# Flightradar24

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/flightradar24/

5 people recommended Flightradar24 in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 5 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 5 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended for live flight tracking with a daylight view and map memory. Main caveat: critics expect the paid tier to shift to monthly payments with fewer features.

Summary written by Claude from 11 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Handy, timely flight tracking features (3 comments in the sample): "Flightly or flightradar24 listens to air traffic control and updates the app before any announcements are made." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46674778)) "handy flight tracking that includes the daylight progression" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46625606)) "since it remembers where you were on the map" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46520353))
- Paid license adds filters and data (2 comments in the sample): "which would get you many more filters and much more precise data" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47459036)) "recommended they get a license instead of the free version" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49362667))

## What people warn about

- Subscription changes and expected feature cuts (3 comments in the sample): "I bought the app, they sunsetted it and created "new one" with monthly payments" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48150630)) "It still feels like a setup for future degradation by some marketing genius." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47207179)) "I'd pretty confidently place bets that the tier will have reduced features" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47212754))

## Other flight trackers people recommend

- [Flighty](https://hackerapproved.com/p/flighty/): 30 recommend, 12 mixed, 13 criticize
- [Airloom](https://hackerapproved.com/p/airloom-3d-flight-tracker/): 22 recommend, 12 mixed, 3 criticize
- [ADS-B Exchange](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ads-b-exchange/): 6 recommend, 2 mixed, 5 criticize
- [airplanes.live](https://hackerapproved.com/p/airplanes-live/): 5 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://www.flightradar24.com/)

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Flightradar24", https://hackerapproved.com/p/flightradar24/ (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 5 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.