Comparison

Drone Scanner vs Meridian Elevate

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

Head to head
About

Drone Scanner

Transform your device into a drone scanner to track nearby flights in real-time. View detailed flight information, including pilot data and location history, on an interactive map. The app is updated to comply with current EU and US regulations.

Highlights
  • Real-time drone tracking
  • Detailed drone information
  • Interactive flight map
  • Support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi broadcasts
  • Flying zone highlighting
  • Data export functionality
Features
Read full description

The world's first drone Remote ID scanner made by Dronetag. _____ READ BEFORE DOWNLOADING! Limited access to features on some phones is caused by manufacturers’ restrictions. All iOS phones, for example, prohibit app access to Wi-Fi, so only Bluetooth data transmission will work (if and only the drone has an active Remote ID over Bluetooth). It is not a flaw of our app; we cannot fix this, and we don’t deserve negative reviews for these issues. _____ Transform your phone or tablet into a drone scanner and track all the nearby flights over Direct / Broadcast Remote ID standards. Browse real-time data about drones on a detailed map highlighting specific flying space zones. Download Drone Scanner for free and discover what drones fly above your head. Favourite features: - Discover more about drones flying nearby in real-time - Examine detailed information broadcasted by drones via Bluetooth 4, Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi Beacon, and Wi-Fi NAN - Browse a detailed map with your location and all nearby aircraft - Check available data about drones, including real-time height, direction, pilot identification, pilot position, operation description, and location history - Various flying zones marked and highlighted on the map - Easy export of collected data - Continuously updated to reflect the latest EU & US regulations All these features you find in Drone Scanner – a free app for tracking drones. The app is developed by Dronetag, manufacturing devices for remote drone identification. How it works: Anyone can quickly identify what drones are flying in the sky nearby. Direct Remote ID is a feature that transmits live flight data via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the surrounding area. Drone manufacturers use various technologies to build an identification feature in new drones. Older drone pilots use add-on devices, enabling them to become digitally visible. With hardware on your smartphone, Drone Scanner can receive and read broadcasted data.

About

Meridian Elevate

Features
Read full description

This application performs geometric line-of-sight (LoS) analysis between two elevated structures using a WGS-84 Earth ellipsoid model. It calculates the required Height Above Ellipsoid (HAE) along the straight-line path between two radio masts, accounting for Earth curvature using a mid-chord spherical approximation. Inputs: Mast A base elevation (HAE) and antenna height (AGL) Mast B base elevation (HAE) and antenna height (AGL) Geodesic distance between masts Interpolation position along the path Core computation: Linear interpolation between mast tip heights Earth curvature correction using: d(D − d) / (2Rₑ), where Rₑ = 6,378,137 m (WGS-84) Required HAE at any point along the path Outputs: Required line-of-sight height at selected distance Real-time interactive profile of Earth curvature, ground surface, and LoS chord Visual indication of relative position along the path The model is purely geometric and does not include terrain elevation data or atmospheric refraction. It is intended for engineering estimation of direct geometric visibility between fixed radio infrastructure points.

Screenshots

Drone Scanner2 screens
Meridian Elevate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Meridian Elevate at every 5 days against Drone Scanner's every 3 months. Drone Scanner's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drone Scanner ships an update every 3 months, Meridian Elevate every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Drone Scanner versus Meridian Elevate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrone ScannerMeridian Elevate
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.8 (145 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews15.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings145 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDronetagRyan Harris

Bugs and requests

Drone Scanner

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Unable to locate drones in proximity
  • Inaccurate location tracking

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for WiFi-based Remote ID
  • Add support for more drone models
  • Allow changing units from metric to imperial

Meridian Elevate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Drone Scanner

No in-app purchases

None

Meridian Elevate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drone Scanner free?
Drone Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Meridian Elevate free?
Meridian Elevate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Drone Scanner or Meridian Elevate have ads?
Neither Drone Scanner nor Meridian Elevate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drone Scanner or Meridian Elevate?
Drone Scanner ships an update every 3 months, and Meridian Elevate every 5 days. Most recently, Drone Scanner was updated on October 7, 2026 and Meridian Elevate on September 21, 2026.

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