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Aviation · head to head

FlightAware vs Flightradar24

FlightAware logo

FlightAware

Aviation

Global flight tracking and aviation data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flightradar24 logo

Flightradar24

Aviation

Real-time aircraft radar tracking worldwide

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FlightAware flightAware Global is sold per aircraft tail, with discounts applied only when multiple aircraft are tracked; Flightradar24 premium tiers as captured in 2022 ranged from Silver at $1.49/month (90 days of flight history) to Business at $49.99/month (business licensing, fleet view, extra weather layers) (archive capture is from 2022, over three years old, so treat exact figures as dated; the tier structure and history-window caps are the more durable facts)
  • They diverge on capability: FlightAware covers Flight status, Flightradar24 covers Radar map.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FlightAware and Flightradar24 actually diverge.

Attributes where FlightAware and Flightradar24 differ
AttributeFlightAwareFlightradar24
Founded20052006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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

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

Only in Flightradar24

  • Radar map
  • Aircraft info
  • Flight history
  • 3D view
  • ADS-B receivers
  • MLAT network
  • API
  • Mobile apps

Both cover

  • Real-time tracking
  • Data encryption
  • Sharing
  • Web support
  • 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 Flightradar24
  • Blocking or selectively sharing an aircraft's flight legs for privacynot Flightradar24
  • Pulling live and historical flight positions and tracks into an application over a REST APInot Flightradar24
  • Predicting arrival times with Foresight for airline and airport operationsnot Flightradar24

Flightradar24

  • Flight trackingnot FlightAware
  • Air traffic monitoringnot FlightAware
  • Researchnot FlightAware
  • Entertainmentnot FlightAware
  • Professional trackingnot 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

Flightradar24

  • Premium tiers as captured in 2022 ranged from Silver at $1.49/month (90 days of flight history) to Business at $49.99/month (business licensing, fleet view, extra weather layers) (archive capture is from 2022, over three years old, so treat exact figures as dated; the tier structure and history-window caps are the more durable facts)

Pricing, plan by plan

FlightAware

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

Flightradar24

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Flight tracking
    • Basic features
    • Mobile app
  • Silver$4.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • 30-day history
    • ADS-B coverage
  • Gold$7.99/month
    • Everything in Silver
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced filters

Which should you pick?

Choose FlightAware if

  • You need flight status.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want airport info.
FlightAware review

Choose Flightradar24 if

  • You need radar map.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want aircraft info.
Flightradar24 review

Questions people ask

Is FlightAware or Flightradar24 better?
Neither clearly leads. FlightAware starts at Free and Flightradar24 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FlightAware or Flightradar24?
FlightAware starts at Free and Flightradar24 at Free.
Does FlightAware or Flightradar24 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?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Flightradar24 is typically brought in for.
What can FlightAware do that Flightradar24 cannot?
FlightAware covers Flight status, Airport info, Delay tracking, Weather data. Flightradar24 covers Radar map, Aircraft info, Flight history, 3D view. Both handle Real-time tracking, Data encryption, Sharing, Web support.
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