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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Better options than

Planes Live alternatives

Planes Live users often seek alternatives due to intrusive ads, subscription paywalls, and unreliable flight data. Many look for apps with more accurate tracking, better free features, or a more user-friendly experience.

Why users look for alternatives to Planes Live

The alternatives

Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker
4.8★ · 641,186 ratings · Free

Flightradar24 is a popular app for tracking flights globally, known for showing a large number of planes and offering detailed information. It's highly engaging for plane enthusiasts .

Better for: It's better for users who love watching many planes, want detailed flight information, and are willing to tolerate ads in the free version or pay for a subscription R55. However, some users report issues with persistent, full-screen ads that redirect to the App Store R51R60.

Head-to-head: Planes Live vs Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker
FlightAware Flight Tracker
4.9★ · 375,698 ratings · Free

FlightAware is a reliable resource for flight tracking, with users depending on it more than airline information . It offers impressive features and information, leading some to upgrade to premium subscriptions . It's also appreciated by users who enjoy tracking flights for personal interest .

Better for: This app suits users who need dependable flight information, appreciate extensive features, and might consider a premium subscription for advanced tools . It's also good for those who want to track multiple flights, though some wish for a feature to name saved flights .

Head-to-head: Planes Live vs FlightAware Flight Tracker
Flight Tracker +
4.7★ · 288,352 ratings · Free

Flight Tracker + was a long-standing app for many users, particularly for tracking incoming flights and getting gate information R90. The paid version provides important information like current flight status and gate details R90.

Better for: It's better for frequent flyers or those who need to track specific incoming flights and are willing to pay for a subscription, as the free version is now considered unusable due to ads R80R90. However, some users report it being unreliable and unable to find confirmed flights that other apps can .

Head-to-head: Planes Live vs Flight Tracker +
Flighty
4.8★ · 140,322 ratings · Free

Flighty is highly praised for its real-time updates, which are often faster than airlines, and its accurate delay predictions R102. It provides detailed and understandable information, including unique insights like the aircraft's previous location R102. The app is also appreciated for its easy navigation and reminders .

Better for: This app is ideal for frequent travelers who value fast, accurate, and comprehensive flight information and are willing to pay for a premium experience R102. It's also good for users who appreciate a well-designed app with easy navigation and helpful reminders . However, some users found the Pro version unhelpful and its notifications lagged behind airline updates .

Head-to-head: Planes Live vs Flighty
FlightStats
4.8★ · 78,630 ratings · Free

FlightStats is considered a very good app for all pertinent flight information, including gate and terminal details R108R116. Many users find it accurate and appreciate its live flight tracking map R108R116. It's also valued by families for peace of mind .

Better for: FlightStats is suitable for users who prioritize accurate gate and terminal information and a reliable live tracking map R108R116. It's also a good option for families needing to monitor flights, especially since it has been free R116. However, some users report issues with incorrect gate information and difficulty creating accounts R107R109.

Head-to-head: Planes Live vs FlightStats
Stick with Planes Live if

You should stick with Planes Live if you find its core tracking features sufficient and don't mind the current app experience, especially if you are already a paid subscriber and are satisfied with the data accuracy .

