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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

FlightAware Flight Tracker vs Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker

FlightAware Flight Tracker 4.9★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner FlightAware Flight Tracker
Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 4.8★ · Free + IAP 68

FlightAware Flight Tracker is slightly better for users prioritizing detailed flight information and a more stable experience, while Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker is a good option for casual plane spotting despite its aggressive ads.

Full reviews: FlightAware Flight Tracker · Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker

FlightAware Flight Tracker generally offers more reliable flight tracking and detailed information, though some users find its interface and login process cumbersome. Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker is praised for its extensive plane coverage but is heavily criticized for an overwhelming number of intrusive ads and recent feature limitations in its free tier.

Head to head

Features & Information edge: FlightAware Flight TrackerR3R14R15R46
FlightAware Flight Tracker FlightAware is appreciated for providing extensive features and detailed information, including technical data and waypoints, which some users find impressive enough to upgrade to premium R14. It's also valued for tracking specific flights and providing peace of mind R46. However, some users report missing details like recently landed planes or specific airline information R3, and occasional inaccuracies with diversions R15.
Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker Flightradar24 is loved by plane enthusiasts for showing 'SOOOO many planes' and helping users identify aircraft overhead . Users appreciate its ability to track family flights and its informative nature . However, there are complaints about incomplete flight info, such as erased flight logs , and a lack of special liveries . Some users also note that military aircraft in certain regions are not recognized .
Ease of Use & Interface tieR7R9R10R22
FlightAware Flight Tracker FlightAware receives mixed reviews on ease of use. Some users find it 'simple and easy to use' and 'very visual' , while others describe it as 'not user friendly,' 'not intuitive,' and having an 'appalling UI' R7R9R10. Specific complaints include difficulty setting alerts R10, navigating to flight status pages R22, and a confusing layout for notifications .
Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker Flightradar24 is generally seen as easy to use for basic tracking . However, some users prefer an 'old format' , and there are reports of the search bar being unresponsive and flights not loading at times . One user also noted that the entire screen can be blurry .
Reliability & Accuracy edge: FlightAware Flight TrackerR5R15R20R26
FlightAware Flight Tracker FlightAware is frequently praised for its reliability and accuracy, with users calling it 'very accurate' and 'reliable to the minute' R20R26R44R48. It's trusted more than airline information by some R5. However, there are reports of inaccuracies, such as showing a plane airborne when passengers are still on the ground , or incorrect diversion information R15. One user also noted an issue with flight times showing incorrectly .
Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker Flightradar24 is generally considered 'accurate' . However, some users report that the app doesn't show all planes, even when visible in the sky , and that military aircraft are often not recognized . There are also instances of flights not loading or the app being buggy .
Price & Value (Free vs. Paid) edge: FlightAware Flight TrackerR1R14R16R24
FlightAware Flight Tracker FlightAware offers a free tier with ads R1R24. Many users are frustrated by ads and the subscription model to remove them R1R24. There's significant dissatisfaction with a recent price increase for the yearly ad-removal subscription, from $5.99 to $8.99, especially for existing loyal customers R16R57. Some users upgraded to premium due to impressive features R14.
Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker Flightradar24 also has a free tier with ads, but these ads are a major point of contention. Users describe them as 'persistent,' 'cover the entire screen,' 'make you sit through several seconds,' and often redirect to the App Store R61R64. Many free features, like viewing more than 24 hours of history or aircraft age, have been moved behind a paywall, leading to complaints of 'nerfed' subscriptions and 'platform decay' .
Account & Support tieR13R18R19R27
FlightAware Flight Tracker FlightAware users express significant frustration with the login and sign-up system, describing it as 'buggy,' 'not working,' 'a pain in the butt,' and an 'absolute dumbest and cumbersome login layout' R13R19. Many are particularly annoyed by the 'absurd security requirements' involving multiple authentication steps (password, email code, authenticator app) for publicly available information R27. Some users also report issues with subscriptions renewing incorrectly R18 or ads returning after purchasing an ad-free version .
Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker Flightradar24 has fewer explicit complaints about account management, but one user mentioned an unexpected verification process using Apple Pay that also charged 1p . A major concern for Flightradar24 users is data privacy, with complaints about the app selling PII to third parties and making it difficult to opt out of data sharing .
Pick FlightAware Flight Tracker if

you prioritize accurate and detailed flight information, are willing to navigate a potentially clunky interface, or plan to pay for a premium subscription for an ad-free experience and advanced features R14R20.

Pick Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker if

you are a casual plane spotter who enjoys seeing many planes and their routes, don't mind a high volume of intrusive ads, and are primarily interested in basic, real-time tracking .

Evidence note: Reviews for both apps show a common concern regarding ads in their free tiers, but Flightradar24's ad complaints are notably more severe and frequent, often describing ads that hinder app functionality R61. FlightAware's negative reviews also frequently highlight issues with its login and authentication process, which is not a common complaint for Flightradar24 R27.

