# FlightAware Flight Tracker vs Pebbles

The clearest difference is ads: Pebbles at none against FlightAware Flight Tracker's shown. Pebbles also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). FlightAware Flight Tracker's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (391K vs 16). On price, review sentiment, 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 Pebbles sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FlightAware Flight Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightAware Flight Tracker has 391K ratings behind it against 16, 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 77% of Pebbles'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, Pebbles weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FlightAware Flight Tracker | Pebbles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (391K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flightaware-flight-tracker/id316793974/reviews)** | [4.5 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pebbles-tax-and-visa-tracker/id6472096747/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **391K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 73.9% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#34** | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FlightAware](https://appshunter.io/developer/316793977) | [Norland Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1716625845) |

## What reviewers say

### FlightAware Flight Tracker

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

**Currently charting:** #34 Top Grossing · Travel, #122 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


### Pebbles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pebbles-tax-and-visa-tracker/id6472096747)

Effortlessly track days spent in countries and U.S. states for tax, visa, and residency compliance. This privacy-first app offers manual logging without GPS or ads, helping digital nomads and expats stay organized and audit-ready.

**Highlights:** 183-day tax residency tracking, Visa limit tracking (e.g., Schengen), U.S. state tax domicile tracking, Manual travel logging, Customizable trip logs, Smart filtering by country/trip type

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FlightAware Flight Tracker free?

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

### Is Pebbles free?

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

### Which has better reviews, FlightAware Flight Tracker or Pebbles?

FlightAware Flight Tracker is rated higher. FlightAware Flight Tracker averages 4.9 out of 5 from 391K ratings, while Pebbles averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.

### Do FlightAware Flight Tracker or Pebbles have ads?

FlightAware Flight Tracker shows ads; Pebbles does not.

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

FlightAware Flight Tracker ships an update monthly, and Pebbles weekly. Most recently, FlightAware Flight Tracker was updated on October 29, 2026 and Pebbles on October 24, 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.*