# RealADSB vs phyphox

The clearest difference is price: phyphox at Free against RealADSB's $6.99. phyphox also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 35%) and rating (4.6 vs 3.0). RealADSB's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and device support (5 vs 3). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

phyphox is free to download; RealADSB costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

phyphox holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: phyphox has 276 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of RealADSB's written reviews are positive against 79% of phyphox's.

RealADSB ships an update monthly, phyphox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RealADSB | phyphox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realadsb/id743911968/reviews) | **[4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **276** |
| Positive reviews | 35.3% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 52 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nikolay Klimchuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/283288431) | [RWTH Aachen University](https://appshunter.io/developer/371466796) |

## What reviewers say

### RealADSB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realadsb/id743911968)

Track local air traffic from your device using ADS-B data feeds. View aircraft on a map or list, filter by various parameters, and access additional flight information. Supports custom feeds and public data sources.

**Highlights:** ADS-B traffic feed consumption, Map and list view of aircraft, Aircraft filtering by tail number, callsign, type, METAR and altitude adjustments, Push notifications for squawks 7600/7700, Integration with online flight resources

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### phyphox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693)

Unlock your phone's sensors for scientific exploration. Conduct pre-built experiments or create your own using accelerometers, magnetometers, and more. Analyze and export data in various formats for further study.

**Highlights:** Pre-defined experiments, Data export (CSV, TSV, Excel), Web-based remote control, Custom experiment editor, Access to phone sensors, Advanced analysis functions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Access to phone sensors
- 🔬 Useful for physics experiments
- 📊 Data logging and export
- 🆓 Free and no ads
- 🤔 Sparks curiosity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 📉 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 App locks/minimizes recording
- ❓ Units not always clear
- ⚠️ Potential for device damage

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on older devices
- Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
- Network error: Generic error
- Sound measurement curve disappears
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- Add infrasound detector
- More units of measurement (G-force, PSI, feet)
- NFC/RFID support
- In-app bug report feature
- Allow other sensors via USB-C


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RealADSB free?

RealADSB costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is phyphox free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RealADSB or phyphox?

phyphox is rated higher. RealADSB averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while phyphox averages 4.6 from 276 ratings.

### Do RealADSB or phyphox have ads?

Neither RealADSB nor phyphox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RealADSB or phyphox?

RealADSB ships an update monthly, and phyphox every 3 months. Most recently, RealADSB was updated on October 6, 2026 and phyphox on October 12, 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.*