# Qatar Airways vs Etihad

The clearest difference is rating: Qatar Airways at 4.7 against Etihad's 4.4. Qatar Airways also leads on chart position (#112 vs unranked). Etihad's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Qatar Airways holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 48K and 18K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of Qatar Airways's written reviews are positive against 20% of Etihad's.

Qatar Airways ships an update every 10 days, Etihad every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Qatar Airways | Etihad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qatar-airways/id581264644/reviews)** | [4.4 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etihad/id988860942/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 18K |
| Positive reviews | **22.3% of reviews** | 19.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#112** | — |
| Size | 512 MB | 192 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Qatar Airways](https://appshunter.io/developer/551975661) | [Etihad Airways](https://appshunter.io/developer/988860941) |

## What reviewers say

### Qatar Airways

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qatar-airways/id581264644)

**Currently charting:** #112 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your entire travel experience from booking flights and hotels to earning rewards. Features include personalized recommendations, AI-powered assistance, and seamless in-app payments for a stress-free journey.

**Highlights:** Personalized travel recommendations, AI-powered cabin crew assistance, Earn and manage Avios rewards, Seamless booking and payment options, Digital boarding passes and flight management, In-flight Wi-Fi and entertainment, Stopover package booking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great airline, excellent service
- 🚀 Smooth booking experience
- 💯 Best airline, amazing flights

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with constant issues
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate, poor UX
- 🕰️ Slow and unresponsive app
- 🔒 Login problems and security concerns
- 🤖 Terrible customer service

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to create account due to password issues
- Login issues, unable to access account
- Seat selection not working, app crashes
- Boarding passes not showing up in app

**Requested features**

- Add passkey (Face ID) login
- Improve seat selection and upgrade process
- Integrate with Apple Wallet for boarding passes
- Provide better flight status updates


### Etihad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etihad/id988860942)

This travel app simplifies your journey by allowing you to book flights, manage bookings, and check in easily. Access mobile boarding passes, receive real-time flight updates, and discover exclusive travel deals. Enhance your trip with options for seat selection, extra baggage, and lounge access.

**Highlights:** Flight booking and management, Mobile check-in and boarding passes, Real-time flight status updates, Seat selection and extras, Exclusive travel deals, Etihad Guest program management

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient app
- 🚀 Reliable app
- 🚀 Exceptional experience
- 🚀 Convenient and simple

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🐛 Slow and glitchy
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Unstable app
- 🐛 Terrible app

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in
- Cancelled all booking details
- Issues with paying for seat changes
- Booked flights disappearing from app
- Incorrect flight information displayed

**Requested features**

- Allow copying and pasting of passwords
- Enable saving boarding passes to Apple Wallet
- Improve seat selection and management
- Add ability to book flights using miles
- Integrate loyalty program details


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Qatar Airways free?

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

### Is Etihad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Qatar Airways or Etihad?

Qatar Airways is rated higher. Qatar Airways averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Etihad averages 4.4 from 18K ratings.

### Do Qatar Airways or Etihad have ads?

Both Qatar Airways and Etihad show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Qatar Airways or Etihad?

Qatar Airways ships an update every 10 days, and Etihad every 5 days. Most recently, Qatar Airways was updated on November 4, 2026 and Etihad on November 4, 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.*