A vs iBFD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
A
This electronic flight information system runs on your iPhone or iPad, providing pilots with essential flight data like artificial horizon, GPS-based speed, altitude, and more. It's designed for use in airplanes only and is not a certified aviation instrument.
- Artificial Horizon (AHRS)
- GPS Ground Speed
- GPS Altimeter
- GPS Vertical Speed
- Turn Coordinator
- Slip Ball
- Compass
Read full descriptionHide full description
A-EFIS is an Electronic Flight Information System for airplanes, which runs right on your iPhone/iPad. A-EFIS works perfectly with the internal sensors of your iPhone/iPad A-EFIS makes use of digital filtering methods and state-of-the-art stochastic models in order to achieve exceptional accuracy and robustness. ATTENTION: A-EFIS ONLY WORKS ON AIRPLANES. NOT TO BE USED IN HELICOPTERS OR LAND VEHICLES BECAUSE INDICATIONS WILL NOT BE CORRECT. USE ONLY IN AN AIRPLANE! Features: - Artificial Horizon (AHRS) - Ground speed (via GPS) - Altimeter (via GPS) - Vertical speed (via GPS) - Turn coordinator - Slip ball - Compass - True course indicator (via GPS) - Deviation from true track indication A-EFIS can also be used with the X-Plane flight simulator. A-EFIS has been extensively tested on ultralights, LSA, general aviation and even airliners. IMPORTANT NOTICE: A-EFIS is not a certified aviation instrument. Do not rely on A-EFIS as your only navigation aid. Failure to comply to this warning may result in property damage, serious injury or death. You assume total responsibility and risk associated with using this application.
iBFD
This iPhone-based backup flight display offers pilots essential instruments like an attitude indicator, heading indicator, and altimeter. It functions as a flight data and cockpit voice recorder, utilizing GPS and gyro sensors for accuracy. While not FAA certified, it provides a valuable reference during emergencies.
- Attitude Indicator
- Heading Indicator
- Altimeter
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
- Map with airport direction/distance
- Multiple display color modes
Read full descriptionHide full description
integrated Backup Flight Display (iBFD) Pilots understand the risk of a primary flight instrument failure while flying. In certain situations the loss of the Attitude Indicator is perhaps the greatest risk a pilot can face. This iPhone based integrated Backup Flight Display (iBFD) is an inexpensive, easy to operate tool intended to reduce risk and improve safety if an instrument fails and no other backup is available. This application consists of an Attitude Indicator, Heading Indicator, Altimeter, Vertical Speed Indicator, speed Indicator, Side Slip Indicator, and Clock. Furthermore, in the portrait mode of the iPad, a Map is displayed below the Attitude Indicator, and when you enter an airport code such as KFTW, the direction and distance to the airport are displayed. It can also be used as Flight Data Recorder(FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder(CVR). This function is activated by touching the red circle in the upper left corner. Recording is stopped by touching the red circle again or it will be stopped automatically when large G is applied. iBFD uses the iPhone's 3 axis Gyro sensor as its primary sensor. Pitch and Roll angles are calculated using the Gyro data and the same algorithm as strap down Inertial Reference Systems (IRS). GPS and Accelerometer are used with Kalman filter as sensor fusion to prevent gyro drift and improve Accuracy. The iBFD performs noticeably better than other comparable applications on the market. Unfortunately the iBFD doesn't have FAA certification. It doesn't have enough reliability for use as Primary Flight Instruments, and neither our software nor your iPhone have been subjected to rigorous certification tests. And the accuracy of Map and Airport Information is not guaranteed. All information displayed on the iBFD is for reference only! Therefore, we are not responsible for any death, injury or damage as a result of using the iBFD. USE THIS DEVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK! Nevertheless, during an In Flight Emergency having an iBFD is far better than having no instrument at all. Particularly if in a limited visibility situation with an inoperative Attitude Indicator. Engine vibration can affect accuracy of the iBFD, so special consideration must be given to mounting the iPhone to the cockpit instrument panel or glare shield. Other features (1) There are three display color modes; Day, Night or NVC. (2) Altitude/Speed is selectable in units of feet/knots, feet/MPH or meter/kilometers per hour. (3) Airspeed is calculated using GPS Speed, Wind Direction, and Wind Velocity. Wind Direction and Velocity are obtained via ATIS and set manually. (4) Pitch angle zero can be adjusted manually by touching center of the display or slider setting. (5) Magnetic Heading or True Heading, and GPS or M.S.(Magnetic Sensor) are selectable. (6) Settings Window for entering parameters and user preferences. (7) Battery Icon indication. (8) Recorded data can be accessed by Files. (9) Magnetic Heading can be adjusted with the slider. (10) Function to correct roll angle. However, when performing this function, the iPhone needs to be correctly placed horizontally. (11) Local time or UTC is selectable. (12) GPS Altimeter and Barometric Altimeter. (13) Roll indication by Sky pointer and Ground pointer. Note: Initial roll and pitch angle are calculated using the accelerometer at the time of alignment (same as real IRS). Therefore, if acceleration due to motion is applied during alignment, an angle error will occur. However, such initial angle error automatically decreases with time and disappears after a few minutes in case of level flight.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: iBFD at 67% against A's 0%. iBFD also leads on price ($11.99 vs $54.99). A's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 3.5). On ratings volume, 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
A costs $54.99 and iBFD $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
A holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of A's written reviews are positive against 67% of iBFD's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
A ships an update every 2 months, iBFD every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | A | iBFD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $54.99 | $11.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) — better | 3.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Charalampos Baltzakis | Tatsuo Saeki |
Customer experience
A
iBFD
In-app purchases
A
No in-app purchases
iBFD
No in-app purchases







