Best Flight Tracker Apps 2026: 7 Compared

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The short answer: pick FlightAware if you want free alerts for a flight on iPhone or Android, Flighty if you use Apple devices and want delay predictions, and Flightradar24 or Plane Finder if you want to watch aircraft on a live map. byAir is the cross-platform option with inbound plane tracking, Aviate is built for Android, and Tineo fits if you want your flights next to your hotels and the rest of the trip.

Checked on November 13, 2026. Tineo publishes this guide and is one of the seven apps. Everything said about another app comes from that app’s own website or App Store listing, read on that date and linked below. We did not run a side by side test, so this compares what each company says it offers. “Not stated” means the page we read does not say.

Table of Contents

• The seven apps at a glance
• Flightradar24
• FlightAware
• Flighty
• Plane Finder
• byAir
• Aviate
• Tineo
• Which one should you pick?
• FAQ
• Sources

The seven apps at a glance

Prices are US App Store prices in US dollars, as listed on November 13, 2026. Stores often list several prices for one plan, and prices differ by country.

App	Best for	Platforms stated	Alerts	Cost, as stated
Flightradar24	Watching live air traffic on a map	iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision on the listing we read	“Filters and alerts” are listed under the Silver plan	Free app. Silver from $2.99 a month, Gold from $3.99 a month
FlightAware	Free alerts for one flight	iPhone and Android	Free flight status alerts by push, text or email	Free app. Ad removal $1.49 a month or $8.99 a year
Flighty	Delay predictions on Apple devices	iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision	Earlier disruption alerts are part of Pro	Free version. Pro $59.99 a year, $9.99 a month or $299 lifetime
Plane Finder	Live map with 3D and AR views	iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision on the listing we read	Custom alerts. Which plan includes them is not stated	Free app. Premium $3.49 a month or $19.99 a year
byAir	Inbound plane tracking on both phone platforms	iOS and Android	Push notifications, Live Activities on iOS, Live Updates on Android	Not stated on the page we read
Aviate	A tracker built for Android	Android. iOS is in development	Real-time gate changes on the free plan. Live flight notifications are in Pro	Free plan. Pro prices not stated
Tineo	Flights inside a full trip itinerary	Web, iPhone, Android	Email alerts for changes to flights it monitors	Free plan. Ultra $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year

Flightradar24

Flightradar24 is the live map most people picture when they think of flight tracking. Its App Store listing says the free app lets you watch aircraft move in real time, point your phone at the sky to identify a plane overhead, open airport arrival and departure boards, and replay past flights.

Paid plans add depth. The listing puts “Filters and alerts to find and track flights” under Silver, along with 90 days of flight history. Gold adds 365 days of history and more detailed weather layers. The listing shows Silver from $2.99 a month and Gold from $3.99 a month, with more than one price per plan, and says prices vary by country and currency.

Pick it when you want to see where a plane is right now, or you enjoy watching air traffic. Look elsewhere when you want free alerts for your own flight, because the listing places alerts in a paid plan.

FlightAware

FlightAware’s mobile page offers iPhone and Android apps and says you can receive flight notifications by push, text or email. Its App Store listing says “Get free flight status alerts” and lists departures, arrivals, cancellations, gate changes, delays and diversions. It also describes a “Where is my plane?” check for the incoming aircraft.

The app is free. The listing sells ad removal at $1.49 a month or $8.99 a year. The more expensive Aviator plans on the listing are described as being for general aviation aircraft, not for airline passengers.

Pick it when you want a free alert for a flight you are taking or meeting, on either phone platform. This is the app we would point most occasional flyers to first.

Flighty

Flighty’s pricing page says the free version includes unlimited flight tracking, live flight data and its Passport flight log. Pro adds what Flighty is known for: disruption alerts it says arrive earlier than the airline’s, Live Activities, delay predictions, calendar sync and email import. Its App Store listing describes “Late arriving aircraft delays” up to six hours before the airline. That figure is Flighty’s own claim.

The listing shows Pro at $59.99 a year, $9.99 a month or $299 as a lifetime purchase, and says Pro is free on your first flight. It covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision. The Apple Watch app is listed under the free features and watch complications under Pro.

Pick it when you fly often, use Apple devices and will pay for early warning. For Android, see our Flighty alternative for Android guide.

