# Hot Air vs GA Flight Tracker

Hot Air and GA Flight Tracker both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Hot Air's written reviews are positive against 25% of GA Flight Tracker's. Hot Air also leads on ratings volume (578 vs 4) and chart position (#102 vs unranked). GA Flight Tracker's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

GA Flight Tracker is free to download; Hot Air costs $9.99 up front. Hot Air sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year and GA Flight Tracker sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Hot Air against 5.0 for GA Flight Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hot Air has 578 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Hot Air's written reviews are positive against 25% of GA Flight Tracker's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hot Air | GA Flight Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.9 (578 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-air/id353321502/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ga-flight-tracker/id1319102682/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **578** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#102** | — |
| Size | 129 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **14** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cato Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725441929) | [Gorkem Yuksel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1014275341) |

## What reviewers say

### Hot Air

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-air/id353321502)

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Offline Maps | $2.99 | per year |
| Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Offline Map Subscription | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing after latest update
- Freezing when switching to camera
- Flight tracking not syncing to logbook

**Requested features**

- 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


### GA Flight Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ga-flight-tracker/id1319102682)

This aviation app provides pilots and enthusiasts with essential navigation, safety, and planning tools. It offers offline VFR charts, obstacle alerts, and real-time weather updates to enhance flight safety and efficiency. The app also includes flight recording and an interactive note board for in-flight information.

**Highlights:** Inline flight planning, Offline VFR charts, Obstacle alerts, Real-time weather updates, Flight recording, Interactive note board, Aircraft traffic tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GAFT Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Flight Review Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| VFR Map for Seward | $19.99 | one-time |
| VFR Map for St Louis | $19.99 | one-time |
| VFR Map for Twin Cities | $19.99 | one-time |
| VFR Map for Washington | $19.99 | one-time |
| VFR Map for W Aleutian Is E | $19.99 | one-time |
| VFR Map for W Aleutian Is W | $19.99 | one-time |
| VFR Map for Whitehorse | $19.99 | one-time |
| VFR Map for Witchita | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hot Air free?

Hot Air costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is GA Flight Tracker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hot Air or GA Flight Tracker?

GA Flight Tracker is rated higher. Hot Air averages 4.9 out of 5 from 578 ratings, while GA Flight Tracker averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Hot Air or GA Flight Tracker have ads?

Neither Hot Air nor GA Flight Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hot Air or GA Flight Tracker?

Hot Air ships an update every 5 days, and GA Flight Tracker every 5 days. Most recently, Hot Air was updated on November 1, 2026 and GA Flight Tracker on October 7, 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.*