Comparison

Air Navigation Pro vs Hot Air

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

Head to head
About

Air Navigation Pro

Plan and navigate flights globally with an interactive moving map featuring aeronautical charts, real-time weather, and traffic awareness. Get visual and audio alerts for nearby aircraft and access detailed weather layers for enhanced flight planning and safety.

Highlights
  • Interactive moving map with aeronautical charts
  • Real-time traffic awareness with alerts
  • Advanced weather layers (radar, wind, clouds)
  • NOTAM display on map
  • SmartChart for detailed terrain and airport info
  • Elevation profile and synthetic view
Features
Read full description

Discover our flight planning & real-time navigation app for free for 28 days! - Everything you need to fly around the world - Plan your flight in a few minutes - Fly relaxed with up-to-date information Air Navigation Pro is a high-quality flight assistant app for pilots worldwide. Benefit from the following main features: MOVING MAP Plan and navigate using our interactive moving map. Choose between aeronautical charts, satellite or our vector map as a background. On top of that, the moving map displays waypoints, NOTAM, obstacles and airspaces from our comprehensive, always up-to-date worldwide aeronautical database. Tap on any waypoint directly on the map to easily create a route. Personalize the values shown on the navbar to have exactly the information you need: altitude, vertical speed, bearing, distance to the next waypoint, ETA calculations, etc. Choose the airport departure and arrival procedures for your route to have them also displayed on top of the moving map. ENHANCED TRAFFIC AWARENESS Get visual and audio alerts in all languages for nearby conflicting traffic. Choose your preferred traffic icon between generic, aircraft or TCAS symbols. Your safety is important to us, which is why we partnered with SafeSky to ensure our users have live traffic data during their flight. Benefit from the native integration with SafeSky included in our new Smart Lite, Smart Classic and Smart Advanced subscriptions—a two-in-one package! ADVANCED WEATHER LAYERS In addition to the basic weather reports & forecast of winds, TAF and METAR for your flight, subscribers of the Smart Advanced plan can activate see-through weather layers on top of the moving map. Available layers include rain radar, wind, pressure, clouds and rain, visibility, gust and for Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Balkans, we also have GAFOR. Tap on any point on the map to see the weather information for that area. Review the weather forecast for up to three days ahead. NOTAM After creating your route, set the departure time in the future to have the moving map display the NOTAM active for that specific time. NOTAM on the map change color dynamically based on their status. SMARTCHART Our cutting-edge SmartChart is a highly detailed and intelligent vector-based map that adapts to your needs, providing you with adequate information at any zoom level. The SmartChart optimizes the display of shadows to easily distinguish between valleys and mountains, and the text remains perfectly aligned, guaranteeing optimal readability. Including the latest significant improvements with forests and detailed airport information. ELEVATION PROFILE & SYNTHETIC VIEW Enable the profile view below the navbar for enhanced situational awareness of the elevation ahead of you or along your route. Choose the corridor width between 0 to 5 NM and overlay options: airspaces, NOTAM, obstacles, wind components, populated places, etc. Switch to the synthetic view for additional terrain information, plus an artificial horizon with altitude and vertical speed indicators. This function can also be used to pan around while preparing for your flight. Activate TAWS on the moving map as well as on the synthetic view. AERONAUTICAL CHARTS & APPROACH CHARTS We offer the most extensive worldwide catalog of aeronautical charts, including the ICAO charts. Have the georeferenced approach charts displayed on top of the moving map or the 3D view. BRIEFING Prepare your flight with our briefing section by creating documents with NOTAM and weather charts & stations relevant to your planned route. Optimize time by creating an aircraft profile which will be used in the Briefing section to pre-fill for you the ATC Flight Plan and calculate the W&B. AND SO MUCH MORE! Please note that WiFi-only devices do not include an internal GPS receptor, an external sensor is required. Refer to our user manual on our website: www.airnavigation.aero Terms of use: https://www.airnavigation.aero/en/terms-of-use.html

About

Hot Air

This app serves as a comprehensive flight companion for hot air balloon pilots. It offers features like live tracking, flight recording, navigation, and wind profiling, all tailored for ballooning. It supports pilots from students to commercial operators for planning, execution, and post-flight analysis.

