Hot Air vs Balloon Map Chaser
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Live tracking on maps
- Wind profiling by altitude
- Waypoint navigation
- Automatic flight recording
- Custom map overlays
- Offline map caching
- Real-time flight sharing
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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.
Balloon Map Chaser
Track the live flight path of balloons on a map. This application is integrated with a broader balloon mapping system for comprehensive flight data. Visit the official website for more information.
- Live balloon flight tracking
- Integrated mapping system
- Detailed flight path visualization
- Access to balloon map system data
- Comprehensive flight information
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Chase the balloon flight live. This App is part of the Balloon Map System. see http://www.balloonmap.com for more details
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Balloon Map Chaser at Free against Hot Air's $9.99. Hot Air's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). On 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
Balloon Map Chaser 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 Balloon Map Chaser sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Hot Air holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hot Air has 578 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Hot Air's written reviews are positive against 80% of Balloon Map Chaser's.
Hot Air ships an update every 5 days, Balloon Map Chaser every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hot Air | Balloon Map Chaser |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (578 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 578 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #81 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cato Technologies LLC | Andreas Schneider |
Customer experience
Hot Air
Balloon Map Chaser
Bugs and requests
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
Balloon Map Chaser
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Hot Air
- Offline Maps$2.991 Year
- Pro$3.991 Month
- Pro$24.991 Year
- Offline Map Subscription$2.99
Balloon Map Chaser
- Professional Kit 1 Flight Pack$0.99
- Professional Kit 1 month$6.99
- Professional Kit$24.99
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- Professional Kit 1 year$27.99
Questions
Is Hot Air free?
Is Balloon Map Chaser free?
Which has better reviews, Hot Air or Balloon Map Chaser?
Do Hot Air or Balloon Map Chaser have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hot Air or Balloon Map Chaser?
Other comparisons
