Comparison

FlyRadar vs ATC SkyDecode

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

Head to head
About

FlyRadar

Track flights in real-time with a live air traffic radar and receive instant alerts for delays, cancellations, and schedule changes. Monitor any trip from departure to arrival and get essential airport information.

Highlights
  • Live air traffic map
  • Real-time flight status
  • Delay and cancellation alerts
  • Gate-to-gate trip tracking
  • Airport arrival/departure boards
  • Smart flight search
Features
Read full description

FlyRadar - Flight Tracker turns your iPhone into a live air traffic radar with powerful flight status alerts. Watch planes move in real time on a global map, follow any trip from gate to gate, and stay ahead of delays, cancellations and schedule changes. Use FlyRadar when you’re flying yourself, meeting someone at the airport, or just curious about the sky above. Search a flight in seconds, add it to your watchlist, and let the app keep you updated so you can focus on your trip instead of refreshing airline pages. LIVE AIR RADAR * View live air traffic on an interactive world map. * Tap any plane to see its route, origin, destination, airline and aircraft details. * See basic flight data such as altitude, speed and estimated arrival time at a glance. FLIGHT STATUS & DELAY ALERTS * Check real-time flight status: scheduled, boarding, departed, en route, landed, delayed or cancelled. * Get notifications about major changes like delays, gate switches and cancellations, so you know what’s happening without constantly checking. * Follow connecting flights and return trips from one place. SMART FLIGHT SEARCH * Find flights quickly by flight number, route or airport. * Add upcoming flights to a personal watchlist for faster access on travel days. * Track multiple flights at once – useful for families, groups and frequent flyers. AIRPORT & TRAVEL OVERVIEW * See arrival and departure boards for selected airports with basic schedule info. * Check essential details like terminal and planned gate (where available). * Get a quick view of local time and general conditions at departure and arrival airports. ________________ NOTE Flight information and alerts are based on available data from airlines, airports and aviation sources and may vary by region and carrier. FlyRadar - Flight Tracker is an independent app and is not affiliated with any airline, airport or air traffic control authority. All trademarks and copyrights belong to their respective owners. Please note: There are no free features available; a subscription is required to access all content and tools.The renewal price of subscriptions may vary based on the chosen plan and is consistent with rates in the App Store. Subscription management in Account Settings. -Free trial shifts to paid subscription; unused portion forfeited upon upgrade. -Renewals unless disabled 24 hours before the current period ends. For additional information, please refer to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SAHkA4fO878PLSLuPp2L891LiVczwQ4qPzFUmR1MYvo/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uemnJriDIANjq9pJQQgqqWd1eb2n--mPl5mZEg_TH1A/edit?usp=sharing

About

ATC SkyDecode

Learn air traffic control communications with synchronized text and audio dialogues. Track global flights in real-time on a live map, viewing aircraft details. Designed for aviation enthusiasts and learners with a focused, dark interface.

Highlights
  • Synchronized ATC dialogues with text
  • Real-time global flight map
  • Aircraft details on tap
  • Clean, dark interface
  • Aviation phraseology learning
Features
Read full description

SkyDecode brings two things together for student pilots, aviation English learners, and aviation enthusiasts: a way to get familiar with ATC communications, and a real-time view of what's flying around the world. What you get ATC dialogues with synchronized text - Each ATC dialogue is paired with a synchronized text view, so you can follow along visually while you listen. - A natural way to pick up phraseology, callsign formats, and the flow of typical exchanges — without having to decode every word by ear. Real-time global flight tracking - A live flight map powered by adsb.fi, with sub-5-second refresh. - Tap any aircraft on the map to see its callsign, altitude, ground speed, heading, and squawk code. - Watch global air traffic move in real time, anywhere in the world. Built for focused use - A clean, dark, radar-inspired interface that's easy on the eyes during extended sessions. SkyDecode is an independent app and is not affiliated with any air traffic control authority or live ATC monitoring service. Terms of Service: https://www.tapwater.life/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://www.tapwater.life/privacy-policy

Screenshots

FlyRadar4 screens
ATC SkyDecode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FlyRadar at 100% against ATC SkyDecode's 23%. FlyRadar also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). ATC SkyDecode's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). 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. FlyRadar sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and ATC SkyDecode sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FlyRadar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ATC SkyDecode has 263 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of FlyRadar's written reviews are positive against 23% of ATC SkyDecode's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FlyRadar ships an update every 3 months, ATC SkyDecode every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
FlyRadar versus ATC SkyDecode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlyRadarATC SkyDecode
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (22 ratings) — better4.5 (263 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better22.7% of reviews
Number of ratings22263 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB45 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHnat ShkrablaTap Water

Customer experience

FlyRadar

All ratings22 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ATC SkyDecode

All ratings250 ratings
Positive85.6%
Neutral4.8%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive22.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative77.3%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

FlyRadar

Subscriptions4
  • Ultimate Weekly7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Premium Pass3 Days trial$10.497 Days
  • Premium Pass Month3 Days trial$20.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
7 purchases

ATC SkyDecode

Subscriptions6
  • SkyDecode Premium weekly$5.997 Days
  • SkyDecode Premium weekly 3dt3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • SkyDecode Premium weekly first week7 Days trial$5.997 Days
Show 3 more
  • SkyDecode Premium monthly$19.991 Month
  • SkyDecode Premium yearly$49.991 Year
  • SkyDecode Premium yearly 3dt3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • skydecode lifetime $79.99$79.99

Questions

Is FlyRadar free?
FlyRadar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ATC SkyDecode free?
ATC SkyDecode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FlyRadar or ATC SkyDecode?
FlyRadar is rated higher. FlyRadar averages 5.0 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while ATC SkyDecode averages 4.5 from 263 ratings.
Do FlyRadar or ATC SkyDecode have ads?
Neither FlyRadar nor ATC SkyDecode shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FlyRadar or ATC SkyDecode?
FlyRadar ships an update every 3 months, and ATC SkyDecode every 4 days. Most recently, FlyRadar was updated on October 24, 2026 and ATC SkyDecode on October 24, 2026.

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