Comparison

FlightSpot vs MODE 1090

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

Head to head
About

FlightSpot

Track live aircraft in real-time with a night-radar map, view details like speed and altitude, and log your sightings. Discover interesting planes nearby and manage your spotting sessions with this dedicated tool for aviation enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Live sky map with aircraft details
  • Overhead mode to see nearby planes
  • Comprehensive spotting logbook
  • Airport and watchlist features
  • Discover interesting aircraft
  • No account required for basic use
Features
Read full description

The plane tracker built for plane spotters. Most flight apps are built for the flight - where it is, when it lands. FlightSpot is built for the person at the fence: what is flying near you right now, which aircraft deserve your attention, and a logbook of every one you have spotted. Start free, no account required. LIVE SKY MAP - Real-time aircraft on a night-radar map, with heading, altitude, speed, and position age - Tap any aircraft for registration, type, operator, and route - Search by registration, callsign, type, airline, or airport - Filters for airline, aircraft type, military, and helicopters OVERHEAD MODE - Answer the oldest question in the hobby: what just flew over - The aircraft above and around you, ranked by how close they are YOUR SPOTTING LOGBOOK - Log a sighting with one tap - Views by registration, type, airline, and airport, with completion counts - Spotting sessions turn a day at the fence into one summary: totals, new registrations, new types, and your rarest catch - Everything you log stays yours, always readable AIRPORTS AND WATCHLISTS - Save your home airport and see the aircraft near it - Watch for specific registrations or types - matches surface on the map while you spot DISCOVER - Interesting aircraft nearby, ranked by rarity, with a reason on every card NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED FlightSpot works fully as a guest. Sign in later only if you want your collection synced across devices. FLIGHTSPOT PRO Upgrade for unlimited sightings, unlimited saved airports, advanced watchlist rules, and the full Discover feed. Start with a 7-day free trial. HONEST ABOUT COVERAGE Aircraft positions come from a community network of ADS-B receivers. Coverage is strongest near cities and major airports, and aircraft that are not broadcasting - or are outside receiver range - may not appear. What you see is what the network hears, live. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

MODE 1090

Features
Read full description

Know what's flying overhead. Track aircraft live, point your iPhone at the sky and turn real sightings into your own aircraft collection. Start with live radar, scanning and collecting for free. No account needed to get started. YOUR SKY, LIVE • See nearby aircraft on a clear radar with altitude, speed and aircraft photos when available. • Explore the interactive flight map, browse the list of nearby aircraft and watch aircraft arriving at or departing from an airport. • Switch between aircraft silhouettes, ATC data blocks and a minimal radar view. SCAN IT. COLLECT IT. • Point your iPhone at an aircraft to find out what you're looking at. No photo upload needed. • Collect real sightings across aircraft types, airlines and registrations. Add notes and revisit your scan history. • See your collected aircraft on the map, complete daily missions, earn XP, level up and unlock achievements. • Share the hobby with friends and compare your progress. GET CLOSER WITH MODE 1090 PRO • Rotate, zoom and explore available 3D aircraft models and liveries. • Search live aircraft worldwide by callsign, registration or ICAO code, then follow a flight on the map. • Discover flight routes when available, save more aircraft favorites and revisit flight history. • Keep airport spotting in view with Live Activities on supported iPhones, where available. • Enjoy radar without the inactivity pause, spoken aviation callouts in English, custom radar colors and app icons. • Export your sighting notes for use beyond the app. ON YOUR PHONE, TABLET AND WRIST Enjoy spotting on iPhone and iPad, with a live radar on Apple Watch. With an optional account, you can sync your collection for free between iPhone and iPad. You can also export your collection data. No ads. Camera images stay on your device. Flight coverage, routes and model availability vary. MODE 1090 is for plane spotting and observation, not navigation or flight operations. MODE 1090 Pro is an optional subscription. It renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. Privacy: https://mode1090.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: https://mode1090.com/support

Screenshots

FlightSpot4 screens
MODE 10904 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: MODE 1090 at 5 against FlightSpot's 3. On price, update cadence, 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. FlightSpot sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and MODE 1090 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FlightSpot ships an update every 2 weeks, MODE 1090 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
FlightSpot versus MODE 1090: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlightSpotMODE 1090
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB201 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVikorus, LLCAlexander Stolte

In-app purchases

2 purchases

FlightSpot

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$14.991 Year
2 purchases

MODE 1090

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Annually$34.991 Year

Questions

Is FlightSpot free?
FlightSpot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MODE 1090 free?
MODE 1090 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FlightSpot or MODE 1090 have ads?
Neither FlightSpot nor MODE 1090 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FlightSpot or MODE 1090?
FlightSpot ships an update every 2 weeks, and MODE 1090 weekly. Most recently, FlightSpot was updated on October 24, 2026 and MODE 1090 on October 29, 2026.

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