ADS-B Exchange vs Flightradar24: Which Should You Use?

Short answer: use Flightradar24 if you mainly follow airline flights, and ADS-B Exchange if you want to see everything that is broadcasting, including military aircraft. Flightradar24 combines a network of more than 50,000 receivers with schedules, airport data and well-built apps, but it blocks most military and some private aircraft. ADS-B Exchange is built around unfiltered data from a large community feeder network, with fewer airline-schedule features. Plenty of enthusiasts keep both open.

The rest of this comparison covers how each service gets its data, how they treat filtering, coverage, features, apps, history and pricing as of October 2026, with every third-party fact linked to the provider's own page. At the end there is a short note on where GodsView AI fits, for people who want flights alongside other live layers.

If you are new to the underlying technology, our guide on how ADS-B flight tracking works explains receivers, MLAT and hex codes first.

Compare with the GodsView live flight map

ADS-B Exchange vs Flightradar24 at a glance

Sources: Flightradar24 how it works, Flightradar24 premium plans, Flightradar24 blocked flights, ADS-B Exchange home, ADS-B Exchange about, ADS-B Exchange member hub, JETNET announcement. Facts checked October 20, 2026.

How their data differs

Both services start from the same physics: aircraft broadcast ADS-B on 1090 MHz, volunteer receivers hear it, and servers merge the result. The differences are in what gets added and what gets removed.

Flightradar24 layers on more sources. Its how it works page lists satellite-based ADS-B for oceanic coverage, radar data for live flights in North America and Australia, FLARM and glider data from the Open Glider Network, and UAT for small US aircraft below 18,000 feet. It then joins tracking data to commercial flight plans, schedules and an aircraft database of more than 1.5 million aircraft. The result is a cleaner picture of airline operations, especially over oceans.

ADS-B Exchange focuses on the raw broadcast picture. Its about page describes a crowdsourced network of ground stations and says it aims to show aircraft movement without filtering out specific flights or aircraft types, using MLAT and Mode S data where available.

Filtering and military aircraft

This is the deciding difference for many people.

Flightradar24's support documentation says it limits or blocks a small number of flights at owners' request through programs such as the FAA's LADD list, and for security and privacy reasons limits or blocks most military aircraft and certain high-profile aircraft such as Air Force One. Its premium plans also include a "Military" category filter for the military traffic it does show.

ADS-B Exchange describes its map as "live, unfiltered flight tracking" and says it gives visibility into both civil and military aviation. Unfiltered does not mean complete: aircraft that are not transmitting, or that no feeder can hear, are missing on every network. Our military aircraft tracking explainer covers why, and what the FAA's LADD and PIA programs do.

Where Flightradar24 is better

• Airline flights and schedules. Tracking data is joined to commercial flight plans and schedule data, so flight numbers, routes and airport pages are central to the product. If you are meeting someone at arrivals, it is the more direct tool.
• Coverage depth. More receivers, plus satellite ADS-B and radar data in some regions, generally mean fuller tracks over oceans and in thinly covered areas.
• Apps and polish. Dedicated iOS and Android apps and a consistent interface across web and mobile suit casual users.
• Long, structured history. Flight history runs from 7 days on the free plan to 90 days (Silver), 365 days (Gold) and 3 years (Business), per its premium page.
• Commercial licensing. A clear Business plan covers commercial use, which its terms require.

Where ADS-B Exchange is better

• Unfiltered data. If you care about military, government or special-interest aircraft, this is the main reason to use it.
• Enthusiast tools. The map highlights "most watched" aircraft, close calls and unmanned aircraft, and feeders get receiver statistics, alerts and an ad-free map without paying.
• Low cost to go ad-free. Premium is $2.99 per month for an ad-free map and early access to features (member hub).
• Data access for builders. A Community API for non-commercial projects and enterprise products with live positions delivered as often as every 250 milliseconds (data products).

Pricing as of October 2026

Flightradar24 prices below are from its website in US dollars on October 20, 2026; app store prices vary by country and platform.

All three paid Flightradar24 plans offer a 7-day free trial, limited to one per account. Free users see ads, and the website times out after 30 minutes on the free plan. People who share ADS-B data with Flightradar24 can be invited to a Contributor plan with premium features.

ADS-B Exchange has three account options for individuals, per its member hub: a free Member account, Premium at $2.99 per month (ad-free map, early access), and a free Feeder account for people who send data, which adds ad-free use, notifications and alerts, and receiver statistics. Enterprise data products are priced on request.

Prices change; check each provider's page before you buy. If cost is the main question, see is Flightradar24 free?.

See live flights next to ships and hazards

Who should pick which

Not finding the right fit? Our roundup of Flightradar24 alternatives covers more options, and the best live OSINT maps looks at broader situational-awareness tools.

Limits that apply to both

Neither service can show an aircraft that is not transmitting or that no receiver hears. Both depend on aircraft GPS, so jamming and spoofing can distort tracks; our guide to GPS jamming and spoofing explains the effects. Low-altitude coverage depends on nearby receivers, and labels such as registration and operator come from databases that can be out of date. Use either for awareness, not for safety-critical decisions.

Where GodsView fits

GodsView AI is not a dedicated flight tracker in the same way. It is a hosted live map where aircraft sit next to ships, satellites, earthquakes, fires, weather and news. Its aircraft layer pulls from the OpenSky Network first and falls back to adsb.lol and adsb.fi, refreshing about every 10 seconds; the Pro military flight tracker layer uses the adsb.lol military feed. The methodology page lists every source.

You can try it on the 3D globe without an account; free live viewing pauses after 30 minutes and continues when you reload.

If you need airline schedules and deep history, Flightradar24 is the stronger tool; if you need unfiltered aircraft data and feeder tools, ADS-B Exchange is. GodsView suits people who want flights in context with other events on one map, with alerts and watch areas on Pro ($10.99 per month, $99.99 per year or $199.99 lifetime, as of October 2026). For a step-by-step on finding a specific flight anywhere, see how to track a flight.

Open the GodsView live flight map