Comparison

Skyby vs Arclune

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

Arclune

Read full description

How far apart are airports, really? Arclune shows airport-to-airport routes as great-circle arcs on Apple Maps, making distance, scale, and time context easy to understand. Search a bundled offline airport database by IATA, ICAO, FAA/local code, airport name, or city. Compare direct and multi-leg routes, add stops or shape points, and view distances in kilometres, nautical miles, and statute miles. Recent routes stay local on your device so you can reopen common comparisons quickly. For time context, Arclune uses selected aircraft assumptions, route allowance, and typical seasonal wind information. Share cards export a clean route view with map, distance, and branding. Arclune is an information and visualisation tool. Do not use it for navigation, flight planning, dispatch, fuel, weather, NOTAM, safety, regulatory, or operational decisions. Data, maps, wind values, and time estimates may be incomplete, inaccurate, non-operational, or out of date.

Screenshots

Skyby3 screens
Arclune3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Arclune at none against Skyby's 3. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Arclune asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Skyby versus Arclune: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkybyArclune
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB318 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStoryForwardDaniel Diebold

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Skyby

Subscriptions2
  • Skyby Pro$2.991 Month
  • Skyby Pro Annual$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Skyby Founder Lifetime$19.99
None

Arclune

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Skyby free?
Skyby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arclune free?
Arclune is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Skyby or Arclune have ads?
Neither Skyby nor Arclune shows ads.

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