Comparison

Skyby vs SkyWatch

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

Head to head
About

Skyby

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
Read full description

Know exactly what's flying over you. Look up, and whatever is overhead appears on screen. Airliners, private jets, helicopters, and more, identified instantly. No searching, no typing, no menus. NOTE: Some features shown in the screenshots require Skyby Pro. Whether you're a planespotter camped at the end of a runway or a casual fan glancing up from home, Skyby reads the sky in real time and shows the aircraft directly above: the airline or operator, the aircraft type, the altitude, and, for scheduled flights, where it came from and where it's headed. An inbound indicator shows when a flight is coming into range. Two ways to use it: Set it and forget it. Prop Skyby on a desk, shelf, or windowsill and leave it running: a quiet radar for your patch of sky. Set an alert for the aircraft you care about, and Skyby chimes the moment one flies over. Pull it out and look up. On a walk or in the backyard, open Skyby and see what's flying over right now. From airliners to helicopters: Skyby identifies it all. The passenger and cargo jets, the private planes and business jets, the helicopters overhead. And yes, if a blimp drifts over, Skyby catches that too. Prefer to keep it to the airlines? Flip on Commercial Only in settings. Set your spot, or take it with you: Use your current location Drop a pin anywhere in the coverage area to watch the planes over home while you're away Or set the pin to live, and Skyby follows you as you move WHAT YOU GET Instant overhead ID for the aircraft above you Adjustable search area, up to 3 nm free (wider with Pro) Alerts that chime when a plane you care about flies over (A380 and 747 built in, free) An inbound indicator when a flight is coming into range Real routes and aircraft types for scheduled flights A logbook that saves your catches automatically Available across the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Philippines and Singapore today, with more on the way Skyby Pro adds aircraft photos matched to the tail number (when available), custom alerts (any airline, aircraft type, flight number, or tail), your full logbook with search and bookmarks, detailed stats, and an even wider search radius. Skyby runs on iPhone and iPad, and it shines on iPad propped up on a desk or shelf. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SkyWatch

Features
Read full description

SkyWatch is a live flight radar for iPhone. See the aircraft flying around you, point your camera at the sky to find out which one you're looking at, and keep a record of every flight you take. • Live radar with callsign, altitude, speed and heading, in 2D or 3D • The SkyWatch camera names the aircraft you can actually see overhead, day or night • Passport: log your flights, collect country stamps and replay trips on the globe • Watchlist: follow an aircraft, a flight or a whole aircraft type • Nearby Alerts, Lock Screen following and widgets • Spotter Logbook, and a Pilot Log for flights recorded on Apple Watch • Optional Apple Watch app with a radar on your wrist No account, no ads, no tracking. Your logs are encrypted on your iPhone. SKYWATCH LIVE Live traffic needs SkyWatch Live, a monthly auto-renewing subscription for iPhone and Apple Watch, with a free one-week trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple Account and renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage it anytime in your Apple Account settings. Live positions can be delayed or incomplete. For interest only, never for navigation. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://mountainaerospace.ca/legal/

Screenshots

Skyby4 screens
SkyWatch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Skyby at 15.0 against SkyWatch's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Skyby sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SkyWatch sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skyby ships an update weekly, SkyWatch every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Skyby versus SkyWatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkybySkyWatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStoryForwardElilan Ganesathas

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Skyby

Subscriptions2
  • Skyby Pro$2.991 Month
  • Skyby Pro Annual$19.991 Year
One-time2
  • Skyby Founder Lifetime$19.99
  • Skyby Pro Lifetime$49.99
1 purchases

SkyWatch

Subscriptions1
  • SkyWatch Live7 Days trial$8.991 Month

Questions

Is Skyby free?
Skyby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SkyWatch free?
SkyWatch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Skyby or SkyWatch have ads?
Neither Skyby nor SkyWatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Skyby or SkyWatch?
Skyby ships an update weekly, and SkyWatch every 6 days. Most recently, Skyby was updated on October 24, 2026 and SkyWatch on October 25, 2026.

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