — the classic flight computer, reimagined for the way pilots fly today. Fourteen precise instruments in one fast, beautiful app, from preflight planning to the cockpit — and every calculator works offline. Every result is built on real aeronautical formulas and shows its work, so you can trust the number and understand it — ideal for student pilots training for the checkride and for working pilots who want the answer in one tap. — 14 PILOT INSTRUMENTS — • Wind Triangle — heading, ground speed and wind correction angle from wind and course • Crosswind — headwind and crosswind components for any runway • Weight & Balance — live CG and envelope check for every load • Nav Log — multi-leg cross-country planning with 48,000 airports built in • METAR & TAF — aviation weather decoded into plain language • Density & Pressure Altitude — your true performance conditions • True Airspeed & Mach — CAS, TAS and Mach from altitude and temperature • Fuel — burn, endurance, range and reserves • Performance — takeoff, landing, climb and glide distances • Heading — true, magnetic and compass with variation and deviation • Holding — entry, timing and hold planning • Top of Descent — when to start down for a smooth arrival • Altitude & Speed — pressure and density altitude at a glance • Conversions — every aviation unit: knots, nm, feet, °C, inHg, hPa and more — BUILT FOR THE COCKPIT — • Offline calculators — every airport, formula and table lives on your device; only live weather needs a connection • Show your work — open any result into clear, step-by-step math • Cold-temperature altitude corrections for IFR approaches, matching the AIM's ICAO table • Save calculations and reopen them anytime • 48,000 airports, runways and frequencies bundled in • Magnetic variation built in — no internet lookup — THREE COCKPITS — • Day, night and red night-vision themes to protect your eyes on late flights • Metric or imperial — your units, everywhere • A calm, high-contrast instrument panel designed to read at a glance Vane is made for student pilots, private pilots (PPL), commercial and airline pilots, CFIs and anyone flying VFR or IFR. Replace your plastic E6B and a pocket full of apps with one instrument. Fly prepared. Download Vane.

Screenshots

PilotBuddy4 screens
Vane4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Vane at every 3 weeks against PilotBuddy's every 4 months. Vane also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. PilotBuddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and Vane sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PilotBuddy ships an update every 4 months, Vane every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PilotBuddy versus Vane: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPilotBuddyVane
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBastian KohlbauerChirag Arora

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PilotBuddy

Subscriptions2
  • Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$2.001 Month
  • Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$18.001 Year
3 purchases

Vane

Subscriptions2
  • Vane Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Vane Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Vane Pro - Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is PilotBuddy free?
PilotBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vane free?
Vane is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PilotBuddy or Vane have ads?
Neither PilotBuddy nor Vane shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PilotBuddy or Vane?
PilotBuddy ships an update every 4 months, and Vane every 3 weeks. Most recently, PilotBuddy was updated on October 18, 2026 and Vane on October 25, 2026.

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