Comparison

A vs iBFD

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Artificial Horizon (AHRS)
  • GPS Ground Speed
  • GPS Altimeter
  • GPS Vertical Speed
  • Turn Coordinator
  • Slip Ball
  • Compass
Features
Read 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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Attitude Indicator
  • Heading Indicator
  • Altimeter
  • Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
  • Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
  • Map with airport direction/distance
  • Multiple display color modes
Features
Read 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

A4 screens
iBFD2 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

A costs $54.99 and iBFD $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
A versus iBFD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAiBFD
Price$54.99$11.99 — better
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better3.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCharalampos BaltzakisTatsuo Saeki

Customer experience

A

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral66.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

iBFD

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative22.2%

In-app purchases

None

A

No in-app purchases

None

iBFD

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is A free?
A costs $54.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is iBFD free?
iBFD costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, A or iBFD?
A is rated higher. A averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while iBFD averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.
Do A or iBFD have ads?
Neither A nor iBFD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, A or iBFD?
A ships an update every 2 months, and iBFD every 3 months. Most recently, A was updated on September 21, 2026 and iBFD on September 22, 2026.

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