Comparison

FlightDeck vs ARDAR

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

Head to head
About

FlightDeck

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
Read full description

FlightDeck is the flight tracker that shows you what pilots are saying, live. PILOT MESSAGES (ACARS) Read the messages pilots and their airline send each other, decoded live: diversions, medical emergencies, maintenance problems, and the odd joke. Search any flight and day. TRACK YOUR FLIGHT Follow your flight on your Lock Screen: clearance, pushback, takeoff and landing runways, and the plane flying in that becomes yours. 3D MODE The 3D flight tracking you've seen all over social media. Real planes in their airline's paint, gear and all. Nothing else comes close. REPLAY Go back to any flight from the last 30 days and watch it fly again. ALERTS Write an alert in plain English, or draw one on the map. Get notified about emergency squawks and military and government aircraft. ALSO INCLUDED Weather radar, turbulence and pilot reports, D-ATIS, METARs, plain-English NOTAMs, FAA ground stops and delays, active runways, gates, TSA wait times, and approach charts. SUBSCRIPTION FlightDeck requires a weekly or yearly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. It renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it anytime in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.tryflightdeck.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.tryflightdeck.com/terms

About

ARDAR

This app uses augmented reality to overlay live flight information directly onto your camera's view of the sky. Point your device upwards to identify aircraft, track their routes, and view details like speed, altitude, and airline. It's designed for aviation enthusiasts and curious observers to make air traffic visible and immediate.

Highlights
  • AR aircraft labels over the real sky
  • Live nearby flight tracker data
  • Flight and plane radar views
  • Air traffic radar
  • Detailed flight information (callsign, altitude, speed)
  • Route and airline identification
  • Flight path visualization
  • Filters for focused spotting
Features
Read full description

Turn the sky into a live flight tracker. ARDAR is an AR flight radar and plane spotting app that places nearby aircraft directly over your camera view, so you can point your iPhone at the sky and see what is flying above you. Built for every plane spotter, aviation fan, traveler, and curious sky watcher, ARDAR makes air traffic feel visible, immediate, and real. Use ARDAR as an AR plane spotter, flight tracker, plane radar, and air traffic radar in one simple experience. See live nearby aircraft with callsigns, altitude, speed, heading, distance, route details, aircraft type, airline info, and more. Tap a plane in the sky to focus on it, follow its flight path, and stay flight aware without digging through a traditional map-first flight tracker. Whether you are plane spotting near an airport, watching arrivals and departures, tracking overhead flights from your backyard, or pairing the view with ATC or live ATC listening, ARDAR gives you a fast, visual way to understand the air traffic around you. Features: • AR aircraft labels over the real sky • Live nearby flight tracker data • Flight radar and plane radar views • Air traffic radar for local aircraft • Callsign, altitude, speed, heading, and distance • Route, origin, and destination details when available • Airline and aircraft identification • Flight path and trajectory visualization • Filters for focused plane spotting • Apple Watch companion map for nearby air traffic ARDAR is made for people who look up. Open the app, point at the sky, and know what is flying. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

FlightDeck4 screens
ARDAR4 screens

Verdict

The call

FlightDeck and ARDAR both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of ARDAR's written reviews are positive against 19% of FlightDeck's. ARDAR also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). FlightDeck's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 12) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, 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. FlightDeck sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and ARDAR sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ARDAR holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightDeck has 1.5K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of FlightDeck's written reviews are positive against 100% of ARDAR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FlightDeck ships an update every 4 days, ARDAR every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
FlightDeck versus ARDAR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlightDeckARDAR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.5K ratings)4.7 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.5K — better12
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
Best chart rank#14 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size163 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAttractsVillegas Ventures LLC

Customer experience

FlightDeck

All ratings1,473 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews292 reviews
Positive19.2%
Neutral10.6%
Negative70.2%

ARDAR

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

FlightDeck

Subscriptions6
  • FlightDeck Pro$6.997 Days
  • FlightDeck Pro$12.997 Days
  • FlightDeck Pro$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • FlightDeck Pro$49.991 Year
  • FlightDeck Pro3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • FlightDeck Pro3 Days trial$69.991 Year
2 purchases

ARDAR

Subscriptions2
  • ARDAR Pro - Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • ARDAR Pro Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$26.901 Year

Questions

Is FlightDeck free?
FlightDeck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ARDAR free?
ARDAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FlightDeck or ARDAR?
ARDAR is rated higher. FlightDeck averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while ARDAR averages 4.7 from 12 ratings.
Do FlightDeck or ARDAR have ads?
FlightDeck shows ads; ARDAR does not.
Which is updated more often, FlightDeck or ARDAR?
FlightDeck ships an update every 4 days, and ARDAR every 2 weeks. Most recently, FlightDeck was updated on November 9, 2026 and ARDAR on November 10, 2026.

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