# FlightDeck vs Contrail

FlightDeck and Contrail both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Contrail's written reviews are positive against 18% of FlightDeck's. Contrail also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). FlightDeck's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 10) and chart position (#39 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FlightDeck sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Contrail sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for FlightDeck against 4.6 for Contrail. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightDeck has 1.1K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of FlightDeck's written reviews are positive against 100% of Contrail's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FlightDeck | Contrail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flightdeck-flight-tracker/id6759628645/reviews) | **[4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrail-live-flight-tracker/id6760384533/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 18.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#39** | — |
| Size | 139 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867627998) | [Jacob Lassen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1717573880) |

## What reviewers say

### FlightDeck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flightdeck-flight-tracker/id6759628645)

**Currently charting:** #39 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

This app provides real-time flight tracking with AI-generated insights, offering context beyond raw data. It highlights notable aircraft, weather conditions, and airport details, with customizable alerts and emergency detection.

**Highlights:** Real-time flight tracking map, AI-generated flight briefs, Notable aircraft spotting, Weather intelligence overlays, Detailed airport information, Customizable flight alerts, Emergency squawk detection

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FlightDeck Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| FlightDeck Pro | $12.99 | per 7 days |
| FlightDeck Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| FlightDeck Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| FlightDeck Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| FlightDeck Pro | $69.99 | per year |


### Contrail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrail-live-flight-tracker/id6760384533)

Instantly see all aircraft in the sky on a real-time map. Get detailed flight information, track flights you care about, and view airport departure and arrival boards. Discover notable aircraft and log your own flight history.

**Highlights:** Live aircraft map, Detailed flight information, Flight tracking and alerts, Airport departure/arrival boards, Personal flight logbook, Notable aircraft discovery, Fleet filtering

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contrail Pro Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Contrail Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Buy me a coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Keep the servers running | $4.99 | one-time |
| I love this app | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FlightDeck free?

FlightDeck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Contrail free?

Contrail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, FlightDeck or Contrail?

Contrail is rated higher. FlightDeck averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Contrail averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.

### Do FlightDeck or Contrail have ads?

FlightDeck shows ads; Contrail does not.

### Which is updated more often, FlightDeck or Contrail?

FlightDeck ships an update every 4 days, and Contrail every 4 days. Most recently, FlightDeck was updated on October 15, 2026 and Contrail on October 9, 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.*