# Austrian vs United Airlines

The clearest difference is ads: Austrian at none against United Airlines's shown. Austrian also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). United Airlines's advantage is ratings volume (8.5M vs 5.1K) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Austrian against 4.8 for United Airlines. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: United Airlines has 8.5M ratings behind it against 5.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Austrian's written reviews are positive against 41% of United Airlines's.

Austrian ships an update every 2 weeks, United Airlines weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Austrian | United Airlines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (5.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/austrian/id400224803/reviews)** | [4.8 (8.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/united-airlines/id449945214/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5.1K | **8.5M** |
| Positive reviews | 31.8% of reviews | **40.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 385 MB | 385 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lufthansa Group Digital Hangar GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795954420) | [United Airlines](https://appshunter.io/developer/449945217) |

## What reviewers say

### Austrian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/austrian/id400224803)

Book flights, reserve seats, and manage your boarding passes for a seamless travel experience. Receive real-time flight updates and personalized services directly on your smartphone.

**Highlights:** Book flights and reserve seats, Online check-in with digital boarding pass, Real-time flight status and notifications, Manage baggage and on-board services, Track checked baggage, Personalized travel assistant

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent service and on-time performance
- 👍 User-friendly and easy to navigate
- 📢 Helpful notifications and updates
- 💯 Reliable and consistent performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 📵 Inability to check-in or access boarding passes
- 🔒 Lack of account/profile management features
- 🤯 Confusing and counterintuitive UI

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes during check-in process
- Incorrect or missing passenger information
- Booking changes not reflected in the app
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Wallet support for boarding passes
- Improve account management and profile syncing
- Enhance seat selection and upgrade options
- Provide more detailed flight status information


### United Airlines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/united-airlines/id449945214)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Free · Travel, #192 Top Free (US App Store)

Manage your entire travel experience from flight booking and check-in to real-time updates and in-flight entertainment. Navigate airports with ease, track bags, and access support, all within one application.

**Highlights:** Book flights, Check-in and boarding pass, Change flights/seats, Travel-Ready Center, Bag tracking, Real-time flight updates, Airport maps and terminal guide, In-flight entertainment and purchases, MileagePlus management, In-flight Wi-Fi access

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy check-in process
- 💡 Detailed flight information
- 👍 Convenient boarding pass access
- 🚀 Efficient baggage tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app performance
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and find information
- 👎 Lack of support for non-US credit cards and addresses
- 👎 Poor customer service experience

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent app behavior across devices
- Issues with passport and vaccination document scanning
- Inability to update flight details and reservations
- Delayed or inaccurate flight status updates

**Requested features**

- Streamlined check-in and boarding pass access
- Improved support for international travelers
- Enhanced in-flight entertainment options
- Better integration with airline loyalty programs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Austrian free?

Austrian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is United Airlines free?

United Airlines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Austrian or United Airlines?

Austrian is rated higher. Austrian averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while United Airlines averages 4.8 from 8.5M ratings.

### Do Austrian or United Airlines have ads?

United Airlines shows ads; Austrian does not.

### Which is updated more often, Austrian or United Airlines?

Austrian ships an update every 2 weeks, and United Airlines weekly. Most recently, Austrian was updated on November 1, 2026 and United Airlines on November 3, 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.*