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DUATS vs FlightAware

DUATS logo

DUATS

Software

FAA Direct User Access Terminal System for flight briefings

From
$9.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FlightAware logo

FlightAware

Software

Global flight tracking and aviation data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FlightAware has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DUATS service has been discontinued as of May 2018; FlightAware flightAware Global is sold per aircraft tail, with discounts applied only when multiple aircraft are tracked
  • They diverge on capability: DUATS covers Flight briefings, FlightAware covers Real-time tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DUATS and FlightAware actually diverge.

Attributes where DUATS and FlightAware differ
AttributeDUATSFlightAware
Starting price$9.95/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded19902005

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
  • Flight planning
  • Flight filing
  • NOTAMs
  • FAA systems
  • Chart databases
  • ATC integration
  • FAA approved

Only in FlightAware

  • Real-time tracking
  • Flight status
  • Airport info
  • Delay tracking
  • APIs
  • Third-party apps
  • Airlines
  • Airports

Both cover

  • Weather data
  • Weather services
  • Data encryption
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

DUATS

  • Flight briefingnot FlightAware
  • Flight planningnot FlightAware
  • Flight filingnot FlightAware
  • Weather briefingnot FlightAware

FlightAware

  • Tracking a business aviation fleet by tail number with taxi and ground alertsnot DUATS
  • Blocking or selectively sharing an aircraft's flight legs for privacynot DUATS
  • Pulling live and historical flight positions and tracks into an application over a REST APInot DUATS
  • Predicting arrival times with Foresight for airline and airport operationsnot 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

FlightAware

  • FlightAware Global is sold per aircraft tail, with discounts applied only when multiple aircraft are tracked
  • Global satellite tracking through Aireon space-based ADS-B requires the Platinum plan at $295 per month or $3,540 per year
  • Secure flight sharing, flight leg unblocking and access management start at the Gold plan at $168 per month, not the $60 per month Silver plan
  • AeroAPI Standard carries a $100 monthly minimum and AeroAPI Premium a $1,000 monthly minimum regardless of usage
  • Historical flight data and flight alerting are excluded from the free AeroAPI Personal tier
  • AeroAPI Personal is rate limited to 10 result sets per minute against 5 per second on Standard
  • AeroAPI billing is metered per result set, for example $0.050 per result set for flight search, where one result set is 15 records
  • AeroAPI volume discounts begin only above $1,000 of monthly usage
  • Firehose, Foresight and FBO Toolbox carry no published price on the commercial products page

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

FlightAware

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Flight tracking
    • Basic info
    • Mobile app
  • Subscription$9.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • Premium tracking
    • Weather maps

Which should you pick?

Choose DUATS if

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

Choose FlightAware if

  • You need real-time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want flight status.
FlightAware review

Questions people ask

Is DUATS or FlightAware better?
Neither clearly leads. DUATS starts at $9.95/month and FlightAware at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DUATS or FlightAware?
FlightAware has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.95/month for DUATS and Free for FlightAware.
Does DUATS or FlightAware run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use FlightAware for free?
Yes. FlightAware has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DUATS starts at $9.95/month.
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 FlightAware is typically brought in for.
What can DUATS do that FlightAware cannot?
DUATS covers Flight briefings, Flight planning, Flight filing, NOTAMs. FlightAware covers Real-time tracking, Flight status, Airport info, Delay tracking. Both handle Weather data, Weather services, 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
DUATS: Did DUATS cost money?

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

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
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Related pages

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