Comparison

Squawk vs Airplanes.live

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

Head to head
About

Squawk

Instantly identify aircraft overhead with a live map and augmented reality view. Track flights, receive alerts for rare or emergency traffic, and explore detailed flight information. Ideal for both casual observers and dedicated plane spotters.

Highlights
  • Live aircraft map
  • Tap to track flight details
  • Augmented reality sky view
  • Customizable flyover alerts
  • Track your own flights
  • Airport arrival/departure boards
  • Logbook with badges
Features
Read full description

Ever look up and wonder what that plane is? Squawk tells you — instantly. Squawk turns your phone into a live window on the sky above you. Tap any aircraft to see where it's going, what it is, who's flying it, and the exact path it's taken. Set up one free alert zone and get a push when military or widebody aircraft cross it — even with the app closed. Whether you're a serious plane spotter or just curious about the jet leaving a contrail over your house, Squawk was built for you. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Live map — Every plane in the sky, updating in real time, with altitude-colored trails • Tap to track — Flight details, route, aircraft type, operator, and full flight path • AR sky view — Point your phone at the sky and see planes labeled right where they are (3 free sessions, then Pro) • Free alert zone — A 40 km zone around you that pushes when military or widebody aircraft enter it, up to 4 a day. Pro adds unlimited zones plus rare, military-base and emergency alerts • Track your flight — Add your own flights and follow every phase from gate to landing, with live status and a boarding-pass card • Airports — Live arrival/departure boards, weather, runways, and frequencies • Logbook — Keep a record of everything you've spotted, earn badges, and climb the spotter ranks • Radio transcriber (Pro) — Connect your own radio and get live ATC transcription (external hardware required) • More to explore — Rocket-launch visibility, day/night terminator, oceanic tracks and 24-hour area replay, plus weather radar and winds aloft with Pro FREE TO START The live map, tracking, fire tracking, 24-hour area replay, in-app alerts and one alert zone that pushes are all free — no account required — and the AR sky view gives you 3 free sessions. Squawk Pro adds unlimited alert zones with pushes for specific aircraft, type takeoffs, military bases and worldwide emergencies, 30-day replay and flight history, the radio transcriber, AR, and premium map layers, with a 1-week free trial on the yearly plan for new subscribers. FOR SPOTTERS, BY SPOTTERS Squawk shows real data, real trails, and real aircraft — no filler, no fake feeds. Just an honest, beautiful look at what's actually flying. Look up. Tap. Know. SQUAWK PRO SUBSCRIPTION • Squawk Pro Monthly — $4.99 per month • Squawk Pro Yearly — $34.99 per year ($2.92 per month) Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://getsquawk.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://getsquawk.app/terms

About

Airplanes.live

Track live aircraft in the sky, including airliners, general aviation, helicopters, and military traffic. View detailed flight information, weather overlays, and a radar-scope view with convergence alerts. Offers a Pro version with advanced features for a fee.

Highlights
  • Live aircraft tracking
  • Detailed flight information
  • Weather radar overlay
  • ATC scope mode
  • Convergence alerts
  • Search by callsign/registration
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

See every aircraft in the sky — unfiltered. Airplanes.live is a live flight tracker powered by the community-run airplanes.live receiver network. Unlike other trackers, it shows you everything the network sees: airliners, general aviation, helicopters, and the military and privacy-flagged traffic that other apps remove. THE MAP • Live aircraft colored by altitude, with type-specific silhouettes • Tap any aircraft for photos, route, altitude, speed, and registered owner • Flight trails, search by callsign / registration / hex • Light and dark maps, all served from our own infrastructure WEATHER • Live NOAA/NWS radar overlay, animated or latest-frame • See the weather traffic is flying around, in real time ATC SCOPE MODE • A radar-scope view with data blocks — callsign, flight level, speed, type • Convergence alerts between converging aircraft • Emergency squawk (7500/7600/7700) highlighting PRO • Weather radar, advanced filters, unlimited watchlist, and alerts • Feed data to airplanes.live? Pro is free for feeders. Aircraft positions come from publicly broadcast ADS-B signals received by a volunteer community. For informational and educational use — not for navigation, separation, or safety-of-life purposes. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://airplanes.hughesit.us/terms Privacy Policy: https://airplanes.hughesit.us/privacy

Screenshots

Squawk4 screens
Airplanes.live4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Squawk at every 2 days against Airplanes.live's weekly. Squawk also leads on ratings volume (10 vs 1). Airplanes.live's advantage is chart position (#198 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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. Squawk sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Airplanes.live sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Squawk against 5.0 for Airplanes.live. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Squawk has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Squawk ships an update every 2 days, Airplanes.live weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Squawk versus Airplanes.live: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSquawkAirplanes.live
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (10 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank—#198 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHunter CochranBlake Hughes

Customer experience

Squawk

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Airplanes.live

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Squawk

Subscriptions2
  • Squawk Pro$4.991 Month
  • Squawk Pro Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year
2 purchases

Airplanes.live

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Squawk free?
Squawk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Airplanes.live free?
Airplanes.live is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Squawk or Airplanes.live?
Airplanes.live is rated higher. Squawk averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Airplanes.live averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Squawk or Airplanes.live have ads?
Neither Squawk nor Airplanes.live shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Squawk or Airplanes.live?
Squawk ships an update every 2 days, and Airplanes.live weekly. Most recently, Squawk was updated on October 25, 2026 and Airplanes.live on October 24, 2026.

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