Aviation & Aerospace · head to head
1800wxbrief vs ForeFlight
1800wxbrief
Aviation & Aerospace
Automated flight briefing and weather service
- From
- $5/month
- Rated
- -
ForeFlight
Aviation & Aerospace
Comprehensive flight planning and pilot briefing app
- From
- $130/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 1800wxbrief website technical issues including SSL certificate problems and login errors; ForeFlight device restrictions: 2 iPads and 1 iPhone, or 1 iPad and 2 iPhones per licence
- They diverge on capability: 1800wxbrief covers Flight briefings, ForeFlight covers Flight planning.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 1800wxbrief and ForeFlight actually diverge.
| Attribute | 1800wxbrief | ForeFlight |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/month | $130/year |
| Platforms | Web | iPad, iPhone |
| Founded | 2001 | 2007 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Aviation & Aerospace).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 1800wxbrief
- Flight briefings
- Weather data
- NOTAM information
- Phone service
- Web access
- FAA systems
- Weather services
- ATC databases
Only in ForeFlight
- Flight planning
- Aeronautical charts
- Weather briefings
- Navigation
- Weight & balance
- Garmin avionics
- Jeppesen charts
- ADS-B receivers
Both cover
- Data encryption
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
1800wxbrief
- Flight briefingnot ForeFlight
- Weather briefingnot ForeFlight
- Pre-flight informationnot ForeFlight
ForeFlight
- Flight planning and navigation for pilotsnot 1800wxbrief
- Aviation weather and digital logbooknot 1800wxbrief
- Airport information and terrain profilingnot 1800wxbrief
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
1800wxbrief
- Website technical issues including SSL certificate problems and login errors
- Wind information display occasionally unavailable on flight plan optimization screens
- Navlog formatting not optimized for kneeboard use
- User interface considered less attractive than competing options
ForeFlight
- Device restrictions: 2 iPads and 1 iPhone, or 1 iPad and 2 iPhones per licence
- Geographic region limited to one per subscription
- Annual billing only, no monthly option
- Starter plan lacks Synthetic Vision and advanced planning tools
- Essential plan lacks pre-built aircraft profiles and fuel planning
Pricing, plan by plan
1800wxbrief
$5/month- Casual$5/month
- Flight briefings
- Weather data
- Phone access
- Professional$15/month
- All Casual features
- Unlimited briefings
- Priority support
ForeFlight
$130/yearNo published plan breakdown. See the ForeFlight review.
Which should you pick?
Choose ForeFlight if
- You need flight planning.
- You work on iPad, iPhone.
- You also want aeronautical charts.
Questions people ask
- Is 1800wxbrief or ForeFlight better?
- Neither clearly leads. 1800wxbrief starts at $5/month and ForeFlight at $130/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 1800wxbrief or ForeFlight?
- 1800wxbrief starts at $5/month and ForeFlight at $130/year.
- Does 1800wxbrief or ForeFlight run on more platforms?
- 1800wxbrief runs on Web. ForeFlight runs on iPad, iPhone.
- What is 1800wxbrief best used for?
- 1800wxbrief is most often used for flight briefing, weather briefing, pre-flight information. Of those, flight briefing and weather briefing are not what ForeFlight is typically brought in for.
- What can 1800wxbrief do that ForeFlight cannot?
- 1800wxbrief covers Flight briefings, Weather data, NOTAM information, Phone service. ForeFlight covers Flight planning, Aeronautical charts, Weather briefings, Navigation. Both handle Data encryption, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
1800wxbrief: Is 1800wxbrief free to use?
Yes, 1800wxbrief is a free government service operated by Leidos for the FAA. Pilots can access weather briefings and flight planning services at no cost.
Source1800wxbrief: What weather briefing services does 1800wxbrief provide?
1800wxbrief provides standard, abbreviated, and outlook weather briefings. Standard briefings are used for flights within 6 hours and include all weather and NOTAM information. Outlook briefings are for flights planned more than 6 hours in advance.
Source1800wxbrief: How can pilots access 1800wxbrief?
Pilots can access the service via the website at 1800wxbrief.com or by phone at 1-800-WX-BRIEF. The web portal allows online preflight briefings, flight plan filing, and automatic flight plan closure reminders.
Source1800wxbrief: What additional features does the web portal offer?
The Flight Service Pilot Web Portal at 1800wxbrief.com provides weather graphics and charts, interactive mapping tools, preflight summaries and checklists, automated voice service, text message alerts, and search and rescue support.
Source