# Hot Air vs Airmate

The clearest difference is price: Airmate at Free against Hot Air's $9.99. Airmate also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). Hot Air's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Airmate 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 Airmate sells 21 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hot Air holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 578 and 549 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Hot Air's written reviews are positive against 75% of Airmate's.

Hot Air ships an update every 5 days, Airmate every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hot Air | Airmate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (578 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-air/id353321502/reviews)** | [4.5 (549 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airmate/id998181102/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **578** | 549 |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#189** | — |
| Size | 129 MB | 220 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cato Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725441929) | [Myriel Aviation SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/998181101) |

## What reviewers say

### Hot Air

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

**Currently charting:** #189 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


### Airmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airmate/id998181102)

This app provides pilots with comprehensive flight planning tools, including weather forecasts, airport data, and navigation charts. It enhances situational awareness with a moving map, traffic displays, and terrain elevation views. Pilots can also file flight plans and record their flights.

**Highlights:** Flight planning and weather forecasts, Airport data and aviation maps, Moving map with aircraft location, Traffic and terrain elevation display, Flight plan filing and management, Flight recording and replay, ADS-B traffic and weather reception

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Airmate Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Photorealistic terrain display | $47.99 | per year |
| Flight plan filing token | $1.99 | one-time |
| Token for 1 year chart access | $3.99 | one-time |
| Support Airmate development! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Argentina Center VFR 2022 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chile North VFR chart 2022 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chile Santiago VFR chart 2022 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Argentina/Chile South VFR 2022 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Support Airmate development! | $8.99 | one-time |
| Chart download token | $8.99 | one-time |
| Italy North Avioportolano 2022 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Support Airmate development! | $17.99 | one-time |
| Airmate Pro version | $22.99 | one-time |
| Tunisia VFR Air Million 2024 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Skyguide Swiss VFR Airport Plates (with one year updates) | $36.99 | one-time |
| Airmate Dispatcher | $44.99 | one-time |
| Avioportolano VFR Airfield Plates for Italy (one year subscription) | $46.99 | one-time |
| Airport Plates premium browser | $54.99 | one-time |
| UAE 2023 Rogers Data | $79.99 | one-time |
| UAE 2025 Rogers Data | $89.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hot Air free?

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

### Is Airmate free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hot Air or Airmate?

Hot Air is rated higher. Hot Air averages 4.9 out of 5 from 578 ratings, while Airmate averages 4.5 from 549 ratings.

### Do Hot Air or Airmate have ads?

Neither Hot Air nor Airmate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hot Air or Airmate?

Hot Air ships an update every 5 days, and Airmate every 6 weeks. Most recently, Hot Air was updated on November 1, 2026 and Airmate on November 1, 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.*