Flighty vs Polarsteps
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Flighty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.8. Flighty wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Polarsteps on 1.
Frequent flyers who want the earliest warning of delays and gate changes
Backpackers and long-trip travelers who want an effortless travel diary
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Flighty | Polarsteps |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Travel & Maps | Travel & Maps |
| Category rank | #1 of 10 | #3 of 10 |
| Developer | Flighty LLC | Polarsteps B.V. |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Flighty better than Polarsteps?
Flighty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.8. Flighty wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Polarsteps on 1.
Which is cheaper, Flighty or Polarsteps?
Flighty: Free tracking; Flighty Pro is $59.99/year, with monthly, lifetime and family plans. Polarsteps: Free; Polarsteps Plus listed at $9.99 a month or $34.99 a year in the App Store. On value for money, Polarsteps scores higher.
Do Flighty and Polarsteps work on the same devices?
Only Flighty runs on Mac. Only Polarsteps runs on Android, Web.
Which is more private, Flighty or Polarsteps?
Flighty scores higher on privacy (9.0/10). App Store label links only contact info, IDs and usage data to you, with no tracking and no ads. Flighty says no personal information is required to use it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Flighty
- Delay alerts often arrive before airline notices
- Clean, glanceable design with Live Activities
- Free tier tracks unlimited flights with no ads
- Most advanced alerts need a Pro subscription
- Apple devices only, with no Android app
- Pro is hard to justify if you fly a few times a year
Flighty is the best flight tracker for frequent flyers. It pulls in your flights, shows gate changes and delays in Live Activities, and watches the inbound plane so you often hear about a delay before the airline says anything. Airport Intelligence and Connection Assistant make tight layovers less stressful. It is Apple-only, and the best features need Flighty Pro, which is hard to justify if you rarely fly.
Full Flighty review
Polarsteps
- Records your route automatically
- Family can follow along in real time
- Planning, tracking and sharing are free
- Collects a wide range of personal data
- Travel Books cost extra
- Public trip settings can reveal more than you expect
Polarsteps tracks your route in the background and draws it on a map as you travel, so family can follow along without you posting a thing. Add photos and stories at each stop, then turn the trip into a printed Travel Book or an auto-made Trip Reel. 2026 brought web planning, flight lookups and finer location privacy. Core features stay free and ad-free, while Plus adds 3D maps and elevation stats for hikers.
Full Polarsteps review
