Comparison

Balloon Map Chaser vs SkyBound Dashboard

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Live balloon flight tracking
  • Integrated mapping system
  • Detailed flight path visualization
  • Access to balloon map system data
  • Comprehensive flight information
Features
Read full description

Chase the balloon flight live. This App is part of the Balloon Map System. see http://www.balloonmap.com for more details

About

SkyBound Dashboard

This platform helps hot air balloon pilots and crew track flights in real time, coordinate with each other, and plan routes with integrated weather data. It also offers tools for business management, competition support, and flight logging.

Highlights
  • Real-time GPS flight tracking
  • Crew coordination with shared maps
  • Integrated weather forecasts
  • Flight planning with KML/GPX import
  • Competition task extraction via AI
  • Automatic flight logging
  • Commercial pilot business tools
Features
Read full description

SkyBound is the all-in-one platform for hot air balloon pilots and crew. Track flights in real time with precision GPS, coordinate with your crew, plan flights with integrated weather, and manage your ballooning business — all from one app. FLIGHT TRACKING Track every flight with live GPS including altitude, speed, heading, and vertical rate. Your crew sees your position in real time and gets navigation to your landing spot. Background tracking keeps working even when the app is minimized. Pair an external GPS or Balloon Live Sensor (BLS) for competition-grade position — or use your phone's GPS, which takes over automatically if a sensor drops. CREW COORDINATION Create teams with your pilots and crew. Everyone sees live positions on a shared map during flights. No more constant calls and texts — your crew knows exactly where you are and where you're headed. Talk to crew and spotters with push-to-talk voice, and let a spotter mark your map with a laser pointer to call out targets and hazards. CARPLAY CHASE Plug into Apple CarPlay and your crewed pilots load automatically — no need to unlock your phone. Follow each pilot's color-coded live track and drift projection on your car's display, with directions to the landing spot. WEATHER INTELLIGENCE Get flight-specific weather forecasts right at your launch coordinates. View wind speed and direction at multiple altitudes, hourly breakdowns, and sunrise/sunset times. Pick the forecast model that fits your flight — ECMWF, GFS, HRRR, NBM, or RAP. Check active TFRs and NOTAMs with an interactive map. SKYCAST WIND SIMULATOR Drop a takeoff, dial in a wind profile by altitude, and fly the app manually before you ever leave the ground. SkyCast uses the real flight HUD — gauges, target cards, drift cones — so you can see how altitude choices steer you across the map. Perfect for practicing competition tasks or briefing new crew. FLIGHT PLANNING Plan routes on an interactive map with zone overlays. Import KML and GPX files for competition targets, restricted areas, and custom boundaries. Set altitude floors and ceilings with color-coded rules. COMPETITION SUPPORT Snap a photo of your task sheet and let AI extract targets, coordinates, and scoring rules. Import task sheets directly from WatchMeFly. See task overlays on your flight map in real time. Share any target with another pilot — it lands in their pre-flight, in their own UTM zone. FLIGHT LOG Every flight is automatically logged with full GPS tracks, altitude profiles, duration, and distance. Replay any flight on the map. FOR COMMERCIAL PILOTS List your business in our nationwide pilot directory. Manage bookings, track your customer pipeline, send invoices with Stripe payments, and view revenue analytics. SUBSCRIPTIONS All features require an active subscription. Flight Plan — $9.99/month or $109.99/year (auto-renewable subscription) Includes: Flight tracking, weather briefings (ECMWF / GFS / HRRR / NBM / RAP), TFR/NOTAM alerts, flight logging, crew coordination, pilot-to-pilot connections, flight groups, pilot directory access, SkyBound AI Assistant, competition task sheet analysis, SkyCast wind simulator, lift calculator, and drift planning tools. Commercial Plan — $34.99/month or $379.99/year (auto-renewable subscription) Includes everything in Flight Plan, plus: Public pilot profile on skybounddashboard.com, online booking system, customer management, invoicing with Stripe payments, revenue analytics, and priority support. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.skybounddashboard.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.skybounddashboard.com/privacy

Screenshots

Balloon Map Chaser2 screens
SkyBound Dashboard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SkyBound Dashboard at 5.0 against Balloon Map Chaser's 3.0. SkyBound Dashboard also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (8 vs 2). Balloon Map Chaser's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Balloon Map Chaser sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and SkyBound Dashboard sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SkyBound Dashboard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Balloon Map Chaser ships an update every 4 months, SkyBound Dashboard weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Balloon Map Chaser versus SkyBound Dashboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBalloon Map ChaserSkyBound Dashboard
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings28 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndreas SchneiderLuke Thompson

Customer experience

Balloon Map Chaser

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

SkyBound Dashboard

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Balloon Map Chaser

One-time4
  • Professional Kit 1 Flight Pack$0.99
  • Professional Kit 1 month$6.99
  • Professional Kit$24.99
Show 1 more
  • Professional Kit 1 year$27.99
4 purchases

SkyBound Dashboard

Subscriptions4
  • Flight Plan Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Commercial Plan Monthly$34.991 Month
  • Flight Plan Yearly$109.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Commercial Plan Yearly$379.991 Year

Questions

Is Balloon Map Chaser free?
Balloon Map Chaser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SkyBound Dashboard free?
SkyBound Dashboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Balloon Map Chaser or SkyBound Dashboard?
SkyBound Dashboard is rated higher. Balloon Map Chaser averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while SkyBound Dashboard averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Balloon Map Chaser or SkyBound Dashboard have ads?
Neither Balloon Map Chaser nor SkyBound Dashboard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Balloon Map Chaser or SkyBound Dashboard?
Balloon Map Chaser ships an update every 4 months, and SkyBound Dashboard weekly. Most recently, Balloon Map Chaser was updated on September 26, 2026 and SkyBound Dashboard on October 12, 2026.

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