# Saudia vs Etihad

The clearest difference is ads: Saudia at none against Etihad's shown. Saudia also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Etihad's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Saudia holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 59K and 18K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Saudia's written reviews are positive against 20% of Etihad's.

Saudia ships an update every 3 weeks, Etihad every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Saudia | Etihad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saudia/id892721808/reviews)** | [4.4 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etihad/id988860942/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **59K** | 18K |
| Positive reviews | **38.8% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 459 MB | 188 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SAUDI AIRLINES AIR TRANSPORT COMPANY OF A SINGLE-PERSON COMPANY](https://appshunter.io/developer/892721811) | [Etihad Airways](https://appshunter.io/developer/988860941) |

## What reviewers say

### Saudia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saudia/id892721808)

This travel app allows users to book flights, manage trips, and check in for flights seamlessly. It also provides access to loyalty program information and allows for the purchase of ancillaries like extra baggage and seat upgrades.

**Highlights:** Book flights and purchase ancillaries, Online check-in and digital boarding passes, Manage bookings and change seats, ALFURSAN member dashboard, Store passenger details and bookings offline, Book hotels and rent cars

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Smooth and easy to use app
- 🕰️ Convenient for booking and managing flights
- 🤝 Helpful and friendly staff
- 🍽️ Good in-flight experience with quality food and service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app with frequent crashes
- ⏱️ Slow and unresponsive performance
- 🤖 Lack of human touch in customer service
- 💳 Issues with payment processing and seat selection
- 🧳 Problems with baggage handling and lost luggage

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in to Alfursan account
- Boarding pass not working with Apple Wallet
- Seat selection not working properly
- Booking process getting stuck or not completing

**Requested features**

- Add multi-destination booking option
- Integrate Apple Pay and other digital wallets
- Improve Alfursan loyalty program integration
- Enhance mobile app functionality to match website


### Etihad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etihad/id988860942)

This travel app allows users to book flights, manage bookings, and check in for their journeys. It provides mobile boarding passes, real-time flight status updates, and access to exclusive travel deals. Users can also upgrade their seats and add extras for a more comfortable experience.

**Highlights:** Flight booking and management, Fast and easy check-in, Live flight status updates, Upgrade and add extras, Exclusive travel deals, Etihad Guest program management

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient app
- 🚀 Reliable app
- 🚀 Exceptional experience
- 🚀 Convenient and simple

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🐛 Slow and glitchy
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Unstable app
- 🐛 Terrible app

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in
- Cancelled all booking details
- Issues with paying for seat changes
- Booked flights disappearing from app
- Incorrect flight information displayed

**Requested features**

- Allow copying and pasting of passwords
- Enable saving boarding passes to Apple Wallet
- Improve seat selection and management
- Add ability to book flights using miles
- Integrate loyalty program details


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Saudia free?

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

### Is Etihad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Saudia or Etihad?

Saudia is rated higher. Saudia averages 4.7 out of 5 from 59K ratings, while Etihad averages 4.4 from 18K ratings.

### Do Saudia or Etihad have ads?

Etihad shows ads; Saudia does not.

### Which is updated more often, Saudia or Etihad?

Saudia ships an update every 3 weeks, and Etihad every 6 days. Most recently, Saudia was updated on September 28, 2026 and Etihad on September 27, 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.*