ForeFlight vs Garmin Pilot vs FlyQ: Flight Planning App Comparison

Flight planning apps have revolutionized how pilots prepare for flights. The right app puts weather, charts, NOTAMs, and flight planning tools in your pocket. ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, and FlyQ EFB represent three leading options, each with distinct strengths and limitations worth understanding before you commit.

ForeFlight: The Industry Standard

ForeFlight dominates the general aviation market for good reason. It set the standard for iPad flight planning and continues to evolve with features that other apps follow.

Strengths

User Interface: ForeFlight’s interface is widely considered the most intuitive. Charts, weather, and navigation information display cleanly. The learning curve is manageable even for pilots new to electronic flight bags.

Integration: ForeFlight connects with more avionics systems than any competitor. Garmin, Avidyne, Aspen, and numerous other manufacturers provide direct connectivity, allowing flight plan transfer and real-time data sharing.

Weather: Weather presentation is excellent. The graphical weather layer shows precipitation, winds, ceilings, and other factors clearly. SIGMETs, AIRMETs, and NOTAMs display appropriately. The Aeronautical Decision Making tools help evaluate flight risk.

Community: With the largest user base, ForeFlight has extensive documentation, YouTube tutorials, and user forums. Finding answers to questions is easy because someone has likely asked before.

Limitations

Cost: ForeFlight is the most expensive option. The Basic Plus subscription starts around $200 annually; Pro Plus with synthetic vision and other advanced features exceeds $300. For pilots on a budget, this represents a significant ongoing expense.

Apple Only: ForeFlight runs only on iOS devices. Android users cannot use ForeFlight at all, which may be a decisive factor for some pilots.

Best For

Pilots who want the most polished experience and don’t mind paying for it. Flight schools often standardize on ForeFlight for consistency. Professional pilots frequently use ForeFlight because of industry familiarity.

Garmin Pilot: Deep Garmin Integration

Garmin Pilot leverages Garmin’s dominance in avionics to provide seamless integration with Garmin panels. For pilots flying Garmin-equipped aircraft, this creates compelling advantages.

Strengths

Garmin Ecosystem: Flight plans transfer directly to Garmin navigators. Weather from Garmin’s Connext system displays on the app. If your panel is Garmin, everything talks to everything else.

Cross-Platform: Garmin Pilot runs on both iOS and Android, giving more hardware flexibility than ForeFlight.

Familiar Interface: If you’re used to Garmin’s panel interface, Garmin Pilot will feel familiar. The design language carries across products.

Bundling: Some Garmin subscriptions include database updates for both the panel and the app, potentially reducing total cost compared to separate subscriptions.

Limitations

Interface Polish: Many users find Garmin Pilot’s interface less intuitive than ForeFlight. The learning curve can be steeper, and some functions are harder to find.

Non-Garmin Integration: Integration with non-Garmin avionics is weaker. If your aircraft has Avidyne, Aspen, or other manufacturers’ equipment, you lose Garmin Pilot’s primary advantage.

Feature Lag: ForeFlight typically introduces new features first. Garmin Pilot follows, sometimes months later. If having the latest capabilities matters, ForeFlight leads.

Best For

Pilots flying Garmin-equipped aircraft who want tight integration between their panel and EFB. Also appropriate for Android users who can’t use ForeFlight regardless of preferences.

FlyQ EFB: Value-Focused Alternative

FlyQ EFB from Seattle Avionics offers capable flight planning at a lower price point. For pilots who don’t need every advanced feature, FlyQ provides excellent value.

Strengths

Price: FlyQ’s subscription costs roughly half of ForeFlight’s comparable tier. For budget-conscious pilots, this savings adds up over years of flying.

Hazard Advisor: FlyQ’s Hazard Advisor feature provides proactive alerts for airspace, terrain, weather, and TFRs. The system actively monitors your position and planned route, alerting before problems arise.

Simplicity: FlyQ focuses on core EFB functions without overwhelming feature lists. For pilots who want planning, weather, and navigation without complexity, FlyQ delivers.

Cross-Platform: FlyQ runs on iOS, Android, and Windows, providing the widest device compatibility of the three options.

Limitations

Smaller User Base: With fewer users, the community support isn’t as extensive. Finding tutorials and troubleshooting help may require more searching.

Integration: Avionics integration exists but isn’t as comprehensive as ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot. If direct panel connectivity matters, verify specific compatibility before committing.

Feature Depth: Advanced features available in ForeFlight may not exist in FlyQ. Evaluate whether the missing features matter for your flying before choosing based on price alone.

Best For

Budget-conscious pilots who want solid EFB functionality without paying premium prices. Also good for pilots who prefer simpler interfaces without feature overload.

Making the Choice

Several factors should guide your decision:

Device Platform

If you use Android, ForeFlight isn’t an option. That simplifies the choice considerably. If you use iOS, all three options are available.

Aircraft Avionics

Garmin panel owners get significant value from Garmin Pilot’s integration. Other avionics manufacturers often work best with ForeFlight. Check specific compatibility before choosing.

Budget

If cost is a primary concern, FlyQ’s lower subscription makes sense. If you’ll use the app for decades of flying, the annual savings compound significantly.

Feature Requirements

Identify which features you’ll actually use. Paying for synthetic vision when you never fly IFR wastes money. Paying for advanced weight and balance tools when you fly a simple trainer also wastes money. Match features to needs.

Flight School Standardization

Many flight schools require specific apps for training aircraft. Using the school’s choice during training, then evaluating alternatives after certification, avoids immediate decisions.

Beyond the Big Three

Other EFB options exist: Aerovie, iFly GPS, WingX, and others serve specific niches. These may be worth considering based on particular needs, but the three major options cover most pilots’ requirements.

Common Features Across All

All three apps provide the core EFB functions: electronic charts (sectional, IFR, approach plates), weather display, flight planning with route optimization, weight and balance calculators, and GPS navigation. The differences lie in implementation, interface, advanced features, and integration—not fundamental capability.

Try before you buy when possible. ForeFlight and others offer trial periods. Use the trial with actual flight planning to evaluate whether the interface works for your thinking style. The best app is the one you’ll actually use effectively, not the one with the most features or lowest price.