# FlightDeck vs Airplanes.live

The clearest difference is monetization model: Airplanes.live at freemium against FlightDeck's subscription. Airplanes.live also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). FlightDeck's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 1) and chart position (#32 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FlightDeck sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Airplanes.live sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Airplanes.live holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlightDeck has 1.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FlightDeck | Airplanes.live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flightdeck-flight-tracker/id6759628645/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airplaneslive/id6801947441/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 18.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 139 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867627998) | [Blake Hughes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792651791) |

## What reviewers say

### FlightDeck

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

**Currently charting:** #32 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 |


### Airplanes.live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airplaneslive/id6801947441)

Track live aircraft in the sky, including airliners, general aviation, helicopters, and military traffic. View detailed flight information, weather overlays, and a radar-scope view with convergence alerts. Offers a Pro version with advanced features for a fee.

**Highlights:** Live aircraft tracking, Detailed flight information, Weather radar overlay, ATC scope mode, Convergence alerts, Search by callsign/registration

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FlightDeck free?

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

### Is Airplanes.live free?

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

### Which has better reviews, FlightDeck or Airplanes.live?

Airplanes.live is rated higher. FlightDeck averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Airplanes.live averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do FlightDeck or Airplanes.live have ads?

FlightDeck shows ads; Airplanes.live does not.

### Which is updated more often, FlightDeck or Airplanes.live?

FlightDeck ships an update every 4 days, and Airplanes.live every 4 days. Most recently, FlightDeck was updated on September 24, 2026 and Airplanes.live on September 23, 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.*