The Best Flight Tracker Apps – 2026 Guide
Updated: September 29, 2025
by Ellie Smith
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Discover the best flight tracker app for iPhone or Android to stay updated on your next flight, whether you're a frequent flier or an aviation enthusiast.
Keeping track of a loved one's flight can ease your mind and help you stay updated on their journey. A flight tracker app is a perfect solution, offering real-time information about flight statuses, delays, gate changes, and arrivals, ensuring you have all the details you need at your fingertips.
2026 Editor's Note: As we track the flight trackers over the years and their user ratings, the past year has seen the starkest fall in star ratings across the board. This seems mostly due to a proliferation in pop-up ads and reduced functionality. This is unfortunately common across the tech industry recently and has been termed "ensh@ttification". Of our list, The Flight Tracker and FlightAware the two that have held or increased their average ratings in the past year.
So, what is the best flight tracker app? Read on to discover the top contenders that combine cutting-edge technology and sleek design to keep you informed.
Table of contents
FlightAware Flight Tracker
This flight tracking app allows you to check the flight status of any aircraft by its registration, route, airline, flight number, or airport code. The app uses NEXRAD radar overlay (Next-Generation Radar for weather monitoring) to enhance its flight tracker map and push notifications to keep you up-to-date.
It provides real-time data on estimated departure and arrival times, changes in schedules, delays, cancellations, and gate and terminal changes. This feature is particularly useful for informing those picking you up from the airport by creating flight alerts to keep them updated on your location. The app offers global coverage, making it suitable for both domestic and international travel.
Cost: Free, with optional in-app purchases starting from $0.99 per month.
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Flightview: Flight Tracker
Tracking real-time status updates has never been easier, with push notifications sent from the Flightview – Flight Tracker app each time there is a change in status of your flight. This flight tracking app features weather information at both the arrival and departure airports of your flight as well as information relating to your aircraft’s previous routes, up to two previous days, for insight into its on-time performance.
In 2026 Flightview's latest iterations of the app coming in the middle of last year have not been well-received. This has lead to a dip in ratings on both platforms and losing many loyal customers, but we still rate it for its core functions (maybe in the hope that they stop the rot..).
Cost: Free, with optional in-app purchases starting from $2.99 per month for an ad-free experience.
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FlightStats
This flight tracking app has an extremely professional feel, allowing users to check flight status, view timelines, and watch flight paths via a built-in map. The app also provides information on delays for both departure and arrival times, gate information, and weather conditions, including a seven-day forecast.
Cost: Free, with optional premium tools available starting at $2.99 per month.
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ADS-B Flight Tracker
ADS-B Flight Tracker is one of the best free flight tracker apps, designed for aviation enthusiasts who want to track and view planes flying locally and globally. The app uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver functionality, which is capable of picking up aircraft broadcasting their positions. The app uses a radar-style display similar to those used by air traffic controllers at major airports like Heathrow.
This app is particularly noted for its capability to show unfiltered flight data, making it a unique tool for tracking a wide range of aircraft, including military and private jets, which are often not displayed on other flight tracking platforms.
Cost: Free
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Android – 3.8 stars (based on 2.67K reviews)
iOS: Instead of a standalone app, you can bookmark the globe.ADSBexchange.com site in your browser and add it to your home screen. This will behave like a mini app.
Plane Finder – Flight Tracker
This very simple, user-friendly app lets you search for flights and aircraft using multiple markers and displays airline logos next to planes for easy identification. You can simply tap on a plane to see detailed flight information, including photographs, and add bookmarks and filters to the app for easy use next time. Plane Finder – Flight Tracker uses ADS-B signals to provide accurate flight information and incorporates augmented reality to help you identify planes overhead using your phone’s camera.
Recent features include improvements to the flight playback interface, new aircraft markers, and enhanced augmented reality features for better accuracy and faster load times. The app also includes a new "MyFlights" feature that tracks the flights you care about from departure to touchdown and provides live updates on delays, gate information, and other crucial moments.
Cost: The app is free to download, with in-app purchases available. Premium subscriptions cost $3.99 per month or $19.99 per year, offering features like 3D mode and additional data fields.
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Flightradar24
This flight tracker app is widely praised for its real-time tracking capabilities and user-friendly interface. It boasts a clean interface and tracks not only planes but also helicopters. Users can check the status of flights, view aircraft characteristics, and see pictures of the flight route and schedule. The app allows users to apply filters to track specific airplane models and companies across the majority of the globe.
The app offers close to 100 percent coverage of transmitter-enabled airplanes, with data delivered with a delay of up to five minutes.
Cost: The app is free to download, with additional features available through subscription plans:
Silver Plan: $2.99 per month or $12.99 per year
Gold Plan: $3.99 per month or $34.99 per year
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Planes Live – Flight Tracker
Planes Live is a simple yet powerful flight tracking tool that lets you watch planes online all over the world and get up-to-date information on flights instantly. The app provides real-time flight status updates, terminal and gate information, and weather forecasts for destinations. You can customize settings to your preferences, such as choosing units and map types. Additionally, the app offers smart filters to track specific airplane models or airline companies and provides notifications about flight schedule changes, cancellations, and delays.
Cost: Free, with in-app purchases starting at $1.99 per month.
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The Flight Tracker
The Flight Tracker is a user-friendly app designed to keep you updated with real-time flight information. It features five main tabs: the map, search tab, My Flights, Airports, and Airlines, making it easy to navigate and track your flights. Users can save their tracked flights in the My Flights section and add travel documents and notes for easy access. The app provides basic flight details, such as arrival and departure times, and information about the aircraft type.
Cost: Free, with a Pro version starting at $1.99.
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Next Step: Smooth Ride to Your Destination
Upon landing, rely on Blacklane for a comfortable travel experience to your destination. We track flights to ensure your chauffeur waits at the correct terminal, even if there are unexpected changes in the flight schedule. Blacklane transfers are available in hundreds of cities and airports worldwide, making it a convenient option for travelers who prefer to avoid the complexities of foreign public transportation or negotiating with local taxi services. Enjoy a seamless and stylish ride with Blacklane, whether you're heading to or from the airport, ensuring your journey is smooth from start to finish.
