Comparison

DroneLook vs Remote ID Drone Radar

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

Head to head
About

DroneLook

Read full description

Drone detection. In your hands. Connect a DroneLook Micro to your iPhone and turn nearby Remote ID broadcasts into a live view of drone activity. Follow flight paths, see reported pilot or takeoff locations, and revisit saved flights in immersive 3D. Live detection requires compatible DroneLook receiver hardware, sold separately. You can explore the app without hardware in the built-in Demo Mode. No account or subscription is required. FOLLOW THE FLIGHT Switch between 2D maps and full-screen 3D satellite views without losing your place. Pan, zoom, tilt, and rotate to explore the scene. See flight trails and reported altitude, speed, and identification details when available. REPLAY THE MOMENT Open a saved flight in 3D. Play it back, scrub to a specific moment, and change playback speed to examine the route from another perspective. KNOW WHERE TO LOOK See the reported pilot or takeoff location when it is included in the broadcast. Use AR Finder to view the direction of a selected detection through your iPhone camera. KEEP THE WHOLE STORY Review saved encounters and telemetry. Download past detections from your Micro and export PDF flight reports, GPX tracks, KML maps, or CSV data. MAKE IT YOURS Classify aircraft, choose the map layers you need, and configure local detection and geofence alerts. Detection history and settings stay on your iPhone; you choose when and where to export them. KEEP YOUR MICRO CURRENT Install the firmware included with the app over USB. Check installed and included versions, follow transfer progress, and confirm the node has restarted. Firmware installation works offline; new firmware arrives through app updates. BEFORE YOU START USB-C is the preferred connection; optional Bluetooth supports compatible nodes. Live detection depends on supported Remote ID broadcasts, receiver configuration, range, and radio conditions. Some aircraft do not broadcast Remote ID or do not provide every field. Map imagery requires internet access, detailed 3D coverage varies by location, and flight altitude alignment is approximate. DroneLook is a passive situational-awareness tool. It does not control or interfere with aircraft and is not intended for air traffic control or safety-of-life use.

About

Remote ID Drone Radar

This app detects drones broadcasting Remote ID signals, showing their location, altitude, and operator information. It renders 3D flight paths and allows recording, playback, and export of flight data. Offline maps and alerts are also available.

Highlights
  • Drone location tracking
  • Operator location display
  • 3D flight path rendering
  • Flight data recording and playback
  • Offline map support
  • Detection alerts
Features
Read full description

Drones over 250g flying in U.S. airspace are required to broadcast a Remote ID signal for anyone to receive with their position, altitude, and in most cases, the operator's location or takeoff location. Remote ID Drone Radar listens for those broadcasts and renders their 3D flight path. WHAT YOU SEE • Drone location • Operator location - pilot location or take off location • Altitude, ground speed, vertical speed, and flight status (ground or airborne) • Distance from the drone to you, to its operator, and operator to you • Make and model, matched from the drone's serial number • 3D flight paths over standard, hybrid, satellite, or offline maps TWO WAYS TO RECEIVE • Bluetooth Remote ID works on your iPhone or iPad by itself, with no extra software. Range is roughly a quarter mile, and it's used mostly by add-on broadcast modules. • Wi-Fi Remote ID is what the vast majority of drones over 249g use, including DJI and Autel aircraft, and it reaches several miles in good conditions. The optional RID Radar Mac Helper turns a Mac into the receiver: download the free Mac helper, and your iPhone or iPad connects to it over Bluetooth or locally. Wi-Fi detection requires a Mac on macOS 26.4 or later — please read the Requirements section below before you subscribe. RECORD THE AIRSPACE • Tap Record and the app captures the whole picture: every drone, every track, timestamped. • Play it back at 1×, 3×, 5×, 10×, or 20×, scrub the timeline, and export the result as a flight file to share or as CSV to analyze. • Import flight files back in on any of your devices. ALERTS • Get a notification the moment a drone appears, with the app in the background and your phone locked. OFFLINE MAPS • Download a global base map plus the regions you fly in, and keep a working map with no cell service at all. PRIVACY • Recordings are stored on your device, or in your own iCloud and synced across your Apple devices — your choice. We never receive them either way. • There is no account, and no analytics pipeline pointed at you. TRY IT • A sample flight is built in, so you can explore recording, playback, and export. PLANS • Standard — live drone map, telemetry, 3D flight paths, make and model • Advanced — adds operator location, flight recording, detection alerts, offline maps, and flight file export and import • Pro — adds serial number decoding and CSV export and import • Lifetime — everything in Pro, one purchase REQUIREMENTS • iPhone, iPad, or Mac • Bluetooth Remote ID: no additional software • Wi-Fi Remote ID: a Mac running macOS 26.4 or later, with the free helper app from pxatech.com/mac. While scanning, the helper puts that Mac's Wi-Fi interface into monitor mode to listen for drone signals. Please note this means you will not be able to use WiFi internet on the Mac while this is active. RID Radar receives publicly broadcast Remote ID signals only. It does not intercept private communications, control any aircraft, or interfere with flight operations in any way. Not all drones are required to broadcast Remote ID, and reception depends on terrain, distance, and antenna placement.

Screenshots

DroneLook4 screens
Remote ID Drone Radar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DroneLook at none against Remote ID Drone Radar's 4. DroneLook also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.4). Remote ID Drone Radar's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. Remote ID Drone Radar sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. DroneLook asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
DroneLook versus Remote ID Drone Radar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDroneLookRemote ID Drone Radar
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander DingleyPXA Tech LLC

In-app purchases

None

DroneLook

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Remote ID Drone Radar

Subscriptions3
  • Remote ID Drone Radar Standard7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Remote ID Drone Radar Advanced$69.991 Year
  • Remote ID Drone Radar Pro$299.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remote ID Drone Radar Lifetime$599.99

Questions

Is DroneLook free?
DroneLook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Remote ID Drone Radar free?
Remote ID Drone Radar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DroneLook or Remote ID Drone Radar have ads?
Neither DroneLook nor Remote ID Drone Radar shows ads.

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