Frequently asked

Why are users leaving Planes Live?
Users are leaving Planes Live primarily due to an overwhelming number of ads in the free version, making it nearly unusable R4R6R21, and a shift to a mandatory subscription model with high weekly costs, such as $5.00/week or £5.49/week R16R24. Additionally, some experience issues with inaccurate or missing flight data R1R15R18.
Which alternative offers the most accurate real-time updates?
Flighty is highly praised for its consistently faster real-time updates compared to airlines and its accurate delay predictions R102.
Are there any free alternatives to Planes Live?
FlightStats has been noted by users as a free option with a good live flight tracking map and pertinent information R116. However, some users of Flightradar24 and FlightAware also use their free versions, though they may contain ads R55R65.
Which app is best for frequent travelers?
Flighty is considered in a league of its own for frequent travelers, offering real-time updates, accurate delay predictions, and information users didn't know they needed, making it worth the cost R102. Flight Tracker + also caters to frequent flyers, providing important flight status and gate information in its paid version R90.
Do any alternatives have issues with ads or subscriptions?
Yes, Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker has persistent, full-screen ads in its free version that can redirect to the App Store R51R60, and FlightAware Flight Tracker also has ads R65. Flight Tracker + has made its free version almost unusable due to endless ads and demands for the paid version R80, and Flighty has been criticized for pop-ups asking for ratings R93.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R4] Planes Live 1/5 · US Now useless: The free app is now worse than useless, a complete waste of time. Nothing but constant ads and even when not ads, frequently freezes.
  2. [R6] Planes Live 3/5 · US Ads are out of control: I get it - you build an app hoping to make money, and you deserve to. But the ads have taken over the free version of the app, making it almost unusable at times.
  3. [R10] Planes Live 1/5 · US Once great, now just spam: Just a big spam app now. Avoid.
  4. [R21] Planes Live 3/5 · GB free version is impossible to use: I was once a big advocate of this app and used it frequently. Yes, it was free and now you have a choice between subscriptions and advertising. I wanted to just check one flight, so not happy to take out a yearly subscription. The advertiser funded version was so poorly implemented that it was impossible to get away from the ads once they had been served. Close
  5. [R7] Planes Live 2/5 · US Was a good app before, now not so much: Was good app before, then they turned it into having to pay for a plan. If you don’t pay, the free version is almost unusable. Rarely use it now, I’ve switched to other flight tracking apps.
  6. [R16] Planes Live 1/5 · US F you very much: So Flight tracker I’ve been using for years all of a sudden stops working today and says I have to pay five dollars a week to use it, up yours certainly not worth it! Maybe $20 a year would be fine but not five dollars a week!!!
  7. [R24] Planes Live 3/5 · GB Expensive: £5.49/week
  8. [R27] Planes Live 3/5 · GB Mr scared parent: Why make these apps cost money ? There is Eough to pay for in life without these costs
  9. [R1] Planes Live 1/5 · US Missing flight data everywhere what’s up?: I sent something in with no response. Checking today for flights from Fort Lauderdale to Boston again and it shows there aren’t any next week or after. I’m about ready to cancel what’s going on with your data? When it’s working, it’s a five star app. If it doesn’t have the flights it’s not even a one star app Thanks.
  10. [R3] Planes Live 3/5 · US Does not track planes properly: This app work for a while ok but recently is not showing the planes flying right over my head. I don’t live in a big city with lots of traffic so it should not be the high plane traffic. Disappointed ! The App I properly updated so it’s the phone.
  11. [R15] Planes Live 3/5 · US Map tracker doesn't always work.: If you care about the map tracking feature, it doesn't often work. Many times it has shown a flight going in the opposite direction in should be, yet the fligt data is correct when not using the map.
  12. [R18] Planes Live 3/5 · GB It didn’t misleading information.: Arrival time was incorrect. Plane was delayed and landed 1 hour 30 late. But program showed what still on time
  13. [R12] Planes Live 3/5 · US App is great, support is terrible.: Love the app! However, support is terrible. Sent a support request through the app and the email got bounced back to me saying that the email address was no longer in use and to send a support request through the app (???). I sent an email to the address in the App Store, got a reply that basically said to look in the FAQ on the website and if the question was
  14. [R8] Planes Live 4/5 · US I prefer the old version:/: I've used this app for quite some time now, but the new layout just bugs me. The only reason this particular tracker was my go-to was because it was easy to see a close image of the plane overhead, it displayed above all the flight info. Either that particular feature has been removed entirely, or it's been hidden in such a way that I can't find it.
  15. [R9] Planes Live 3/5 · US Appearance and flight info: Would be cool to see it have a dark mode feature and would be cool to have it where you click on a flight it shows the picture of the type of aircraft just like it used to