Plane Finder

Plane Finder is a live map tracker from pinkfroot. Its App Store listing describes live tracking on a map, a 3D view, an AR mode where you point the camera at the sky, real-time airport boards and playback of air traffic back to 2011. It also describes “Unlimited Custom Alerts”, including an alert when a particular flight is heading your way. The listing does not say whether alerts are part of the free app or Premium.

Premium is $3.49 a month or $19.99 a year on the US listing. The listing includes Apple Watch among supported devices.

Pick it when you want a map tracker and prefer its 3D and AR views, or its lower yearly price compared with Flightradar24 Gold. An Android version was not checked for this guide.

byAir

byAir’s site says the app is on iOS and Android. It lists push notifications, Live Activities on iOS, Live Updates on Android, and widgets. It describes tracking the inbound plane with delay predictions “hours before the gate announcement”, and automatic scanning of email and calendar for flights. The site also mentions flight updates through WhatsApp and Telegram.

Pricing is not stated on the page we read, so check the store listing before you rely on a feature.

Pick it when your household is split between iPhone and Android and you want the same tracker on both, with inbound plane tracking.

Aviate

Aviate’s site says the app is available now on Android through Google Play and that an iOS version is in development. It describes a free plan with basic flight tracking, real-time gate changes, custom checklists, home screen widgets and calendar sync, with no ads. Pro adds airport indoor navigation, live flight notifications, AI delay predictions and public flight sharing.

The site mentions yearly subscriptions, short passes and a lifetime purchase, but gives no prices.

Pick it when you use Android and want a dedicated tracker with a free plan. Note that live flight notifications sit in Pro.

Tineo

Tineo is an itinerary organizer, not a dedicated flight tracker. It builds a trip from your booking confirmation emails, so each flight sits on one timeline with the hotel, car rental and activities around it. It shows live departure and arrival status where flight data is available, and it can email you when a flight it monitors changes. You manage this under Flight alerts in settings, as the help guide Manage flight alerts describes. On iPhone, the Apple Watch app puts the next flight on the watch face.

What it does not do: it has no live map of aircraft, no inbound plane tracking and no delay predictions. If those matter most, Flighty, byAir or FlightAware is the better pick.

Tineo runs on the web, iPhone and Android. It has a free plan, and Tineo Ultra costs $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. See the pricing page.

Which one should you pick?

• You want a free alert for one flight: FlightAware.
• You want to watch planes on a map: Flightradar24, or Plane Finder for its 3D and AR views.
• You fly often on Apple devices and will pay for early delay warnings: Flighty Pro.
• You need the same tracker on iPhone and Android: byAir or FlightAware.
• You use Android only and want a dedicated tracker: Aviate.
• You want flights, hotels and ground transport in one itinerary: Tineo, with a tracker next to it on the day you fly if you want more detail.

Whatever you choose, keep your airline’s own notifications on. The airline knows about a change first. Our guide to flight status alerts explains what airlines send and how trackers and itinerary apps fit around them.

FAQ

What is the best free flight tracker app?

FlightAware is the strongest free pick for alerts: its App Store listing says flight status alerts are free and cover departures, arrivals, cancellations, gate changes, delays and diversions. Flighty’s free version includes unlimited flight tracking on Apple devices, and Aviate has a free plan on Android.

Which flight tracker app works on both iPhone and Android?

FlightAware and byAir both state iPhone and Android apps on their own sites. Tineo runs on the web, iPhone and Android. Flighty’s listing covers Apple devices only, and Aviate says it is on Android only for now.

Which flight tracker predicts delays?

Flighty lists delay predictions, including the reason, under Flighty Pro. byAir describes delay predictions and inbound plane tracking on its site, and Aviate lists AI delay predictions under its Pro plan. These are each company’s own descriptions, not independent measurements.

Is Tineo a flight tracker?

Not a dedicated one. Tineo is an itinerary organizer that shows live flight status where data is available and can email you when a flight it monitors changes. For following one aircraft in detail, a tracker such as Flighty, FlightAware or Flightradar24 is the better pick.

Sources

All read on November 13, 2026.

• Flightradar24 on the App Store
• Mobile flight tracker apps, FlightAware
• FlightAware on the App Store
• Pricing, Flighty
• Flighty on the App Store
• Plane Finder on the App Store
• byAir
• Aviate
• Tineo on the App Store

Recommended

• Flight Status Alerts: Airline, Tracker and Itinerary Options
• Flighty Alternative for Android: What to Use Instead