Aviation & Aerospace · head to head
DUATS vs ForeFlight
DUATS
Aviation & Aerospace
FAA Direct User Access Terminal System for flight briefings
- From
- $9.95/month
- Rated
- -
ForeFlight
Aviation & Aerospace
Comprehensive flight planning and pilot briefing app
- From
- $130/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: DUATS service has been discontinued as of May 2018; ForeFlight device restrictions: 2 iPads and 1 iPhone, or 1 iPad and 2 iPhones per licence
- They diverge on capability: DUATS covers Flight briefings, ForeFlight covers Aeronautical charts.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which DUATS and ForeFlight actually diverge.
| Attribute | DUATS | ForeFlight |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9.95/month | $130/year |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | iPad, iPhone |
| Founded | 1990 | 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 DUATS
- Flight briefings
- Weather data
- Flight filing
- NOTAMs
- FAA systems
- Weather services
- Chart databases
- ATC integration
Only in ForeFlight
- Aeronautical charts
- Weather briefings
- Navigation
- Weight & balance
- Garmin avionics
- Jeppesen charts
- ADS-B receivers
- ARINC Direct
Both cover
- Flight planning
- 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 ForeFlight
- Flight planningnot ForeFlight
- Flight filingnot ForeFlight
- Weather briefingnot ForeFlight
ForeFlight
- Flight planning and navigation for pilotsnot DUATS
- Aviation weather and digital logbooknot DUATS
- Airport information and terrain profilingnot 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
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
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
ForeFlight
$130/yearNo published plan breakdown. See the ForeFlight review.
Which should you pick?
Choose DUATS if
- You need flight briefings.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want weather data.
Choose ForeFlight if
- You need aeronautical charts.
- You work on iPad, iPhone.
- You also want weather briefings.
Questions people ask
- Is DUATS or ForeFlight better?
- Neither clearly leads. DUATS starts at $9.95/month and ForeFlight at $130/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, DUATS or ForeFlight?
- DUATS starts at $9.95/month and ForeFlight at $130/year.
- Does DUATS or ForeFlight run on more platforms?
- DUATS runs on Web, Ios, Android. ForeFlight runs on iPad, iPhone.
- 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 ForeFlight is typically brought in for.
- What can DUATS do that ForeFlight cannot?
- DUATS covers Flight briefings, Weather data, Flight filing, NOTAMs. ForeFlight covers Aeronautical charts, Weather briefings, Navigation, Weight & balance. Both handle Flight planning, Data encryption, Web support, Ios 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.
SourceDUATS: Did DUATS cost money?
No. DUATS was free to all registered U.S. pilots and student pilots holding a current medical certificate.
SourceDUATS: 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