ForeFlight vs Garmin Pilot: Which EFB App Should You Use?
By Renzo, CPL · Updated May 2026
ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot are the two dominant electronic flight bag (EFB) apps in general aviation. Both turn an iPad or tablet into a complete flight-planning, charting, weather, and in-cockpit situational-awareness tool. Choosing between them is one of the first real decisions a new pilot makes — and one that experienced pilots revisit when they change aircraft or upgrade hardware. This guide breaks down the features, pricing tiers, sync and hardware (Sentry versus the GDL 52), Garmin avionics integration, and which app makes more sense for a student pilot versus a professional.
Last updated: May 2026 · Pricing and tiers change — confirm on the official ForeFlight and Garmin sites
2 Apps
The GA EFB duopoly
iOS / Android
Garmin both, FF iOS only
Sentry / GDL
Portable ADS-B receivers
Flight Stream
Panel sync gateway
The Two Dominant EFB Apps
An electronic flight bag replaces the paper charts, plates, and planning tools pilots once carried in a literal bag. Today, two apps own the general-aviation market in the United States: ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot. Both do the same core jobs — flight planning and filing, VFR and IFR charts, geo-referenced approach plates, weather, a moving map with your own-ship position, in-flight traffic and weather from an ADS-B receiver, and an integrated logbook. Where they differ is in ownership, platform support, ecosystem integration, interface style, and price.
ForeFlight launched in 2007 and became the runaway favorite in US flight training, charter, and corporate flying. Boeing acquired it in 2019, and it continues to operate as a Boeing company. ForeFlight is an iOS-only app, prized for a clean, approachable interface and deep document, checklist, and performance tooling at its higher tiers.
Garmin Pilot is Garmin's EFB, and its defining advantage is that Garmin also makes the avionics in a huge share of the GA fleet. That means Garmin Pilot offers the deepest native integration with installed Garmin panels — the G1000, the touchscreen G3000, GTN navigators, and portable units. Garmin Pilot also runs on both iOS and Android, includes native SiriusXM satellite weather through Garmin hardware, and is frequently priced below the comparable ForeFlight tier.
The honest summary is that both apps are excellent, and most pilots would be well served by either. The decision comes down to a handful of practical factors — your tablet, your avionics, your budget, and what the people you fly with already use — which the rest of this guide unpacks in detail.
Feature Comparison
At a high level the two apps cover the same feature territory. The table below maps the major capabilities side by side. Specific feature availability can depend on subscription tier and connected hardware, so treat this as a structural comparison rather than a tier-by-tier checklist.
| Feature | ForeFlight | Garmin Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | ForeFlight (a Boeing company since 2019) | Garmin |
| Platform | iOS (iPad/iPhone) primary; limited web tools | iOS and Android; also Windows via Garmin Pilot for Android tablets |
| Moving map / charts | VFR/IFR charts, geo-referenced plates, Aeronautical Maps | VFR/IFR charts, geo-referenced plates, SafeTaxi airport diagrams |
| 3D synthetic vision | 3D view and Synthetic Vision (with supported ADS-B/AHRS) | Synthetic Vision and 3D Vision (with compatible hardware) |
| Weather | Internet + ADS-B (Sentry) + optional SiriusXM | Internet + ADS-B (GDL) + native SiriusXM (GDL 52/51 lineage) |
| Flight planning / filing | Route advisor, fuel/weight-balance, ICAO filing | Graphical flight planning, weight-balance, ICAO filing |
| Logbook | Built-in ForeFlight Logbook with cloud sync | Garmin Pilot logbook; integrates with flyGarmin / Garmin ecosystem |
| Avionics sync | Garmin Flight Stream (Connext) and others; broad panel support | Deep native sync with Garmin panels (Flight Stream / Connext) |
| Hazard advisor / terrain | Hazard Advisor, profile view, terrain/obstacle alerting | Terrain and obstacle alerting, profile view |
| Documents / checklists | Document storage, binders, dynamic checklists | Checklists, scratchpads, document handling |
| Heaviest user base | Very widely used in US GA, training, charter, and corporate | Strong among Garmin-panel owners and Garmin hardware users |
The single biggest functional difference
If you boil it down to one line: ForeFlight is iOS-only with the broadest user base and polish, while Garmin Pilot is cross-platform (iOS and Android) with the deepest native Garmin-avionics integration and native SiriusXM weather. Almost every other difference is a matter of degree and personal preference.
