Comparison

Skyby vs Lufthaven

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

Lufthaven

Organize and track your upcoming flights with real-time status updates, gate information, and route maps. See departure and arrival times, baggage details, and more in a clear, focused list.

Highlights
  • Organized flight list
  • Real-time flight status
  • Gate and terminal info
  • Baggage claim details
  • Route map visualization
  • Departure and arrival times
Features
Read full description

Lufthaven is a flight tracker for the whole trip, from your door to the gate. Follow a flight and see what happens next: how long security takes, where your plane is, which gate to go to, and when you'll land. ON YOUR LOCK SCREEN • Live Activities and the Dynamic Island for every flight you follow • A countdown to takeoff and landing, then your gate and bag belt • At US airports, the takeoff queue: how many planes are ahead of you and the runway you're waiting for • Widgets for your next flight on the Home Screen, the Lock Screen and in StandBy WHERE'S MY PLANE • The aircraft flying in to operate your flight, live on the map • Whether it's running late, and whether that makes your flight late • A notification when it lands SECURITY AND TSA WAIT TIMES • The security wait at your departure airport, with PreCheck where it's reported • A typical day, so you know when lines build • At Amsterdam Schiphol, each step from checkpoint to gate GATES, DELAYS AND ALERTS • Gate, terminal and bag belt as soon as they're known • Alerts for delays and gate changes, and for boarding, last call and gate closed where the airport publishes them • Connections checked gate to gate, with a clear answer when they're too tight ASK SIRI • "What's my flight status in Lufthaven?", "Where's my plane in Lufthaven?" and "How long is security in Lufthaven?" • Your saved flights in Spotlight, and My Flights in Control Center, on the Lock Screen or the Action button LIVE MAP • Watch your plane move, with the line it has flown • See the traffic around it at the airport ALSO • Starlink Wi‑Fi: whether your plane is likely to have it • The weather at your arrival airport for when you land • Immigration waits on arrival at supported airports • Follow family and friends and see their flights as they happen • In English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean and Traditional Chinese Flight information depends on airline, airport and data-provider coverage and may change or arrive late. Always follow official airline and airport instructions. SUBSCRIPTIONS Lufthaven offers weekly, monthly and annual auto-renewable subscriptions. Pricing and included features are displayed before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://lufthaven.app/flight-tracker/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Additional terms: https://lufthaven.app/flight-tracker/terms

Screenshots

Skyby3 screens
Lufthaven4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Lufthaven at 5.0 against Skyby's 4.4. Lufthaven also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Skyby's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 1). 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 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Lufthaven sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lufthaven holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skyby has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Skyby's written reviews are positive against 100% of Lufthaven's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skyby ships an update weekly, Lufthaven every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Skyby versus Lufthaven: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkybyLufthaven
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (9 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStoryForwardCompiler Inc.

Customer experience

Skyby

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Lufthaven

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
3 purchases

Lufthaven

Subscriptions3
  • Lufthaven Weekly$8.997 Days
  • Lufthaven Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Lufthaven Annual$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Skyby free?
Skyby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lufthaven free?
Lufthaven is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Skyby or Lufthaven?
Lufthaven is rated higher. Skyby averages 4.4 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Lufthaven averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Skyby or Lufthaven have ads?
Neither Skyby nor Lufthaven shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Skyby or Lufthaven?
Skyby ships an update weekly, and Lufthaven every 4 days. Most recently, Skyby was updated on October 11, 2026 and Lufthaven on October 13, 2026.

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