Squawk vs Airplanes.live
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
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.
- Live aircraft tracking
- Detailed flight information
- Weather radar overlay
- ATC scope mode
- Convergence alerts
- Search by callsign/registration
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Squawk ships an update every 2 days, Airplanes.live weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Squawk | Airplanes.live |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (10 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | #198 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hunter Cochran | Blake Hughes |
Customer experience
Squawk
Airplanes.live
In-app purchases
Squawk
- Squawk Pro$4.991 Month
- Squawk Pro Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year
Airplanes.live
- Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$19.991 Year








