Comparison

Skyby vs Plane Spotter Log

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

Head to head
About

Skyby

Identify aircraft flying overhead in real-time, including airlines, aircraft types, and flight details. Log your sightings and set custom alerts for planes you're interested in. Explore a wider range of features with an optional Pro subscription.

Highlights
  • Live aircraft identification
  • Airline and flight details
  • Hands-free operation
  • Automatic logbook
  • Customizable flight alerts
  • Pro version with enhanced features
Features
Read full description

Look up. Skyby tells you what's flying over. Hands-free. Airliners, private jets, helicopters, even the occasional blimp. Skyby shows the plane right above you: airline, aircraft type, altitude, and for airline flights, where it's coming from and going. Leave it running on a desk or windowsill as a quiet radar for your patch of sky, or pull it out on a walk and see what's overhead right now. Set an alert for the planes you love, and Skyby chimes when one flies over. A380 and 747-8 alerts are free. Every catch lands in your logbook automatically. Available across North America, Europe, and much of Asia and the Pacific, with more on the way. SKYBY PRO Aircraft photos, custom alerts for any airline, type, flight, or tail, special livery alerts, a 90-day logbook with search and stats, and a bigger radius. Works on iPhone, iPad, and iPhone Duo. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Plane Spotter Log

Features
Read full description

Plane Spotter Log is your own spotting record: every aircraft you catch, written down properly and kept forever. Log a catch in seconds: registration, type, airline, the airport and the exact spot you stood, photos, and the date. The app remembers your airports, your spots and your habits, so the second entry is faster than the first. YOUR WHOLE SPOTTING LIFE, ONE PLACE - A dashboard with your airlines, types, airports and total catches - A map of everywhere you have spotted, dot by dot - Your full log, searchable by reg, airline, type or place - A gallery wall of every photo you have taken - Seen-before detection: the app tells you when you have caught a reg before YOURS, PRIVATELY - Works offline at the fence: no signal needed to log - No account, no analytics, nothing shared. Your log lives on your phone, backed up automatically to your own iCloud - Export to CSV or JSON any time. Your record is yours GO PRO, YOUR WAY The free logbook holds 5 sightings, forever. Spotter Pro makes it unlimited: a yearly plan with the first week free, or a single one-time payment that unlocks it for good. Nothing you logged is ever taken away. Made for spotters who want their record to outlast any app. Questions or ideas? planespotterlog@brambleapps.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Skyby4 screens
Plane Spotter Log4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Skyby at weekly against Plane Spotter Log's every 4 weeks. On price, ads, 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. Skyby sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Plane Spotter Log sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.49 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skyby ships an update weekly, Plane Spotter Log every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Skyby versus Plane Spotter Log: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkybyPlane Spotter Log
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStoryForwardRuth McCarthy

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
2 purchases

Plane Spotter Log

Subscriptions1
  • Spotter Pro Yearly7 Days trial$10.491 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock forever$26.49

Questions

Is Skyby free?
Skyby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Plane Spotter Log free?
Plane Spotter Log is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Skyby or Plane Spotter Log have ads?
Neither Skyby nor Plane Spotter Log shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Skyby or Plane Spotter Log?
Skyby ships an update weekly, and Plane Spotter Log every 4 weeks. Most recently, Skyby was updated on November 5, 2026 and Plane Spotter Log on October 31, 2026.

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