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Aviation · head to head

FlightAware vs Safelog Pilot Logbook

FlightAware logo

FlightAware

Aviation

Global flight tracking and aviation data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Safelog Pilot Logbook logo

Safelog Pilot Logbook

Aviation

Cross-platform electronic pilot logbook

From
$59/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FlightAware has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FlightAware flightAware Global is sold per aircraft tail, with discounts applied only when multiple aircraft are tracked; Safelog Pilot Logbook full functionality requires a paid subscription sold in fixed multi-year blocks priced at $44.99 for 1 year, $139.99 for 3 years, $199.99 for 5 years and $349.99 for 10 years
  • They diverge on capability: FlightAware covers Real-time tracking, Safelog Pilot Logbook covers Flight logging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FlightAware and Safelog Pilot Logbook actually diverge.

Attributes where FlightAware and Safelog Pilot Logbook differ
AttributeFlightAwareSafelog Pilot Logbook
Starting priceFree$59/year
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Macos, Ios, Android, Web
Founded20051998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Aviation).

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 FlightAware

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

Only in Safelog Pilot Logbook

  • Flight logging
  • Currency tracking
  • Report generation
  • Cross-platform
  • Cloud sync
  • Schedule importers
  • FlightAware
  • CSV import

Both cover

  • Data encryption
  • Privacy protection
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

FlightAware

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

Safelog Pilot Logbook

  • Keeping a pilot logbook synchronised across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and web from one subscriptionnot FlightAware
  • Producing PDF logbook reports in FAA, EASA, UK CAP 407 and Transport Canada formatsnot FlightAware
  • Checking currency and flight time totals with built-in analyzersnot FlightAware

Where each one falls short

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

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

Safelog Pilot Logbook

  • Full functionality requires a paid subscription sold in fixed multi-year blocks priced at $44.99 for 1 year, $139.99 for 3 years, $199.99 for 5 years and $349.99 for 10 years
  • The iOS app requires iOS 13.0 or later

Pricing, plan by plan

FlightAware

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

Safelog Pilot Logbook

$59/year
  • Safelog$59/year
    • Cross-platform sync
    • Unlimited entries
    • Currency tracking
  • Safelog Pro$99/year
    • Everything in Safelog
    • Advanced reports
    • Schedule import

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Safelog Pilot Logbook if

  • You need flight logging.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want currency tracking.
Safelog Pilot Logbook review

Questions people ask

Is FlightAware or Safelog Pilot Logbook better?
Neither clearly leads. FlightAware starts at Free and Safelog Pilot Logbook at $59/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FlightAware or Safelog Pilot Logbook?
FlightAware has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FlightAware and $59/year for Safelog Pilot Logbook.
Does FlightAware or Safelog Pilot Logbook run on more platforms?
FlightAware runs on Web, Ios, Android. Safelog Pilot Logbook runs on Windows, Macos, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use FlightAware for free?
Yes. FlightAware has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Safelog Pilot Logbook starts at $59/year.
What is FlightAware best used for?
FlightAware is most often used for tracking a business aviation fleet by tail number with taxi and ground alerts, blocking or selectively sharing an aircraft's flight legs for privacy, pulling live and historical flight positions and tracks into an application over a rest api, predicting arrival times with foresight for airline and airport operations. Of those, tracking a business aviation fleet by tail number with taxi and ground alerts and blocking or selectively sharing an aircraft's flight legs for privacy are not what Safelog Pilot Logbook is typically brought in for.
What can FlightAware do that Safelog Pilot Logbook cannot?
FlightAware covers Real-time tracking, Flight status, Airport info, Delay tracking. Safelog Pilot Logbook covers Flight logging, Currency tracking, Report generation, Cross-platform. Both handle Data encryption, Privacy protection, Ios support, Android support.
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