Comparison

SkyDemon vs btrd

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

Head to head
About

SkyDemon

Plan and navigate VFR flights across Europe with detailed aeronautical charts, dynamic airspace clipping, and real-time hazard warnings. Features include virtual radar, automated weather briefings, and comprehensive flight logging for pilots.

Highlights
  • Vector aeronautical charts with dynamic airspace clipping
  • Intuitive route planning and modification
  • Virtual Radar for hazard and airspace visualization
  • Automated weather briefings (TAF, METAR, SIGMET)
  • Real-time hazard and airspace warnings
  • Georeferenced airfield plates and documents
  • Fuel, weight, and balance calculations
Features
Read full description

SkyDemon is Europe's favourite software for VFR flight planning and in-flight navigation. Use this app to access your SkyDemon subscription on your iOS device, unlocking SkyDemon's powerful features while on the move. FLIGHT PLANNING FEATURES - SkyDemon vector charts are the clearest aeronautical charts you'll ever use, with dynamic airspace clipping and choice of map layers - Route planning is as simple as touching consecutive waypoints and dragging to make changes - Virtual Radar shows how your route relates to airspace, terrain, obstructions and other features - Pilot Log facility calculates headings and groundspeeds from actual wind data, and shows useful frequencies - Plates and other documents for relevant airfields are displayed automatically as you plan, and many are available georeferenced for use in flight - Intuitive pan, pinch and rotate support with no loss of map clarity or text legibility - File a VFR flightplan for your route directly to air traffic controllers - Automatic TAF, METAR and SIGMET briefing as you plan a route, with graphical decoding - Rainfall data can be overlaid on the main map, with animation, showing the trend of rainfall over time - Integration of GAFOR route forecasts for Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia - Both narrow-route and area NOTAM briefings available, updated as you plan - Advanced NOTAM graphical interpretation and depiction on the main map - Easily print your PLOG and the output from various briefings - Warnings for airspace and other potential hazards to your flight, updated in real time - Airfield Admin Information shows useful contacts and other details for airfields featured in our charts - Forecast winds aloft are automatically retrieved for the flight time and displayed on the map - Create an advanced flight performance profile for each aircraft you use - ATS Routes mode offers an alternative chart presentation for flight along airways - Accurate fuel, weight and balance calculations including flight costings - Create an unlimited number of user-defined waypoints - Analyse your track logs for posterity - Choose between six different vector chart styles - Extensive European chart coverage as standard GPS NAVIGATION FEATURES - Intelligent warnings for approaching airspace, NOTAM, obstacles, terrain and other hazards - Virtual Radar shows a side-on projection of all approaching features and how your trajectory relates to them - Vector map automatically follows the aircraft in north up, track up or course up orientation - Clear and concise instruments show you flight statistics and help keep you on track - An HSI/ILS instrument helps you keep to your planned route and line up early for approach - Live Pilot Log shows progress through your route, ETAs, ATAs and useful frequencies based on your current position - TerrainSafe dynamically colours mountainous terrain around you to quickly identify safer areas - Direct To allows easy re-routing in a hurry by picking from a selection of nearby airfields - Approach Information shows runway diagrams, TAF, METAR, NOTAM and other airfield details useful for making an approach - Live updates of TAF and METAR while in flight, with associated alerts* - Extended runway centrelines appear automatically on the map as you near your destination airfield - Permanent display of position relative to nearest well-known waypoint, for position reporting - Easy changing of the planned route while in flight by touching and dragging Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. * Internet connection required for live weather update while in flight

About

btrd

This app analyzes your aircraft landings using device motion sensors to provide a smoothness score and fun ratings. Review your landing history, compare with friends on leaderboards, and even practice in simulator mode.

Highlights
  • Landing smoothness score
  • Fun landing ratings
  • Landing history and stats
  • Airport context
  • Pilot profile and public boards
  • Groups and leaderboards
  • Simulator mode
Features
Read full description

Landing scores and history for pilots. btrd uses your device’s motion sensors to estimate touchdown smoothness. Record a landing, then review your score, touchdown G, and conditions after landing when safe. REVIEW YOUR TOUCHDOWN See your landing score and rating, from BUTTERED to CHOPPED, with touchdown and conditions details in one place. Choose Small, Large, or Heavy aircraft categories for category-specific scoring. KEEP YOUR LANDING HISTORY Your Landing Log brings past sessions together so you can review scores, airports, and touchdown details. It tracks your btrd sessions, not flight hours. COMPARE YOUR LANDINGS See your position on global and airport leaderboards. Personal scores and leaderboard eligibility are separate, so a saved result may not count toward rankings. FLY WITH A GROUP Create or join a Group, compare results with other members, and switch between your Group leaderboards. SHARE YOUR RESULT Create a landing card with your score and flight details to share with friends or your flying group. RECORD FROM IPHONE OR APPLE WATCH Start and stop sessions from iPhone or Apple Watch. Sign in with Apple to recover your account and synced Landing Log. SET UP BEFORE APPROACH Secure your device and start recording before approach. Leave it alone during critical phases of flight, then stop and review your result after landing when safe. btrd provides estimated post-flight feedback for recreation. It is not a flight instrument, flight training device, safety system, or substitute for pilot judgment. A smoothness score is not a measure of landing safety. Always follow aircraft procedures and your instructor’s guidance.

Screenshots

SkyDemon4 screens
btrd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: btrd at none against SkyDemon's 1. btrd also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). SkyDemon's advantage is ratings volume (546 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads 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. SkyDemon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. btrd asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

btrd holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyDemon has 546 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SkyDemon ships an update monthly, btrd every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SkyDemon versus btrd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkyDemonbtrd
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (546 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings546 — better1
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS12.2 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDivelements LimitedAeroSmooth Labs LLC

Customer experience

SkyDemon

All ratings546 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews155 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.5%

btrd

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

SkyDemon

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Incompatible with latest iPad OS
  • Crashes when trying to download all charts

Requested features

6 requests
  • Print PLOG or route on iPad
  • Improved logbook functionality
  • Support for official CAA/NATS charts
  • Synthetic vision
  • IFR flight plan filing to Eurocontrol
Show 1 more
  • Integration with Jeppesen IFR charts

btrd

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SkyDemon

One-time1
  • SkyDemon iOS Subscription$199.99
None

btrd

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SkyDemon free?
SkyDemon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is btrd free?
btrd is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SkyDemon or btrd?
btrd is rated higher. SkyDemon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 546 ratings, while btrd averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SkyDemon or btrd have ads?
Neither SkyDemon nor btrd shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SkyDemon or btrd?
SkyDemon ships an update monthly, and btrd every 2 months. Most recently, SkyDemon was updated on October 10, 2026 and btrd on October 11, 2026.

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