Skyby vs Squawk
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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/
Squawk
Instantly identify aircraft overhead with a live map and augmented reality view. Track flights, receive alerts for rare or emergency traffic, and explore detailed flight information. Ideal for both casual observers and dedicated plane spotters.
- Live aircraft map
- Tap to track flight details
- Augmented reality sky view
- Customizable flyover alerts
- Track your own flights
- Airport arrival/departure boards
- Logbook with badges
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Ever look up and wonder what that plane is? Squawk tells you — instantly. Squawk turns your phone into a live window on the sky above you. Tap any aircraft to see where it's going, what it is, who's flying it, and the exact path it's taken. Set up one free alert zone and get a push when military or widebody aircraft cross it — even with the app closed. Whether you're a serious plane spotter or just curious about the jet leaving a contrail over your house, Squawk was built for you. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Live map — Every plane in the sky, updating in real time, with altitude-colored trails • Tap to track — Flight details, route, aircraft type, operator, and full flight path • AR sky view — Point your phone at the sky and see planes labeled right where they are (3 free sessions, then Pro) • Free alert zone — A 40 km zone around you that pushes when military or widebody aircraft enter it, up to 4 a day. Pro adds unlimited zones plus rare, military-base and emergency alerts • Track your flight — Add your own flights and follow every phase from gate to landing, with live status and a boarding-pass card • Airports — Live arrival/departure boards, weather, runways, and frequencies • Logbook — Keep a record of everything you've spotted, earn badges, and climb the spotter ranks • Radio transcriber (Pro) — Connect your own radio and get live ATC transcription (external hardware required) • More to explore — Rocket-launch visibility, day/night terminator, oceanic tracks and 24-hour area replay, plus weather radar and winds aloft with Pro FREE TO START The live map, tracking, fire tracking, 24-hour area replay, in-app alerts and one alert zone that pushes are all free — no account required — and the AR sky view gives you 3 free sessions. Squawk Pro adds unlimited alert zones with pushes for specific aircraft, type takeoffs, military bases and worldwide emergencies, 30-day replay and flight history, the radio transcriber, AR, and premium map layers, with a 1-week free trial on the yearly plan for new subscribers. FOR SPOTTERS, BY SPOTTERS Squawk shows real data, real trails, and real aircraft — no filler, no fake feeds. Just an honest, beautiful look at what's actually flying. Look up. Tap. Know. SQUAWK PRO SUBSCRIPTION • Squawk Pro Monthly — $4.99 per month • Squawk Pro Yearly — $34.99 per year ($2.92 per month) Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://getsquawk.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://getsquawk.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Squawk at 4.9 against Skyby's 4.6. Squawk also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Skyby's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Skyby sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Squawk sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Squawk holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Skyby's written reviews are positive against 100% of Squawk's.
Skyby ships an update weekly, Squawk every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Skyby | Squawk |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (12 ratings) | 4.9 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | StoryForward | Hunter Cochran |
Customer experience
Skyby
Squawk
In-app purchases
Skyby
- Skyby Pro$2.991 Month
- Skyby Pro Annual$19.991 Year
- Skyby Founder Lifetime$19.99
- Skyby Pro Lifetime$49.99
Squawk
- Squawk Pro$4.991 Month
- Squawk Pro Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year