Highlights
  • Live tracking on maps
  • Wind profiling by altitude
  • Waypoint navigation
  • Automatic flight recording
  • Custom map overlays
  • Offline map caching
  • Real-time flight sharing
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Hot Air is a complete balloon flight companion, built by balloon pilots for balloon pilots. From preflight planning to postflight review, it delivers live tracking, flight recording, waypoint navigation, wind profiling, and more — all designed specifically for the unique needs of hot air ballooning. Whether you’re a student pilot, a commercial operator, or flying for fun, Hot Air helps you stay organized, informed, and connected. Features include: • Live tracking on street or satellite maps • Wind profiling by altitude during climb and descent • Waypoint navigation with bearing, distance, and estimated time • Automatic flight recording with 3D export support • Custom map overlays (KML/KMZ) • Offline-capable with map caching • Real-time flight sharing with crew or friends • Detailed flight logs for crew, passengers, propane, and temperature • Flight summaries and totals for logs or checkrides • Interactive map history of takeoffs and landings • Export to HTML, KML, or GPX • Payload calculator for accurate weight and balance • Integrated weather data and forecasts • Improved UTM 4x4 waypoint format support Additional features: • Real-time heading projection • Built-in data backup and restore • Localized in English, French, Czech, and Slovak • Fully optimized for iPhone and iPad (portrait and landscape) Note: Continued use of GPS can reduce battery life. Use an external battery for longer flights.

Screenshots

Air Navigation Pro4 screens
Hot Air4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Air Navigation Pro at Free against Hot Air's $9.99. Hot Air's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 58%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Air Navigation Pro is free to download; Hot Air costs $9.99 up front. Air Navigation Pro sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $69.99 per year and Hot Air sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hot Air holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 642 and 578 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Air Navigation Pro's written reviews are positive against 90% of Hot Air's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Air Navigation Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, Hot Air every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Air Navigation Pro versus Hot Air: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAir Navigation ProHot Air
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating4.6 (642 ratings)4.9 (578 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.3% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings642 — better578
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#73 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size221 MB129 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperXample SarlCato Technologies LLC

Customer experience

Air Navigation Pro

All ratings642 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews895 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral9.4%
Negative32.3%

Hot Air

All ratings578 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews90 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral3.3%
Negative6.7%

User reviews

Air Navigation Pro

From 642 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent navigation tool
  • 🚀 Accurate GPS tracking
  • 🚀 Comprehensive aviation data
  • 🚀 Useful for VFR and IFR flying
  • 🚀 Great value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🐛 Outdated or missing maps/data
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 👎 Confusing user interface
  • 👎 Lack of instructions/documentation

Hot Air

From 578 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent navigation and flight tracking
  • 👍 Helpful for pilots and chase crews
  • 🎨 Useful map overlays and data visualization
  • 📚 Comprehensive flight logging and record-keeping
  • 🤝 Positive interactions with developer

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezing issues
  • 🔌 Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • 🔍 Difficulty uploading custom map data
  • 🔗 Glympse integration not working for some users

Bugs and requests

Air Navigation Pro

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Maps fail to download or display properly
  • Incorrect or outdated airspace and airport data
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • Frequent crashes and freezes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Improved flight planning tools
  • Integration with external devices (AHRS, ADS-B)
  • Synthetic vision and terrain awareness
  • Automatic NOTAM and weather updates
  • Geo-referenced approach plates and airport diagrams
Show 1 more
  • Customizable instrument layouts

Hot Air

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashing after latest update
  • Freezing when switching to camera
  • Flight tracking not syncing to logbook

Requested features

5 requests
  • Option to disable Glympse sharing
  • Ability to switch between mph and knots
  • More customization options for overlays and pins
  • Flight data sync between iPhone and iPad
  • Playback capability for past flights

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Air Navigation Pro

Subscriptions8
  • Aeronautical database$69.991 Year
  • Essential worldwide14 Days trial$71.991 Year
  • SMART14 Days trial$79.991 Year
Show 5 more
  • Smart Plus - Middle East14 Days trial$86.991 Year
  • Smart Lite14 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Smart Advanced14 Days trial$134.991 Year
  • Premium - United States14 Days trial$139.991 Year
  • Premium - Argentina14 Days trial$144.991 Year
One-time7
  • US Sectional to 02.2011 Los Angeles$0.99
  • US Sectional to 02.2011 Miami$0.99
  • US Sectional to 02.2011 New York$0.99
Show 4 more
  • USA VFR Terminal Area Raster Charts 2012$3.99
  • USA Sectional charts 2011-2012$9.99
  • Brazil WAC 2011$9.99
  • Venezuela 3D data$19.99
4 purchases

Hot Air

Subscriptions3
  • Offline Maps$2.991 Year
  • Pro$3.991 Month
  • Pro$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Offline Map Subscription$2.99

Questions

Is Air Navigation Pro free?
Air Navigation Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hot Air free?
Hot Air costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Air Navigation Pro or Hot Air?
Hot Air is rated higher. Air Navigation Pro averages 4.6 out of 5 from 642 ratings, while Hot Air averages 4.9 from 578 ratings.
Do Air Navigation Pro or Hot Air have ads?
Neither Air Navigation Pro nor Hot Air shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Air Navigation Pro or Hot Air?
Air Navigation Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hot Air every 5 days. Most recently, Air Navigation Pro was updated on October 29, 2026 and Hot Air on October 29, 2026.

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