# FlightDeck vs Skyby

FlightDeck and Skyby both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Skyby's written reviews are positive against 18% of FlightDeck's. Skyby also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). FlightDeck's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 9) and chart position (#40 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 Skyby sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FlightDeck holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightDeck has 1.1K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 18% of FlightDeck's written reviews are positive against 86% of Skyby's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FlightDeck ships an update every 4 days, Skyby weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FlightDeck | Skyby |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flightdeck-flight-tracker/id6759628645/reviews)** | [4.4 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyby/id6763821459/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 18.1% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 139 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867627998) | [StoryForward](https://appshunter.io/developer/509563620) |

## What reviewers say

### FlightDeck

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

**Currently charting:** #40 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 |


### Skyby

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyby/id6763821459)

Instantly identify commercial flights overhead without searching. Track airline, origin, destination, and aircraft type in real-time. Set alerts for specific planes or monitor your chosen airspace.

**Highlights:** Instant overhead flight identification, Real-time airline, origin, and destination, Aircraft type and altitude display, Inbound flight indicator, Customizable alerts for specific aircraft, Automatic logbook of flights

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Skyby Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Skyby Pro Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Skyby Founder Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FlightDeck free?

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

### Is Skyby free?

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

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

FlightDeck is rated higher. FlightDeck averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Skyby averages 4.4 from 9 ratings.

### Do FlightDeck or Skyby have ads?

FlightDeck shows ads; Skyby does not.

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

FlightDeck ships an update every 4 days, and Skyby weekly. Most recently, FlightDeck was updated on October 15, 2026 and Skyby on October 11, 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.*