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Squawk vs FlightAware

FlightAware tracks the aircraft. Squawk looks after the trip.

FlightAware is a free, ad-supported tracker built on its own receiver network and much loved by pilots. Squawk is made for the person on board: delay forecasts, Live Activities, terminal maps, the way into town and a passport of every trip, with no ads on any plan.

Squawk

The whole trip in one app: your flights, the airports, the way into town and every trip you've flown.

Free

Plus from $29.99 a year

FlightAware

A free flight and plane tracker, built on its own receiver network.

Free, with ads

$8.99 a year to remove them

The short answer

Squawk or FlightAware?

  • Squawk is for you if

    • You want an app made for the person on board: delay forecasts, Live Activities and widgets for your flight, with no ads on any plan
    • You want the airport covered too: terminal maps, lounges, and trains, buses and ride apps into town
    • You want every trip you fly kept: a flight log, a passport stamped for every country and a year card to share
    • You want friends to see where you've been, and a live link for whoever is picking you up
    • You want a free live map of every plane in the sky, without the ads
  • FlightAware still makes sense if

    • You fly yourself and want filed routes, charts and the ForeFlight hand-off
    • You feed ADS-B data and want the free Enterprise account that comes with it
    • You want alerts and the inbound aircraft free, don't mind ads, or use Android

Feature by feature

Squawk and FlightAware, side by side.

A tick names the plan it needs. Coming is built or planned for Squawk but not in the app yet.

Squawk and FlightAware, feature by feature
FeatureSquawkFlightAware
Your flights
Live times, gates and terminalsYes: on FreeYes: on Free
Gate, delay and cancellation alertsComing soonYes: on Free, Five at a time free
Delay forecastsYes: on PlusPartly: on Free, Its own estimated times
Where your plane is coming fromYes: on Plus, The inbound aircraftYes: on Free
A live link for familyYes: on Plus, Free to followPartly: on Free, A public flight page
Live ActivitiesYes: on PlusNo
Home and Lock Screen widgetsYes: on ProNo: Receiver widgets only
Apple WatchComing soonNo
Your travels
Flight log and statsYes: on Free, Every flight on PlusNo
Passport stamps and a year card to shareYes: on FreeNo
Import flights from other appsYes: on Free, Flighty, MyFlightradar24, TripIt, CSVNo
Forward booking emailsComing soonNo
Friends and their travelsYes: on FreeNo: Forums, not friends
At the airport
Terminal maps with gatesYes: on Free, Where mappedPartly: on Free, Gates on the airfield map
Your connection, step by stepYes: on Free, Passport control includedNo
Trains, buses and ride apps into townYes: on Free, Ride apps on PlusNo
LoungesYes: on FreeNo
Live map
Every aircraft in the sky, liveYes: on FreeYes: on Free, Some sources paid
Spotter tools: runways, frequencies, spotsYes: on Free, With an airport chatPartly: on Free, Runways, frequencies, photos
Live ATC audioNo: Frequencies onlyNo
The app
No adsYes: on Every planNo: $8.99 a year to remove
AndroidNo: iPhone onlyYes
Family planYes: on Family, Pro for 6No

FlightAware checked 22 October 2026 against its own website and App Store listing (sources below). Apps change; if something here is out of date, tell us at support@thesquawkapp.com.

Prices

What each one costs.

What Squawk and FlightAware cost
PlanSquawkFlightAware
Free planYesYes, with ads
MonthlyPlus $3.99Pro $6.99Ad-free $1.49Premium+ $44.95 on the web
YearlyPlus $29.99Pro $49.99Ad-free $8.99
Buy oncePlus $149.99Pro $299.99
Free trial7 days on yearly plansNone listed
Family$99.99 a year, 6 people

US prices. Your App Store shows your local currency. FlightAware's prices are its own, as listed on the App Store and flightaware.com.

Fair's fair

Where FlightAware shines.

  • A generous free core

    Any flight, its inbound aircraft, push alerts, a live map and US radar, all on the free app, from a tracker that has been at it since 2009.

  • Its own receiver network

    More than 41,000 community ADS-B receivers feed FlightAware, and anyone who hosts one gets an Enterprise account free.

  • Depth for pilots

    Filed IFR routes with a ForeFlight button, airport diagrams, plates, sectionals and fuel prices, and Aviator plans for aircraft owners.

Switching

Starting from FlightAware.

  1. Add your next flight in Squawk by its number or route. Live times, gates and terminals are free.
  2. Bring your history from wherever you kept it: Flighty, MyFlightradar24, TripIt or a spreadsheet, under Settings, Import from another app.
  3. Keep FlightAware for what it does best, if you like. The two sit happily side by side.

FlightAware doesn't keep a log of your own trips, so there's nothing to export from it.

Questions

Squawk and FlightAware.

Is Squawk a FlightAware alternative?

For travellers, yes: your flights, delay forecasts, Live Activities, terminal maps, the way into town and a log of every trip, in one app with no ads. For pilots and ADS-B feeders, FlightAware's aviation tools and receiver programme are things Squawk doesn't try to do.

Does Squawk have ads?

No, on any plan. FlightAware's free app shows ads; removing them costs $8.99 a year.

Can Squawk show where my plane is coming from?

Yes, on Squawk Plus, alongside Squawk's delay forecasts. FlightAware shows the inbound aircraft on its free app.

Is Squawk on Android?

No. Squawk is an iPhone app; FlightAware is on Android and the web as well.

Sources

Where this comes from.

Squawk's side is the app as it is today, from the same plan list as our Pricing page. FlightAware's side was checked on 22 October 2026:

FlightAware is a trademark of FlightAware, LLC. Squawk isn't affiliated with or endorsed by FlightAware, LLC. Also compared: Squawk vs Flighty · Squawk vs Flightradar24 · Squawk vs TripIt.

Now in beta

Try Squawk on your next trip.

Squawk is in beta on iPhone. Join now and a TestFlight invite comes to your inbox, or leave your email and hear the day it reaches the App Store.

For the beta, use your Apple Account email: TestFlight sends the invite there. No spam.