  16. [R11] Planes Live 5/5 · US sad 😕: The app keeps telling me to manage my notifications. I’ve done everything I can and this app will not do my notifications. I don’t know why.
  17. [R20] Planes Live 5/5 · US Ops manager: Takes forever to flight information
  18. [R51] Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Persistent Ads: Enjoyed the app for about 2 weeks, didn’t mind the periodic ads. But now the ads that pop up cover the entire screen and make you sit through several seconds before the “X” appears in the corner to close. If that’s not bad enough, pressing the “X” takes you to the App Store instead of closing the ad, then when you close that, another ad pops up in its place. It seems now that I sp
  19. [R52] Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Amazing app: Great app
  20. [R53] Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 3/5 · US GREAT APP TO FIND DRUNK PILOTS: THERE'S THIS PILOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WITH REGISTRATION: N958LA THIS PERSON CANT SEEM TO RIDE STRAIGHT FLYS LOW AND DANGEROUS IF YOU LIVE IN LA COUNTY, CA WATCH THE F OUT !!
  21. [R54] Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Too many ads: Too many ads
  22. [R65] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Ads: Ads suck !
  23. [R66] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Miss Rabbit’s Gravel Shop: Far
  24. [R67] FlightAware Flight Tracker 3/5 · US Details absent: Can’t find what planes recently landed. Need to go pick up friends and have a time but not the airline or if they are delayed. I used to be able to get info from this app but it shows no planes have arrived all day. Maybe it’s the new renaming of the airport causing a fiasco?
  25. [R68] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Flight date?: Wanted to check flight today, July 8, 2026. I am in Philippines. I can only select July 9. Days prior to July 9 are grayed out. My brother flies from Cebu to Dumaguete. This app is mostly worthless if I cannot check flight that will happen 3 or 4 hours from right now.
  26. [R79] Flight Tracker + 1/5 · US Was cool: It used to be free. Now it’s six bucks a week.
  27. [R80] Flight Tracker + 4/5 · US Free Version Downgrade: Not going to leave some silly one star review. I’ve used the app for years without issue, almost always just to track my wife’s incoming flight to pick her up. Just now opened it to use it for the first time in months, and it’s now unusable in the free version. Now bombarded with endless ads and demands to get the paid version and can’t even figure out a way around it to do
  28. [R81] Flight Tracker + 3/5 · US Để sau: Để sau
  29. [R82] Flight Tracker + 1/5 · US $$$: Why is the subscription based now…???
  30. [R93] Flighty 1/5 · US App will not stop asking me for a rating, so here you go.: Trying to pull up my flight information and every time I open the app up the stupid “please rate us” pop up appears.
  31. [R94] Flighty 5/5 · US Never change!: Love flighty I hope they don't ruin it
  32. [R95] Flighty 1/5 · US Very bad app: When adding historical flight data some of the dates just will not work.
  33. [R96] Flighty 5/5 · US Awesome: I love the way the app tracks my flights and alerts me of delays and changes. I especially love the statement at the end of the year with all the miles, cities and time traveling
  34. [R107] FlightStats 1/5 · US Incorrect gate information in ATL: Flight attendant here. I cannot rely on flight stats, many times have the incorrect gate posted.
  35. [R108] FlightStats 5/5 · US Accurate: It’s great to have this app, I used it a lot to get info about gate , terminals etc . I really like it and I have this apps for a few years ! It’s a keeper !
  36. [R109] FlightStats 3/5 · US What happened?: Used to be a very reliable app…can’t even create a free account anymore. Had high hopes but now it’s just useless.
  37. [R110] FlightStats 1/5 · US Plane did not leave when flight stats said: Usually flight stats is right on
  38. [R102] Flighty 5/5 · US Must have: I’ve tried just about every flight tracking app out there, and Flighty is in a league of its own. If you travel even a few times a year, it’s worth every penny. The real-time updates are consistently faster than the airlines, the delay predictions are incredibly accurate, and the app gives you information you didn’t even know you needed, like where your aircraft is coming from, whether
  39. [R55] Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 4/5 · US Adds are bad: Everything is fine just the free tier has lots of adds
  40. [R116] FlightStats 5/5 · US Best flight tracking app we’ve found: We have downloaded & deleted so many flight tracker apps because they just do not perform as needed. Flightstats very good with all pertinent info right in front of you. Also, best LIVE flight tracking map we’ve seen. Bonus is it’s free. For now…. Many thanks to developers!
  41. [R90] Flight Tracker + 5/5 · US Great for Frequent Flyers: I utilized the previous free version of Flight Tracker for many years during my airline pilot career and frequent travels on numerous airlines. Although I’m disappointed the free version no longer works, this paid version has enough important information like current flight status and gate information , along with the convenience of automatic flight updates, flight progr
  42. [R60] Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Ads: After the adds can’t go back to the radar screen

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store