AirCrafty vs SimpleFT8
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AirCrafty
This app helps pilots manage their aircraft, track maintenance schedules, and organize important documents. It provides smart dashboards and notifications to ensure you never miss critical deadlines for inspections, expirations, and pilot certifications.
- Aircraft profile creation
- Maintenance record tracking
- Expiry and deadline monitoring
- Document organization
- Smart fleet dashboards
- Intelligent notifications
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The essential companion app for pilots to manage aircraft profiles, track maintenance, monitor expirations, and organise documents - all in one place. ▶ Aircraft Management Create detailed aircraft profiles with photos, specifications, and performance data Support for all aircraft types: Single Engine, Multi Engine, Helicopters, Gliders, and Experimental Track aircraft age, registration, and key specifications Organise multiple aircraft in your fleet ▶ Maintenance Tracking Comprehensive maintenance record management Track Annual Inspections, 100-Hour Inspections, AD Compliance, and more Record technician information, costs, and service details Attach photos, videos, documents, and digital signatures Monitor upcoming maintenance due dates ▶ Expiry Management Never miss important deadlines with smart expiry tracking Categorize items: Certificates, Inspections, Safety Equipment, Engine, Avionics, and Pilot items Get visual alerts for overdue and expiring items Set custom reminder schedules (30, 60, 90 days before expiry) Duplicate completed items for the next cycle automatically ▶ Document Organisation Upload and organize aircraft documents by type Support for Certificates, Maintenance Records, Modifications, Insurance, and Registration Smart expiration tracking for documents Search and filter documents by aircraft, type, or keywords Visual status indicators for document health ▶ Smart Dashboards At-a-glance overview of your aircraft fleet status Color-coded alerts for urgent items Summary cards showing overdue and expiring items Filter by aircraft, category, or service type ▶ Intelligent Notifications Get timely reminders before important deadlines Never miss an annual inspection or certificate renewal Customisable reminder schedules for different item types
SimpleFT8
This app enables ham radio operators to send and receive digital signals using FT8 and FT4 modes. It facilitates long-distance communication even in challenging conditions, allowing for local logging and optional global propagation mapping.
- Live decode table
- Slot-aligned transmitter with QSO composer
- Built-in waterfall display
- Local QSO logbook with ADIF export
- Map of decoded stations
- Optional PSK Reporter integration
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SimpleFT8 is a native macOS and iOS app for FT8 and FT4, the weak-signal digital modes used by amateur radio operators worldwide. WHAT IS FT8? FT8 is a structured digital mode for ham radio. Stations alternate transmitting and receiving in synchronized 15-second slots, exchanging compact messages over a narrow audio bandwidth. The mode decodes successfully at signal levels well below the noise floor — operators routinely make contacts on a watt or two of power with stations on the other side of the planet. SimpleFT8 puts a real digital station in your pocket. Decode signals using your device's microphone or a USB audio interface and send replies in the next slot. The manual station and local logbook work without an account. WHAT YOU GET • Live decode table per 15-second FT8 or 7.5-second FT4 slot • Slot-aligned transmitter with a structured QSO composer (CQ / reply / report / RR73 / 73) • Tap any decode to start a QSO — the state machine handles the rest of the handshake • Built-in waterfall display with tap-to-set TX frequency • Local QSO logbook with search, editing, ADIF import/export, and complete native backup/restore • Map of stations you've decoded with their Maidenhead grids SIMPLEFT8 FREE Free includes unlimited FT8/FT4 receive, waterfall and decode history; microphone and USB audio; manual CQ, reply and complete QSO exchanges; all TX safety controls; local logging and full portable ADIF import/export; and the basic community map. SIMPLEFT8 PRO — ONE-TIME LIFETIME UNLOCK Pro adds automatic replies, custom-message looping, advanced export scopes, direct QRZ Logbook transfer, and private iCloud log sync. On macOS, Pro also adds Icom CI-V CAT/PTT and VFO control over a serial connection, System Audio capture, and autonomous band hopping. CAT/PTT rig control and band hopping are not available on iPhone or iPad. No subscription. Customers who bought SimpleFT8 before it became Free receive Pro automatically. PSK REPORTER + PRESENCE (OPT-IN) If you turn it on in Settings: • Decode reports forwarded to PSK Reporter so you contribute to the global propagation map (rate-limited server-side) • See who heard you in the last 15 minutes, plotted on the map • See other SimpleFT8 operators currently online, on the same map Both toggles are off by default. QRZ transfer and private iCloud log sync are also separately configured and off by default. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT • Native Swift/SwiftUI — no Electron, no Qt port. Looks and feels like a Mac/iOS app should. • Pro System Audio capture on macOS via ScreenCaptureKit — decode straight from SDR software, WebSDR, or any audio your machine is playing, without a virtual cable. • Random caller selection rather than first-come — every station in a pile-up has an equal shot at being picked. • Opinionated QSO state machine handles slot parity, role alternation, and protocol step transitions so you don't have to fight the radio. PRIVACY The app is foreground-only on iOS — the mic stops when the app goes to background. macOS keeps audio I/O alive (long FT8 sessions are the norm). Optional community and logbook integrations are clearly opt-in. No analytics, no tracking, no ads, and no subscription. Built by a ham operator for ham operators. 73 de PD3BAL.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AirCrafty at none against SimpleFT8's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. SimpleFT8 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. AirCrafty asks for nothing beyond the download.
AirCrafty ships an update every 10 days, SimpleFT8 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AirCrafty | SimpleFT8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Frostech Labs | Jeroen Rombouts |
Customer experience
AirCrafty
SimpleFT8
In-app purchases
AirCrafty
No in-app purchases
SimpleFT8
- SimpleFT8 Pro$3.99
Questions
Is AirCrafty free?
Is SimpleFT8 free?
Do AirCrafty or SimpleFT8 have ads?
Which is updated more often, AirCrafty or SimpleFT8?
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