Pricing Tiers Explained
Both apps use annual subscriptions with multiple tiers. Exact prices change over time and vary by region and promotions, so always confirm the current numbers on the official ForeFlight and Garmin websites before you buy. What follows is the structure of the tiers and who each is aimed at, which tends to stay stable even as the dollar figures move.
ForeFlight Tiers
Basic Plus
VFR pilots and students who want the core appVFR and IFR charts, geo-referenced approach plates, moving map, flight planning and filing, weather, and the ForeFlight Logbook. The entry tier that covers the majority of personal-flying needs.
Pro Plus
Instrument and serious cross-country pilotsEverything in Basic Plus plus features such as Hazard Advisor terrain awareness, profile view, synthetic vision support, advanced flight planning, and additional data layers. The most popular tier for active IFR pilots.
Performance Plus
Owners of high-performance and turbine aircraftAdds detailed aircraft performance modeling so the route advisor accounts for your specific aircraft's climb, cruise, and fuel-burn profile. Aimed at complex singles, twins, turboprops, and jets.
Business / MFB
Flight departments, charter, and crewsMulti-pilot fleet management, shared content, dispatch tooling, and enterprise features. Priced and provisioned per operation rather than as a single consumer subscription.
Garmin Pilot Tiers
Garmin Pilot (standard subscription)
Most GA pilots, especially Garmin-panel ownersCore charts, geo-referenced plates, SafeTaxi, moving map, weather, graphical flight planning, filing, and logbook. A single annual subscription covers the main app for most pilots.
Premium / add-on options
Pilots who want extra data layers and capabilitiesGarmin offers premium options and add-ons such as enhanced terrain/obstacle data, advanced weather, and features tied to compatible hardware. Pricing is structured as a base subscription plus optional upgrades.
SiriusXM aviation weather
Pilots wanting subscription satellite weatherGarmin's tight integration with SiriusXM (through compatible GDL receivers) lets you add satellite weather as a separate SiriusXM subscription — a historical strength of the Garmin ecosystem.
Budget reality check
As a general pattern, Garmin Pilot tends to undercut the comparable ForeFlight tier, which matters for students watching every dollar of training cost. But factor in total cost of ownership: the portable receiver you buy (Sentry vs GDL 52), any SiriusXM weather subscription, and whether your aircraft's avionics push you toward one ecosystem. The cheapest app on paper is not always the cheapest system once hardware is included.
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Sync & Hardware: Sentry vs GDL 52
An EFB app is only as capable in flight as the data feeding it. On the ground you have internet weather and planning; in the air the tablet's GPS gives you position, but to receive subscription-free traffic and weather you need a portable ADS-B In receiver — or a compatible installed system. This is where each app has a natural hardware partner.
ForeFlight's flagship companion is the Sentry family (built by uAvionix and co-marketed with ForeFlight), available as Sentry, Sentry Plus, and the compact Sentry Mini. Garmin's counterpart is the GDL 52 (and the related GDL 51) portable receiver, which pairs naturally with Garmin Pilot. Both receiver families deliver dual-band ADS-B In traffic, FIS-B weather, a GPS position source, and a built-in AHRS for backup attitude and synthetic vision.
Here is how the two hardware paths compare.
| Capability | Sentry (ForeFlight) | GDL 52 (Garmin Pilot) |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship portable receiver | Sentry / Sentry Plus / Sentry Mini (made by uAvionix) | GDL 52 / GDL 51 series portable ADS-B receivers |
| ADS-B In traffic | Dual-band 978/1090 ADS-B traffic on Sentry/Sentry Plus | Dual-band ADS-B traffic on GDL 52 |
| ADS-B In weather | FIS-B weather (NEXRAD, METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs) over 978 | FIS-B weather over 978 plus native SiriusXM on GDL 52 |
| Built-in AHRS | Yes on Sentry/Sentry Plus (backup attitude / synthetic vision) | Yes on GDL 52 (backup attitude / synthetic vision) |
| SiriusXM satellite weather | Not native to Sentry; via separate SiriusXM-capable hardware | Native on GDL 52 (Garmin's traditional SiriusXM strength) |
| Carbon monoxide detector | Sentry Plus includes a CO detector | Varies by model; check the specific GDL receiver |
| Panel sync source | Flight Stream / Connext from installed Garmin avionics | Flight Stream / Connext, with deepest native Garmin integration |
The SiriusXM distinction
The clearest hardware difference is satellite weather. The Garmin GDL 52 can receive SiriusXM aviation weather natively (with a SiriusXM subscription), which gives nationwide weather coverage that does not depend on being within range of a ground ADS-B tower. The Sentry line relies on FIS-B weather over ADS-B, which is excellent but only available when you are receiving a ground station. If reliable high-altitude or remote-area weather is a priority, the Garmin SiriusXM path is worth the extra subscription cost.
