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DUATS vs ARINC Direct

DUATS logo

DUATS

Software

FAA Direct User Access Terminal System for flight briefings

From
$9.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
A

ARINC Direct

Software

Real-time flight operations and dispatch platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DUATS service has been discontinued as of May 2018; ARINC Direct no free trial available to evaluate platform before purchase commitment
  • They diverge on capability: DUATS covers Flight briefings, ARINC Direct covers Real-time flight tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DUATS and ARINC Direct actually diverge.

Attributes where DUATS and ARINC Direct differ
AttributeDUATSARINC Direct
Starting price$9.95/month$500/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded19901982

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 DUATS

  • Flight briefings
  • Weather data
  • Flight planning
  • Flight filing
  • NOTAMs
  • FAA systems
  • Weather services
  • Chart databases

Only in ARINC Direct

  • Real-time flight tracking
  • Dispatch management
  • Crew coordination
  • Weather integration
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • ACARS systems
  • Jeppesen flight planning
  • ForeFlight

Both cover

  • Data encryption
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DUATS

  • Flight briefingnot ARINC Direct
  • Flight planningnot ARINC Direct
  • Flight filingnot ARINC Direct
  • Weather briefingnot ARINC Direct

ARINC Direct

  • Flight dispatchnot DUATS
  • Crew managementnot DUATS
  • Weather monitoringnot DUATS
  • Maintenance coordinationnot DUATS
  • Regulatory compliancenot DUATS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DUATS

  • Service has been discontinued as of May 2018
  • No longer available for flight planning or briefing

ARINC Direct

  • No free trial available to evaluate platform before purchase commitment
  • Pricing structure lacks transparency with wide range of costs depending on user count
  • Requires specialized training for regulatory compliance workflows

Pricing, plan by plan

DUATS

$9.95/month
  • Basic$9.95/month
    • Flight briefings
    • Weather data
    • Flight planning
  • Premium$29.95/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced weather
    • Priority briefings

ARINC Direct

$500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the ARINC Direct review.

Which should you pick?

Choose DUATS if

  • You need flight briefings.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want weather data.
DUATS review

Choose ARINC Direct if

  • You need real-time flight tracking.
  • You also want dispatch management.
ARINC Direct review

Questions people ask

Is DUATS or ARINC Direct better?
Neither clearly leads. DUATS starts at $9.95/month and ARINC Direct at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DUATS or ARINC Direct?
DUATS starts at $9.95/month and ARINC Direct at $500/month.
Does DUATS or ARINC Direct run on more platforms?
DUATS runs on Web, Ios, Android. ARINC Direct runs on Web.
What is DUATS best used for?
DUATS is most often used for flight briefing, flight planning, flight filing, weather briefing. Of those, flight briefing and flight planning are not what ARINC Direct is typically brought in for.
What can DUATS do that ARINC Direct cannot?
DUATS covers Flight briefings, Weather data, Flight planning, Flight filing. ARINC Direct covers Real-time flight tracking, Dispatch management, Crew coordination, Weather integration. Both handle Data encryption, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DUATS: Is DUATS still available?

No. The FAA discontinued the Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS II) on May 16, 2018.

Source
ARINC Direct: What is ARINC Direct designed for?

ARINC Direct is flight operations software for business aviation operators managing private and corporate aircraft, with tools for scheduling, compliance, crew recordkeeping, maintenance planning, and regulatory documentation.

Source
DUATS: Did DUATS cost money?

No. DUATS was free to all registered U.S. pilots and student pilots holding a current medical certificate.

Source
ARINC Direct: What key features does ARINC Direct provide?

Features include compliance management, labor cost reporting, logbook tracking, maintenance scheduling, automated diagnostics, AI-powered regulatory reporting, and real-time data monitoring with safety alerts.

Source
DUATS: What replaced DUATS?

Pilots now access internet-based weather, aeronautical information, and flight plan filing through the FAA flight service website at no charge.

Source
ARINC Direct: Does ARINC Direct offer a free trial?

No. ARINC Direct does not offer a free trial or free version. Organizations must commit to a paid plan to access the platform.

Source
ARINC Direct: What is the pricing for ARINC Direct?

Pricing is subscription-based and varies significantly by organization size. A small business with one user might pay around $500/month, while a 50-user setup could cost approximately $5,000/month. Enterprise pricing for 100+ users can exceed $10,000/month.

Source
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