Frequently asked

Which app has better real-time tracking?
FlightAware Flight Tracker is consistently praised for its accurate and reliable real-time tracking, with users stating it is 'reliable to the minute' and 'always accurate' R20R26R44R48.
Are there many ads in the free versions?
Yes, both apps have ads in their free versions, but Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker is heavily criticized for an overwhelming number of intrusive ads that often cover the entire screen, make users wait, and sometimes redirect to the App Store, making the app nearly unusable for some R61R64. FlightAware also has ads, but the complaints are less severe regarding their intrusiveness R1R24.
Is it worth paying for the ad-free version?
For FlightAware Flight Tracker, some users found the features impressive enough to upgrade to a premium subscription R14, but there is significant dissatisfaction with a recent price increase for the yearly ad-removal subscription from $5.99 to $8.99 R16R57. For Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker, paying removes the highly criticized intrusive ads R61 and unlocks features that were previously free , which some users feel is necessary to make the app usable.
Which app is better for tracking specific flights?
FlightAware Flight Tracker is generally considered better for tracking specific flights, with users relying on it to get to the airport on time, understand delays, and track family members, often finding it more reliable than airline information R5R26R41R46.

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. [R3] 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?
  2. [R14] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Impressive: I continue to be surprised and impressed by the features and information this app provides. I’ve had it less than a week and have already upgraded from a free to a premium subscription. I’m not an aviator either - the tools the app has for them look very extensive and useful. Downloaded the app originally because I have a little boy with autism who loves watching planes come and go, I
  3. [R15] FlightAware Flight Tracker 3/5 · US Misleading: Not always accurate. Sometimes if an aircraft diverts it still shows that it arrived at their original planned destination.
  4. [R46] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US We track our son and two grandkids that fly: It’s a real peace of mind!
  5. [R7] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Not user friendly: Its the worst app ever, not at all user friendly.
  6. [R9] FlightAware Flight Tracker 3/5 · US Bad UX: Needs work
  7. [R10] FlightAware Flight Tracker 2/5 · US Not intuitive: Maybe it’s just me, but I can never get alerts for the specific flight I want. I get ALL the flights with that Airline’s flight number for ALL of their departures. It’s annoying.
  8. [R22] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Very difficult to find flight status information: I only gave you one star since anytime I look up an airline and the flight number. It’s hard to get to the page where it lets you key in the airline and then the flight number at the top of the screen I don’t know what you changed but it’s not easy to maneuver on your website
  9. [R5] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US What great resource: I depend on this much more than what the Airline tells me.
  10. [R20] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Great app: Great for tracking flights - very accurate!
  11. [R26] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Reliable to the minute.: Use this app everyday. Really helps to watch the flights so you are “Flight Aware”
  12. [R1] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Ads: Ads suck !
  13. [R16] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Disappointing Price Increase for Loyal Customers: I am very disappointed to see the price of the yearly ad-removal subscription increasing from $5.99 to $8.99. Every other app I have ever used values its current customer base by grandfathering them into their original rate. With those companies, you only pay the new, higher price if you cancel your subscription and choose to rejoin at a later date
  14. [R24] FlightAware Flight Tracker 3/5 · GB Can’t Subscribe to Remove Ads: Lovely app, and I’d be happy to pay a one off sum to remove ads, but that requires a subscription! Not a chance in the world. The ads are irritating but I’ll delete the app rather than subscribe for no extra features.
  15. [R13] FlightAware Flight Tracker 2/5 · US Sign up system: This buggy sign up system won’t work. I meet both requirements but it is not letting me sign up. When I click sign up it takes me to a white screen with flight aware’s logo at the top. Now all I wanted to do was upload one, just ONE photo and I get a janky system.
  16. [R18] FlightAware Flight Tracker 3/5 · US Owner/partner: Cut me off every year it renews
  17. [R19] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US BS: This site is a pain in the butt to get set up!!
  18. [R27] FlightAware Flight Tracker 3/5 · GB Authentication syndrome: I’ve been member for 15 years and never such a paranoia. You put your password and they email an authentication code, you put that in , the next step shows a QR code and the app asks you to scan the QR code!? What kind of idiot thought of that idea? How would you scan your screen with the device that you’re using. It’s quite sad to see the human intelligence degraded to su
  19. [R44] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Great app: Reliable
  20. [R48] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Great app: Always accurate, never dissapoints, recomended
  21. [R61] 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
  22. [R64] Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Too many ads: Too many ads
  23. [R57] FlightAware Flight Tracker 1/5 · US Price increase: Raising your prices by a full 50% to simply not have ads is asinine and ridiculous. Good riddance to you.
  24. [R41] FlightAware Flight Tracker 5/5 · US Super useful: I use this all the time to get to the airport on time, whether meeting an incoming flight or finding how likely a flight will be leaving as scheduled. I love the location tracking feature, for some reason especially when the flight is still on the ground. I would love a minor improvement in the data display. The flight plan always has inscrutable (to lay users) marker names. It wou

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