Softwr

Aviation & Aerospace · head to head

EFB Pro vs FlightAware

EFB Pro logo

EFB Pro

Aviation & Aerospace

Electronic Flight Bag for professional aviation operations

From
$149.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FlightAware logo

FlightAware

Aviation & Aerospace

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: EFB Pro aircraft type support is limited to a published list on CAVU's own site; adding a new aircraft type requires contacting CAVU directly rather than self-service configuration; FlightAware flightAware Global is sold per aircraft tail, with discounts applied only when multiple aircraft are tracked
  • They diverge on capability: EFB Pro covers Flight planning, FlightAware covers Real-time tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EFB Pro and FlightAware actually diverge.

Attributes where EFB Pro and FlightAware differ
AttributeEFB ProFlightAware
Starting price$149.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIos, Android, WindowsWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20102005

Identical on both: 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 EFB Pro

  • Flight planning
  • Weight and balance
  • Performance planning
  • Aeronautical charts
  • In-flight management
  • FMS systems
  • Dispatch systems
  • Crew management

Only in FlightAware

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

Both cover

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

What people use each for

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

EFB Pro

  • Commercial operationsnot FlightAware
  • Crew trainingnot FlightAware
  • Flight performancenot FlightAware
  • Dispatch coordinationnot FlightAware

FlightAware

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

Where each one falls short

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

EFB Pro

  • Aircraft type support is limited to a published list on CAVU's own site; adding a new aircraft type requires contacting CAVU directly rather than self-service configuration
  • Requires iOS 15.6 or later, per the App Store listing

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

EFB Pro

$149.99/month
  • Standard$149.99/month
    • Flight planning
    • Charts access
    • Weight and balance
  • Enterprise$299.99/month
    • All Standard features
    • Crew training
    • Custom integrations

FlightAware

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

Which should you pick?

Choose EFB Pro if

  • You need flight planning.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want weight and balance.
EFB Pro 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 EFB Pro or FlightAware better?
Neither clearly leads. EFB Pro starts at $149.99/month and FlightAware at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EFB Pro or FlightAware?
FlightAware has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $149.99/month for EFB Pro and Free for FlightAware.
Does EFB Pro or FlightAware run on more platforms?
EFB Pro runs on Ios, Android, Windows. FlightAware runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use FlightAware for free?
Yes. FlightAware has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. EFB Pro starts at $149.99/month.
What is EFB Pro best used for?
EFB Pro is most often used for commercial operations, crew training, flight performance, dispatch coordination. Of those, commercial operations and crew training are not what FlightAware is typically brought in for.
What can EFB Pro do that FlightAware cannot?
EFB Pro covers Flight planning, Weight and balance, Performance planning, Aeronautical charts. FlightAware covers Real-time tracking, Flight status, Airport info, Delay tracking. Both handle Weather services, Data encryption, Ios support, Android support.
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