# Hot Air vs Balloon Map Chaser

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hot Air | Balloon Map Chaser |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (578 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-air/id353321502/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balloon-map-chaser/id447322243/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **578** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#81** | — |
| Size | 129 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cato Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725441929) | [Andreas Schneider](https://appshunter.io/developer/375660826) |

## What reviewers say

### Hot Air

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

**Currently charting:** #81 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


### Balloon Map Chaser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balloon-map-chaser/id447322243)

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.

**Highlights:** Live balloon flight tracking, Integrated mapping system, Detailed flight path visualization, Access to balloon map system data, Comprehensive flight information

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Kit 1 Flight Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Professional Kit 1 month | $6.99 | one-time |
| Professional Kit | $24.99 | one-time |
| Professional Kit 1 year | $27.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hot Air free?

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

### Is Balloon Map Chaser free?

Balloon Map Chaser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hot Air or Balloon Map Chaser?

Hot Air is rated higher. Hot Air averages 4.9 out of 5 from 578 ratings, while Balloon Map Chaser averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Hot Air or Balloon Map Chaser have ads?

Neither Hot Air nor Balloon Map Chaser shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hot Air or Balloon Map Chaser?

Hot Air ships an update every 5 days, and Balloon Map Chaser every 4 months. Most recently, Hot Air was updated on October 27, 2026 and Balloon Map Chaser on October 28, 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.*