# AirwayControl vs MODE 1090

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AirwayControl at none against MODE 1090's 2. MODE 1090's advantage is device support (5 vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MODE 1090 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. AirwayControl asks for nothing beyond the download.

AirwayControl ships an update every 5 days, MODE 1090 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AirwayControl | MODE 1090 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Size | 28 MB | 201 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Christopher Svendsen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884373160) | [Alexander Stolte](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549556506) |

## What reviewers say

### AirwayControl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airwaycontrol-flight-tracker/id6778455316)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### MODE 1090

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mode-1090-flight-tracker/id6795101033)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Annually | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AirwayControl free?

AirwayControl is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MODE 1090 free?

MODE 1090 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do AirwayControl or MODE 1090 have ads?

Neither AirwayControl nor MODE 1090 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AirwayControl or MODE 1090?

AirwayControl ships an update every 5 days, and MODE 1090 weekly. Most recently, AirwayControl was updated on October 14, 2026 and MODE 1090 on October 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*