Aviation & Aerospace · head to head
ForeFlight vs Flightradar24
ForeFlight
Aviation & Aerospace
Comprehensive flight planning and pilot briefing app
- From
- $130/year
- Rated
- -
Flightradar24
Aviation & Aerospace
Real-time aircraft radar tracking worldwide
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Flightradar24 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: ForeFlight device restrictions: 2 iPads and 1 iPhone, or 1 iPad and 2 iPhones per licence; 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: ForeFlight covers Flight planning, Flightradar24 covers Real-time tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ForeFlight and Flightradar24 actually diverge.
| Attribute | ForeFlight | Flightradar24 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $130/year | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | iPad, iPhone | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2007 | 2006 |
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 ForeFlight
- Flight planning
- Aeronautical charts
- Weather briefings
- Navigation
- Weight & balance
- Garmin avionics
- Jeppesen charts
- ARINC Direct
Only in Flightradar24
- Real-time tracking
- Radar map
- Aircraft info
- Flight history
- 3D view
- MLAT network
- API
- Mobile apps
Both cover
- ADS-B receivers
- Data encryption
- Ios support
- Android support
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ForeFlight
- Flight planning and navigation for pilotsnot Flightradar24
- Aviation weather and digital logbooknot Flightradar24
- Airport information and terrain profilingnot Flightradar24
Flightradar24
- Flight trackingnot ForeFlight
- Air traffic monitoringnot ForeFlight
- Researchnot ForeFlight
- Entertainmentnot ForeFlight
- Professional trackingnot ForeFlight
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
ForeFlight
$130/yearNo published plan breakdown. See the ForeFlight review.
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 ForeFlight if
- You need flight planning.
- You work on iPad, iPhone.
- You also want aeronautical charts.
Choose Flightradar24 if
- You need real-time tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want radar map.
Questions people ask
- Is ForeFlight or Flightradar24 better?
- Neither clearly leads. ForeFlight starts at $130/year and Flightradar24 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ForeFlight or Flightradar24?
- Flightradar24 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $130/year for ForeFlight and Free for Flightradar24.
- Does ForeFlight or Flightradar24 run on more platforms?
- ForeFlight runs on iPad, iPhone. Flightradar24 runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Flightradar24 for free?
- Yes. Flightradar24 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ForeFlight starts at $130/year.
- What is ForeFlight best used for?
- ForeFlight is most often used for flight planning and navigation for pilots, aviation weather and digital logbook, airport information and terrain profiling. Of those, flight planning and navigation for pilots and aviation weather and digital logbook are not what Flightradar24 is typically brought in for.
- What can ForeFlight do that Flightradar24 cannot?
- ForeFlight covers Flight planning, Aeronautical charts, Weather briefings, Navigation. Flightradar24 covers Real-time tracking, Radar map, Aircraft info, Flight history. Both handle ADS-B receivers, Data encryption, Ios support, Android support.