Garmin Ecosystem Integration
Garmin's structural advantage is that it makes both the EFB app and a large share of the avionics in the panel. When the app and the panel are both Garmin, they speak the same language through Flight Stream (Connext) wireless gateways. Flight plans you build on your tablet upload to the panel; flight plans created in the panel appear on the tablet; and traffic, weather, position, and attitude flow between them. On many systems you can even push database updates to the panel wirelessly through the app.
This matters most if you fly behind Garmin glass. If your aircraft has a G1000 NXi or a touchscreen G3000, Garmin Pilot integrates with it as a first-party product. The same holds for GTN 650/750 navigators, GNX portable navigators, and aera portables — the Garmin ecosystem rewards staying inside it.
That said, this is not a closed garden. ForeFlight also connects to Garmin panels through the very same Flight Stream gateways and works extremely well — millions of flight hours run ForeFlight talking to Garmin avionics every day. The practical takeaway is one of degree: both apps sync with Garmin panels, but Garmin Pilot's first-party integration is the most seamless, while ForeFlight wins on breadth of supported third-party hardware and its dominant user base.
A simple rule of thumb
If your aircraft is a Garmin-glass airplane and you want the tightest panel-to-tablet experience with native SiriusXM weather, lean Garmin Pilot. If you want the app most of your fellow pilots and instructors already use, with the most polished interface and the deepest document and performance tooling, lean ForeFlight. Either way you will still be able to sync with a Garmin panel.
ForeFlight: Strengths & Weaknesses
ForeFlight earned its dominant position through a relentlessly refined interface and feature set, and through being the app that flight schools, charter operators, and corporate departments standardized on. Here is an honest accounting of where it shines and where it does not.
Strengths
- +Polished, intuitive interface that many pilots find the easiest to learn
- +Dominant in US flight training, charter, and corporate flying, so instructors and crews often already know it
- +Excellent document handling, binders, and dynamic checklists
- +Strong integrated logbook with cloud sync across devices
- +Sentry hardware is well-regarded, with AHRS and a CO detector on Sentry Plus
- +Broad avionics sync, including Garmin panels via Flight Stream
Weaknesses
- −iOS only — no native Android version, which rules it out for Android tablet users
- −Generally positioned at a premium price point relative to some competitors
- −Owned by Boeing rather than an avionics maker, so panel integration is via open protocols rather than first-party
Garmin Pilot: Strengths & Weaknesses
Garmin Pilot is a powerful, full-featured EFB that is frequently undervalued by pilots who default to ForeFlight without comparing. Its case is strongest for Android users, Garmin-panel owners, and anyone weighing cost. Here is where it leads and where it lags.
Strengths
- +Native sync with installed Garmin avionics is as deep as it gets — flight plans, weather, traffic, and database flow between the panel and the app
- +Available on both iOS and Android, the only major EFB with a serious Android presence
- +Native SiriusXM satellite weather integration through GDL hardware
- +Often a lower subscription cost than the comparable ForeFlight tier
- +Strong fit for pilots already invested in the Garmin hardware ecosystem (G1000, G3000, GTN navigators, GNX/aera portables)
Weaknesses
- −Interface is powerful but has a steeper learning curve for some new users
- −Less ubiquitous than ForeFlight in US training and charter, so you may be the only one in the room using it
- −Best value is realized when you also own Garmin panel avionics or GDL hardware
Student Pilot vs Professional Pilot
The best EFB for you depends heavily on where you are in your flying journey. Here is how the recommendation shifts from your first lesson to a professional flight deck.
