# FlightAware Flight Tracker vs Live Plane

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Live Plane at 100% against FlightAware Flight Tracker's 74%. Live Plane also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). FlightAware Flight Tracker's advantage is ratings volume (386K vs 11) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FlightAware Flight Tracker sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Live Plane sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FlightAware Flight Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightAware Flight Tracker has 386K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of FlightAware Flight Tracker's written reviews are positive against 100% of Live Plane's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FlightAware Flight Tracker ships an update monthly, Live Plane every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FlightAware Flight Tracker | Live Plane |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (386K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flightaware-flight-tracker/id316793974/reviews)** | [4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/live-plane-flight-tracker/id6444873841/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **386K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FlightAware](https://appshunter.io/developer/316793977) | [VAN HOANG DO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653991778) |

## What reviewers say

### FlightAware Flight Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flightaware-flight-tracker/id316793974)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Grossing · Travel, #87 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Real-time global plane tracking, Free flight status alerts, Weather radar integration, Save favorite aircraft and airports, Check flight delays, Inbound aircraft delay checks

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Remove - Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Ad Remove - Yearly | $8.99 | per year |
| Aviator - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Aviator+ - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Aviator - Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Aviator+ - Yearly | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable ETA predictions
- 🔀 Confusing interface changes
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific flights
- 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
- 💻 Compatibility issues with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- Flights disappearing from the app
- Inconsistent data between app and website
- Settings and preferences not saving properly
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- 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


### Live Plane

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/live-plane-flight-tracker/id6444873841)

Transform your phone into a global flight board. Get real-time updates on arrivals and departures for any airport worldwide. Search specific flights and receive alerts for schedule changes, including cancellations and gate information.

**Highlights:** Real-time flight tracking worldwide, Global airport arrivals/departures board, Flight search by number, destination, airline, Alerts for schedule changes and cancellations, Terminal and gate updates, Detailed aircraft, airport, and airline info

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 WEEK SUBSCRIPTION BASIC | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION BASIC | $39.99 | per year |
| 1 YEAR FULL VERSION 3D TRIAL | $39.99 | per year |
| Live Plane Premium Lifetime | $46.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FlightAware Flight Tracker free?

FlightAware Flight Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Live Plane free?

Live Plane is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, FlightAware Flight Tracker or Live Plane?

FlightAware Flight Tracker is rated higher. FlightAware Flight Tracker averages 4.9 out of 5 from 386K ratings, while Live Plane averages 4.6 from 11 ratings.

### Do FlightAware Flight Tracker or Live Plane have ads?

Both FlightAware Flight Tracker and Live Plane show ads.

### Which is updated more often, FlightAware Flight Tracker or Live Plane?

FlightAware Flight Tracker ships an update monthly, and Live Plane every 2 months. Most recently, FlightAware Flight Tracker was updated on September 26, 2026 and Live Plane on September 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*