# ACARS vs Tread Magazine

The clearest difference is price: Tread Magazine at Free against ACARS's $2.99. Tread Magazine also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (69 vs 14). ACARS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 24) and review sentiment (41% vs 20%). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Tread Magazine is free to download; ACARS costs $2.99 up front. Tread Magazine sells 24 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 2 months. ACARS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tread Magazine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 69 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of ACARS's written reviews are positive against 20% of Tread Magazine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ACARS ships an update every 12 months, Tread Magazine every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ACARS | Tread Magazine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acars/id386825917/reviews) | **[4.7 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tread-magazine/id1245539005/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **69** |
| Positive reviews | **41.4% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 2 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Black Cat Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/301047032) | [Engaged Media Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456235175) |

## What reviewers say

### ACARS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acars/id386825917)

View ACARS aircraft transmissions on your iOS device without a bulky computer. Requires a radio scanner tuned to the aircraft band. Save decodes to a file or transfer to your computer.

**Highlights:** View ACARS transmissions on iOS, Save decoded packets to a file, Transfer data to computer via iTunes, Built-in aircraft model database, Add custom plane information, Color-coded packet fields

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Tread Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tread-magazine/id1245539005)

Explore the intersection of the natural world and modern mechanics. This app offers a blend of automotive adventure and outdoor lifestyle content. Access current and back issues, with subscription options available.

**Highlights:** Automotive adventure content, Outdoor lifestyle features, Purchase current issues, Purchase back issues, Subscription options, Cross-platform access via pocketmags account

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

**In-app purchases (24)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2 Month All-Access Sub | $2.99 | per 2 months |
| Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| 6 Months Subscription | $12.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| July/August 2017 | $6.99 | one-time |
| September/October 2017 | $6.99 | one-time |
| November/December 2017 | $6.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2018 | $6.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2018 | $6.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2017 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread Nov/Dec. | $6.99 | one-time |
| YOTA Win 22(ID:662447) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread Nov/Dec 23 (id:725351) | $6.99 | one-time |
| YOTA Spring 23 (pp:916355) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread Jan/Feb 24 (id:725349) | $6.99 | one-time |
| 2025-06 (Tread... (pp:1118061) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread Nov/Dec 24 (pp:1029125) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread Sep/Oct 24 (pp:1029133) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread May/Jun. | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread Jul/Aug 24 (pp:1029137) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tread May/Jun 24 (pp:1029141) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Yota 2024 (pp:1086807) | $6.99 | one-time |
| 2025-90 (Tread... (pp:1118092) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Bronco 23 (id:725353) | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ACARS free?

ACARS costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tread Magazine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ACARS or Tread Magazine?

Tread Magazine is rated higher. ACARS averages 3.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Tread Magazine averages 4.7 from 69 ratings.

### Do ACARS or Tread Magazine have ads?

Neither ACARS nor Tread Magazine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ACARS or Tread Magazine?

ACARS ships an update every 12 months, and Tread Magazine every 6 months. Most recently, ACARS was updated on September 23, 2026 and Tread Magazine on September 16, 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.*