FlightAware Flight Tracker vs FlightStats
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FlightAware Flight Tracker
Track airplanes in real-time globally, monitor flight statuses, and receive delay notifications. Access weather radar and save favorite aircraft and airports. Offers free flight status alerts for departures, arrivals, cancellations, and gate changes.
- Real-time global plane tracking
- Free flight status alerts
- Weather radar integration
- Save favorite aircraft and airports
- Check flight delays
- Inbound aircraft delay checks
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Where’s that plane headed? Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, a frequent traveler, a pilot, or part of a flight crew, FlightAware is a must-have app. Track planes in real-time above your head, or all over the world. Easily track the status of your flight, check for any delays on the inbound aircraft, see weather radar, and set up alerts to be notified of any changes – all for free! Free features: ▶ Track any plane around the world in real-time ▶ Get free flight status alerts: Departure, Arrival, Cancellations, Gate changes, Delays, Diversions ▶ See weather radar ▶ Save your favorite aircraft and airports ▶ Check for flight delays (with “Where is my plane?”) FlightAware is the leader in providing advanced, accurate, actionable intelligence and insights that inform every aviation decision. We believe that flying opens up the world around you. It makes distances shorter, the world more accessible and satisfies one of the core aspirations of mankind. Upgrade options: ▶ Ad Remove - Removes all advertisements from the app ▶ FlightAware Aviator - Register and enable advanced features for your piston-engine GA aircraft Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
FlightStats
Track flights in real-time with live status updates and airport information. Monitor flights globally, view essential details like delays and gates, and receive timely alerts. Integrates with Siri Shortcuts and 3D Touch for quick access to flight data.
- Worldwide flight status tracking
- Interactive flight tracker map
- Departure and arrival boards
- Siri Shortcuts integration
- Flight timeline and details
- Today widget for quick access
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FlightStats is a free real-time flight status and airport tracking app for iPhone and iPad. Take control of your day-of-travel by downloading FlightStats: -Quickly access worldwide flight status by flight number, airport, or route -Watch flights as they move across the world on our gorgeous flight tracker -Scan essential information like departure/arrival times, delay indexes, gates, and weather -Enable Siri Shortcuts to Departures, Arrivals, Route searches, or daily flights -Use 3D Touch to quickly view flights from My Flights, Departures, Arrivals, or Route search results -Check the flight timeline to get in-depth descriptions of all activities about your flight -Easily view the most relevant flights with the FlightStats Today widget -Quickly launch the app with 3D Touch to view or search your flights -Deep link from flightstats.com for your departures, arrivals, route, and airport conditions searches -Quickly share your flight right from the flight details screen -Share current departure or arrival boards -Log in to your flightstats.com account -Subscription to FlightStats includes the removal of ads from the app and flightstats.com -FlightStats is a leader in global flight and airport information services. Our flight status, trip monitoring, and flight alert solutions are trusted by millions of travelers every day. www.flightstats.com Contact us at helpdesk@flightstats.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FlightStats at none against FlightAware Flight Tracker's 6. FlightStats also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). FlightAware Flight Tracker's advantage is chart position (#38 vs unranked) and ratings volume (382K vs 79K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. FlightAware Flight Tracker sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. FlightStats asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for FlightAware Flight Tracker against 4.8 for FlightStats. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 382K and 79K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 74% and 73% positive.
FlightAware Flight Tracker ships an update every 4 weeks, FlightStats every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | FlightAware Flight Tracker | FlightStats |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (382K ratings) — better | 4.8 (79K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.5% of reviews — better | 72.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 382K — better | 79K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #38 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 90 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FlightAware | LNRS Data Services Limited |
Customer experience
FlightAware Flight Tracker
FlightStats
User reviews
FlightAware Flight Tracker
From 382K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Detailed flight information
- 👍 Accurate and up-to-date data
- 📍 Ability to track flights and aircraft
- 🔍 Useful for airport pickups and drop-offs
- ⏱️ Timely alerts and notifications
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable ETA predictions
- 🔀 Confusing interface changes
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific flights
- 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
- 💻 Compatibility issues with older devices
FlightStats
From 79K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate real-time flight tracking
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Provides up-to-date flight status information
- 👍 Useful for tracking family and friends' flights
- 👍 Reliable and dependable app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate or delayed flight information
- 🐛 Inability to track flights more than a few days in advance
- 🔍 Confusing or cluttered interface
- 🔍 Lack of customization options
- 💸 Presence of ads
Bugs and requests
FlightAware Flight Tracker
Reported bugs
4 issues- Flights disappearing from the app
- Inconsistent data between app and website
- Settings and preferences not saving properly
- Notifications not working as expected
Requested features
5 requests- Separate direct flights from layover flights
- Customizable color schemes and themes
- More detailed flight history and analytics
- Improved accessibility features
- Automatic updates without manual prompts
FlightStats
Reported bugs
4 issues- Flight information not updating in real-time
- Inability to search for certain airports or airlines
- Date selection issues reverting to current date
- Inconsistent or unreliable data across different devices
Requested features
5 requests- Option to set phone alarms based on flight arrival times
- Ability to track flights further in advance
- Integration with other travel apps or services
- Improved date selection and calendar functionality
- Premium version with ad-free experience
In-app purchases
FlightAware Flight Tracker
- Ad Remove - Monthly$1.491 Month
- Ad Remove - Yearly$8.991 Year
- Aviator - Monthly$9.991 Month
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- Aviator+ - Monthly$19.991 Month
- Aviator - Yearly$99.991 Year
- Aviator+ - Yearly$199.991 Year
FlightStats
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FlightAware Flight Tracker free?
Is FlightStats free?
Which has better reviews, FlightAware Flight Tracker or FlightStats?
Do FlightAware Flight Tracker or FlightStats have ads?
Which is updated more often, FlightAware Flight Tracker or FlightStats?
Other comparisons