For the student pilot
The most important factor is what your flight school and instructor use. Learning the same app your CFI flies makes every lesson smoother — you can ask questions, share screenshots, and troubleshoot together. In the US, that is most often ForeFlight, which is why it is the common default for students on an iPad.
That said, Garmin Pilot is an excellent and usually cheaper choice, and it is the obvious pick if you fly an Android tablet or train in a Garmin-glass airplane. Do not overspend early: pick a tier that covers VFR and basic IFR, add a portable receiver when you start needing in-flight weather and traffic, and upgrade tiers as your flying grows. And remember that the EFB will not teach you the regulations, weather theory, or navigation that the written exam tests — that ground knowledge still has to be studied.
For the instrument and cross-country pilot
Once you are flying IFR and longer trips, the higher tiers earn their keep: terrain and hazard awareness, profile view, synthetic vision, and serious flight planning. This is where ForeFlight Pro Plus and Garmin Pilot's premium options shine. Panel sync also becomes more valuable — building a route on the tablet and uploading it to the GPS navigator before an IFR departure is a real time-saver. If you fly Garmin glass, this is where Garmin Pilot's integration starts to pull ahead for many pilots.
For the professional pilot
In charter, fractional, and corporate flying, the app is usually chosen for you. ForeFlight is heavily entrenched at this level — its Performance Plus tier models specific aircraft performance, and its business and fleet products handle multi-pilot management and dispatch. You adapt to your operation's standard, learn it to a professional depth, and keep your personal preferences secondary to standardization and crew coordination. Garmin Pilot also serves professional operators well, especially those standardized on Garmin avionics, but ForeFlight's footprint at the professional tier is larger.
How to Decide
Both apps offer free trials. The smartest move is to install each, plan a couple of real flights, and feel which interface clicks. Then run through this short decision checklist.
1. Check your tablet
If you fly an Android tablet, the decision is largely made for you: Garmin Pilot is the only one of the two that runs on Android. If you are on an iPad, both are in play.
2. Ask your instructor or flight department
Matching the app the people around you use is worth more than any single feature, especially as a student. If your school standardizes on one app, start there.
3. Look at your avionics
If your aircraft has Garmin glass (G1000 NXi, G3000, GTN navigators), Garmin Pilot offers the tightest first-party sync. If you fly a mix of avionics or non-Garmin panels, ForeFlight's broad compatibility is a plus. Both sync with Garmin panels via Flight Stream.
4. Weigh total cost, not just app price
Add the subscription tier you actually need, the portable receiver (Sentry or GDL 52), and any SiriusXM weather. Garmin Pilot is often cheaper on the app alone, but compare the whole system.
5. Decide how much you value SiriusXM weather
If subscription-free FIS-B weather over ADS-B is enough for your flying, either path works. If you want nationwide satellite weather independent of ground towers, the Garmin GDL 52 plus a SiriusXM subscription is the natural fit.
6. Run both free trials before paying
Interface preference is personal and real. Spend a week in each, plan and (mentally) fly the same trips, and commit to the one that feels faster and clearer to you. You can always export your logbook and switch later if your needs change.
The bottom line
There is no wrong answer here. ForeFlight is the safe, polished, ubiquitous choice for most US iPad pilots, especially in training and professional environments. Garmin Pilot is the cross-platform, Garmin-integrated, often-cheaper choice that excels for Android users and Garmin-glass owners. Pick the one that fits your tablet, your avionics, your budget, and your community — then learn it deeply. A pilot who knows one EFB cold is safer than one who dabbles in both.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot better?
Neither is universally better; they target overlapping but slightly different pilots. ForeFlight has the larger US user base, an extremely polished interface, and is the de facto standard in much of flight training, charter, and corporate aviation — but it is iOS only. Garmin Pilot offers the deepest native integration with installed Garmin avionics, runs on both iOS and Android, includes native SiriusXM weather, and is often less expensive. The right choice depends on your aircraft's avionics, your tablet, your budget, and what the pilots around you already use.
Which EFB is better for a student pilot?
