Comparison

Drone Scout vs TFR Browser

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

Head to head
About

Drone Scout

This app helps US drone pilots navigate airspace regulations and find optimal flight locations. It features an FAA airspace map, an AI spot finder, and a 3D flight simulator to scout sites and rehearse shots before flying.

Highlights
  • FAA airspace map with real-time verdicts
  • AI-powered spot finder for best locations
  • Photorealistic 3D flight simulator
  • Weather forecasting for optimal flight times
  • Saved spots for future reference
  • Drone catalog for aircraft specs
Features
Read full description

Drone Scout combines an FAA airspace map, an AI spot finder, and a photorealistic 3D flight simulator in one app for US drone pilots. Everything starts from the map. Roam the real world in 3D, drop a pin anywhere, and a green, yellow, or red verdict appears for that exact point, with the reasons behind it. 3D FLIGHT SIMULATOR Fly a virtual drone through a photorealistic 3D version of any real location before you drive there. Scout the site, rehearse the shot, and see restricted airspace as ceilings you can fly right up to. Twin sticks, a live HUD with altitude, heading, speed, and wind, all tuned to your aircraft's real specs from the drone catalog. NO-FLY ZONE MAP Controlled airspace, prohibited zones, stadium TFRs, and National Park Service lands drawn as real shapes over the map instead of a list of warnings. LAANC grid cells float at their true ceiling altitude, so a 400 ft limit becomes something you can see. Tap any zone for its name, ceiling, and authorization detail, and watch the verdict update as you move the pin. BEST SPOTS, BEST TIME Pin a point, set a radius, and let AI Scout analyze the whole area. It scores candidate launch spots against airspace, weather, ground clearance, and nearby scenery, then ranks the best ones for you. Every spot comes with a real photo, its authorization status, its altitude ceiling, and the time window when conditions are actually good: wind, gusts, visibility, precipitation, cloud cover, and temperature. Bookmark the ones worth keeping and they wait for you in Saved Spots. BUILT FOR US PILOTS Airspace from FAA data, park no-fly boundaries from the National Park Service, weather from Open-Meteo. Made for recreational and Part 107 pilots who want a quick, reliable read before they launch. IMPORTANT Drone Scout is an informational tool only. It is not an FAA authorization and does not replace LAANC or official airspace guidance. Coverage is limited to the United States. Always confirm current rules and conditions before you fly, and follow all FAA regulations. SUBSCRIPTION The no-fly zone map, point verdicts, and weather are free to use. A subscription unlocks AI Scout and unlimited simulator flights, and every new pilot gets three free simulator launches to try it first. You can view, change, or cancel your subscription at any time from your Apple account settings under Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://www.bronixlabs.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

TFR Browser

Features
Read full description

Most TFR violations aren't defiance. They're pilots who simply didn't know. Temporary Flight Restrictions appear with little warning — wildfires, VIP movements, sporting events, security operations — and checking for them means remembering to go and look. TFR Browser removes that step. Choose the states you fly in, and you'll be notified when a new restriction is published there. WHAT IT DOES - Alerts you when a new TFR is published in your selected states - Checks the FAA's public TFR feed every 15 minutes - Includes nationwide restrictions regardless of which states you pick - Shows the affected airspace on a map, drawn from the FAA's published boundary - Gives you effective times, altitude limits, the governing regulation, and who to contact - Links straight to the official FAA record for any restriction - Share a TFR with another pilot in a couple of taps BUILT FOR HOW DRONE PILOTS ACTUALLY FLY Most airspace tools alert you when a flight you've planned conflicts with a restriction. That doesn't help if you fly opportunistically and never file anything. TFR Browser watches for new restrictions being published, whether or not you've planned a flight. FREE, WITH NO ACCOUNTS AND NO TRACKING No sign-up, no subscription, no advertising, no analytics. The app never asks for your location. IMPORTANT TFR Browser is an independent app. It is not produced, endorsed, or verified by the FAA. It is advisory only and is not a substitute for an official preflight check. Alerts may be delayed or missed, and receiving no notification does not confirm that no restriction applies to your flight. Always verify at tfr.faa.gov before you fly. Compliance with all airspace restrictions remains the pilot's responsibility.

Screenshots

Drone Scout4 screens
TFR Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TFR Browser at none against Drone Scout's 2. Drone Scout's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence 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. Drone Scout sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. TFR Browser asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drone Scout ships an update weekly, TFR Browser every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Drone Scout versus TFR Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrone ScoutTFR Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScateEric Thurber

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Drone Scout

Subscriptions2
  • Drone Scout Weekly$7.997 Days
  • Drone Scout Annual$39.991 Year
None

TFR Browser

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drone Scout free?
Drone Scout is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TFR Browser free?
TFR Browser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Drone Scout or TFR Browser have ads?
Neither Drone Scout nor TFR Browser shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drone Scout or TFR Browser?
Drone Scout ships an update weekly, and TFR Browser every 10 days. Most recently, Drone Scout was updated on October 3, 2026 and TFR Browser on October 9, 2026.

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