Comparison

MODE 1090 vs FlyETA

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

Head to head
About

MODE 1090

Features
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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

About

FlyETA

Features
Read full description

Follow your flight. Keep the journey. FlyETA shows your altitude, ground speed and flown route from your phone's own satellite receiver, over an offline map with terrain. Save the flight and replay it after landing. NO CABIN WI-FI NEEDED Maps and terrain are already on your phone. Follow your flight in airplane mode, wherever satellite reception allows. A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE VIEW - GPS altitude, ground speed, vertical speed and track - ETA, time remaining, distance flown and distance to go - Flight phase: taxi, climb, cruise, descent - Cabin pressure altitude and a turbulence reading - The country and nearest town passing beneath your window YOUR JOURNEY STAYS YOURS No account, no analytics, no flight uploads. Recordings stay on your phone as readable JSON files you can open in the Files app, and you can replay any of them at 1x, 4x, 16x or 60x. HOW TO USE IT 1. Set your route. Look up your flight number before boarding, or choose both airports by hand to stay offline. 2. Check location at the gate. Tap Continue at the location step and choose when iOS asks. Then get a satellite fix before takeoff. In the cabin, keep the phone near a window. 3. Track, then record. Start tracking to see your flight. Tap the red record button to save it, and stop after landing to see your summary. HONEST ABOUT WHAT IT CAN SEE Every number is measured by your phone, not read from the aircraft. Reception varies with your phone, aircraft and seat; a window seat gives the phone a better view of the sky. Where a value is unknown FlyETA shows "--" instead of a guess. Flight-number lookup contacts online services during setup; skip it and pick the airports yourself to send nothing. Requires precise location and a satellite receiver: iPhone and cellular iPad with iOS 15 or newer. Wi-Fi-only iPads have no receiver and are not supported.

Screenshots

MODE 10904 screens
FlyETA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FlyETA at none against MODE 1090's 2. MODE 1090's advantage is device support (5 vs 3). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. MODE 1090 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. FlyETA asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
MODE 1090 versus FlyETA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMODE 1090FlyETA
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size201 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander StolteMykola Bubelich

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MODE 1090

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Annually$34.991 Year
None

FlyETA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MODE 1090 free?
MODE 1090 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FlyETA free?
FlyETA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MODE 1090 or FlyETA have ads?
Neither MODE 1090 nor FlyETA shows ads.

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