PFSmarter vs Vane
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
PFSmarter
Read full descriptionHide full description
FREE 2-Week TRIAL. NO commitment. CANCEL ANYTIME. The complete flight operations toolkit ā built by pilots, for pilots. Weather briefing, dispatch, crosswind, ACN/PCN, offline hazmat decoder, and flight computer ā every phase of flight covered in one app. DISPATCH ā Operational Command Center The heart of PFSmarter. Enter departure, destination, and alternates ā get full route weather, NOTAMs, wind analysis, and alternate window in one screen. iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad. āø Weather List: Color-coded METAR cards (VFR/IFR/LIFR) with wind. Build smart watchlists for Dep, Dest, and Alts with instant IATA/ICAO search. āø Airport Details: Live METAR/TAF/D-ATIS raw and decoded. Crosswind/headwind/tailwind per runway, ceiling and visibility in color-coded Analysis view, usable window per airport. Personal notes and favorite spots pinned to each airport. āø Flight Planner: Great Circle & Rhumb Line with up to 6 alternates. Day/Night terminator overlay. Unified weather briefing for your entire route. āø Smart NOTAMs: Critical closures in red, key info in yellow. Smart offline backup ā always available in the cockpit. āø SIGWX Charts: Global significant weather by region and forecast time. Anticipate jet streams, frontal systems, and convective activity. āø World Weather Map: Live turbulence, icing, and convective zones. Tap for SIGMETs, AIRMETs, TAF/METAR, radar, and clouds. āø Night Block: Solar algorithm calculates exact Day vs. Night hours along your route for precise logbook entries. UN DECODER ā 100% Offline Hazmat Built to IATA DGR standards. No internet required ā cockpit, ramp, anywhere. āø UN Number lookup ā instantly see if a substance is forbidden on passenger or cargo aircraft āø Drill Code decoder āø Passenger & Crew limits ā resolve gate disputes in seconds FLIGHT COMPUTER āø Density & Pressure Altitude from OAT and QNH āø TAS / IAS / Mach conversion by altitude and temperature āø In-flight wind from GS/TAS difference āø Wind Correction Angle, True Heading, Ground Speed āø GS to IAS/TAS conversion METAR / TAF DECODER Paste any raw METAR ā every token decoded line by line in plain English. Wind, visibility, clouds, QNH, RVR, and regional additions covered. ACN / PCN Extensive aircraft database covering rigid and flexible pavements. Select type, weight, and subgrade ā get ACN instantly and compare against runway PCN to confirm pavement compatibility. ALTITUDE CORRECTION Cold temperature IFR corrections in seconds. Avoid dangerous approach altitude errors in ISA-low conditions ā get the corrected value before you need it. CONVERTER Distance, speed, temperature, pressure, weight, volume ā instant result as you type. SUNRISE / SUNSET Civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight for any coordinate and date. Imsak and Iftar times included. Night flight planning and Day/Night block calculation. TOOLBOX āø DME / Altitude Profile ā FPA or RoD at any fix, RoD table by speed āø Gradient Calculator ā GS + gradient ā vertical speed (fpm) āø Hydroplaning Speed ā dynamic and total from tire pressure āø SNOWTAM Decoder ā surface condition and braking action āø Distance & Track ā between two coordinates āø IGA Runway Details ā Istanbul Airport CDM by flight number āø Reference Tables ā standard atmosphere and conversion factors āø XWind ā crosswind and headwind, knots or m/s, color-coded limits āø Crew Rest ā minimum rest from duty times, multi-segment support āø Time Calc ā HH:MM arithmetic with operation history PRICING All premium features free for 14 days. Choose Monthly or Annual after your trial. Cancel anytime up to 24 hours before renewal. DESIGNED FOR Airline and general aviation pilots, first officers, flight dispatchers, and flight operations officers. Professional IFR preflight briefing, hazmat reference, runway analysis, and logbook calculation ā wherever you fly. One app. Every tool. Always with you.
Vane
Read full descriptionHide full description
Vane is a modern glass-cockpit E6B ā the classic flight computer, reimagined for the way pilots fly today. Fourteen precise instruments in one fast, beautiful app that works entirely offline, from preflight planning to the cockpit. Every result is built on real aeronautical formulas and shows its work, so you can trust the number and understand it ā ideal for student pilots training for the checkride and for working pilots who want the answer in one tap. ā 14 PILOT INSTRUMENTS ā ⢠Wind Triangle ā heading, ground speed and wind correction angle from wind and course ⢠Crosswind ā headwind and crosswind components for any runway ⢠Weight & Balance ā live CG and envelope check for every load ⢠Nav Log ā multi-leg cross-country planning with 48,000 airports built in ⢠METAR & TAF ā aviation weather decoded into plain language ⢠Density & Pressure Altitude ā your true performance conditions ⢠True Airspeed & Mach ā CAS, TAS and Mach from altitude and temperature ⢠Fuel ā burn, endurance, range and reserves ⢠Performance ā takeoff, landing, climb and glide distances ⢠Heading ā true, magnetic and compass with variation and deviation ⢠Holding ā entry, timing and hold planning ⢠Top of Descent ā when to start down for a smooth arrival ⢠Altitude & Speed ā pressure and density altitude at a glance ⢠Conversions ā every aviation unit: knots, nm, feet, °C, inHg, hPa and more ā BUILT FOR THE COCKPIT ā ⢠100% offline ā every airport, formula and table lives on your device, no signal required ⢠Show your work ā open any result into clear, step-by-step math ⢠Save calculations and reopen them anytime ⢠48,000 airports, runways and frequencies bundled in ⢠Magnetic variation built in ā no internet lookup ā THREE COCKPITS ā ⢠Day, night and red night-vision themes to protect your eyes on late flights ⢠Metric or imperial ā your units, everywhere ⢠A calm, high-contrast instrument panel designed to read at a glance Vane is made for student pilots, private pilots (PPL), commercial and airline pilots, CFIs and anyone flying VFR or IFR. Replace your plastic E6B and a pocket full of apps with one instrument. Fly prepared. Download Vane.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: PFSmarter at 13.0 against Vane's 15.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PFSmarter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Vane sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PFSmarter | Vane |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 ā better | 15.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 91 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AYLIN BICEN | Chirag Arora |
In-app purchases
PFSmarter
- Pro Membership (1 Month)$1.991 Month
- Pro Membership (1 Year)$17.991 Year
- Life Time Membership$34.99
Vane
- Vane Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Vane Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
Questions
Is PFSmarter free?
Is Vane free?
Do PFSmarter or Vane have ads?
Which is updated more often, PFSmarter or Vane?
Other comparisons