For most students, ForeFlight is the safer default, primarily because it is so widely used that your instructor and flight school almost certainly know it, which makes getting help easy. Its interface is also very approachable. That said, Garmin Pilot is an excellent and usually cheaper choice for a student — especially one on an Android tablet, or one who already owns Garmin hardware. Ask your flight school which app they teach on, because matching your instructor saves a lot of friction early.
Which EFB is better for a professional pilot?
Professional environments lean heavily toward ForeFlight, particularly its Performance Plus and business/fleet tiers, because of detailed aircraft performance modeling, multi-pilot fleet management, and its prevalence in charter and corporate flight departments. Garmin Pilot remains a strong professional tool, especially in operations standardized on Garmin avionics. In practice, your employer or flight department usually dictates the app, and you adapt to their standard.
What is the difference between Sentry and the Garmin GDL 52?
Both are portable ADS-B In receivers that feed traffic, weather, GPS, and backup attitude into your EFB. Sentry (made by uAvionix and marketed with ForeFlight) pairs naturally with ForeFlight and, on the Sentry Plus, adds a carbon monoxide detector. The Garmin GDL 52 pairs naturally with Garmin Pilot and adds native SiriusXM satellite weather, which Sentry does not provide on its own. Both offer dual-band ADS-B traffic, FIS-B weather, and a built-in AHRS for synthetic vision. Choose the receiver that matches your primary app.
Can ForeFlight sync with a Garmin panel?
Yes. ForeFlight can connect to many installed Garmin avionics through Garmin's Flight Stream / Connext wireless gateways, exchanging flight plans, position, traffic, and weather. However, the integration is deepest and most seamless when you use Garmin Pilot with Garmin panel avionics, since both are first-party Garmin products.
Does Garmin Pilot run on Android?
Yes. Garmin Pilot is available on both iOS and Android tablets and phones, which is a significant advantage if you prefer Android hardware. ForeFlight, by contrast, is iOS only, so Android users effectively have to choose Garmin Pilot or another app.
Which app integrates better with the Garmin G1000 or G3000?
Garmin Pilot has the tightest native integration with Garmin glass flight decks like the G1000 NXi and G3000, using Flight Stream / Connext to sync flight plans, weather, traffic, and database updates wirelessly. ForeFlight also connects to these panels via the same Flight Stream gateways and works very well, but if seamless first-party panel sync is your top priority and you fly Garmin glass, Garmin Pilot has the edge.
How much do ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot cost?
Both are annual subscriptions with multiple tiers, and prices change over time, so always confirm current pricing on the ForeFlight and Garmin websites. As a general pattern, ForeFlight offers tiers from a basic individual plan up through performance and enterprise plans, while Garmin Pilot typically offers a base subscription plus optional premium add-ons and is often priced below the comparable ForeFlight tier. SiriusXM weather, where used, is billed separately by SiriusXM.
Do I need a separate ADS-B receiver, or can I use just the app?
You can fly with just the app using internet-based weather and planning on the ground, and GPS position from the tablet in the air. But to get in-flight subscription-free weather (FIS-B) and traffic (ADS-B In), you need a portable receiver such as Sentry or the GDL 52, or a compatible installed system. A receiver with a built-in AHRS also unlocks backup attitude and synthetic vision in the app.
Can I switch from one app to the other later?
Yes, and many pilots do. The main friction points are relearning the interface, re-importing or re-entering your logbook (export your logbook before switching so you do not lose entries), and potentially changing your portable receiver to match. Charts and procedures are standard data, so your real lock-in is the logbook, your saved routes and documents, and any hardware tied to one ecosystem.
Is ForeFlight owned by Boeing?
Yes. Boeing acquired ForeFlight in 2019. ForeFlight continues to operate as a Boeing company and remains independent of any single avionics manufacturer, which is part of why it supports a broad range of panel hardware through open protocols rather than favoring one brand.
Which app should I choose if I am undecided?
Try both. Both ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot offer free trial periods, so download each, plan a few flights, and see which interface clicks for you. Then weigh three practical factors: which app your instructor or flight department uses, what avionics and tablet you own, and your budget. For a typical US student on an iPad whose school standardizes on ForeFlight, ForeFlight is the path of least resistance. For an Android user, a Garmin-panel owner, or a budget-conscious pilot, Garmin Pilot is very compelling.
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