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DUATS vs Garmin Pilot

DUATS logo

DUATS

Aviation

FAA Direct User Access Terminal System for flight briefings

From
$9.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Garmin Pilot logo

Garmin Pilot

Aviation

All-in-one flight planning and navigation app

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DUATS service has been discontinued as of May 2018; Garmin Pilot garmin Pilot's iPad app is offered on a 30-day free trial from initial download, after which the subscription plans described on Garmin's site apply
  • They diverge on capability: DUATS covers Flight briefings, Garmin Pilot covers Aeronautical charts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DUATS and Garmin Pilot actually diverge.

Attributes where DUATS and Garmin Pilot differ
AttributeDUATSGarmin Pilot
Starting price$9.95/month$99/year
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidIos, Android
Founded19901989

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 DUATS

  • Flight briefings
  • Weather data
  • Flight filing
  • NOTAMs
  • FAA systems
  • Weather services
  • Chart databases
  • ATC integration

Only in Garmin Pilot

  • Aeronautical charts
  • Weather overlays
  • Panel sync
  • Traffic display
  • Garmin avionics
  • GTN series
  • G1000/G3000
  • GDL receivers

Both cover

  • Flight planning
  • Data encryption
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

DUATS

  • Flight briefingnot Garmin Pilot
  • Flight planning
  • Flight filingnot Garmin Pilot
  • Weather briefingnot Garmin Pilot

Garmin Pilot

  • Flight planning
  • Weather analysisnot DUATS
  • In-flight navigationnot DUATS
  • Aircraft panel syncnot DUATS
  • Chart viewingnot DUATS

Both are used for flight planning, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Garmin Pilot

  • Garmin Pilot's iPad app is offered on a 30-day free trial from initial download, after which the subscription plans described on Garmin's site apply

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

Garmin Pilot

$99/year
  • Premium$99/year
    • IFR/VFR charts
    • Weather radar
    • Flight planning
  • Premium + Global$199/year
    • Everything in Premium
    • Worldwide charts
    • International planning

Which should you pick?

Choose DUATS if

  • You need flight briefings.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want weather data.
DUATS review

Choose Garmin Pilot if

  • You need aeronautical charts.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want weather overlays.
Garmin Pilot review

Questions people ask

Is DUATS or Garmin Pilot better?
Neither clearly leads. DUATS starts at $9.95/month and Garmin Pilot at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DUATS or Garmin Pilot?
DUATS starts at $9.95/month and Garmin Pilot at $99/year.
Does DUATS or Garmin Pilot run on more platforms?
DUATS runs on Web, Ios, Android. Garmin Pilot runs on Ios, Android.
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 filing are not what Garmin Pilot is typically brought in for.
What can DUATS do that Garmin Pilot cannot?
DUATS covers Flight briefings, Weather data, Flight filing, NOTAMs. Garmin Pilot covers Aeronautical charts, Weather overlays, Panel sync, Traffic display. Both handle Flight planning, Data encryption, Ios support, Android 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.

Source
DUATS: Did DUATS cost money?

No. DUATS was free to all registered U.S. pilots and student pilots holding a current medical certificate.

Source
DUATS: 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
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