The Best EFB Apps in 2026, Compared

TL;DR: ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot remain the most established electronic flight bag apps in 2026. SkyDemon leads in Europe, Avare and FltPlan Go are the free options, and Ascent EFB is the newest entrant with a single all-in plan at $89.99 a year. The right EFB app for you depends on platform, mission, and how much of the feature list you want at the starting price.

Every pilot flying with an iPad or phone eventually asks the same question: which EFB app should I use? This comparison covers the best EFB apps on the market in 2026, with pricing and features taken from each vendor's published pages. Prices were checked on August 5, 2026 and may change; always confirm on the vendor's site.

EFB app comparison table (2026)

The established leaders

ForeFlight is the reference point every other EFB app gets measured against, and it earns that position with the deepest feature set in the market. Note that its published plans are tiered: per ForeFlight's own pricing page, capabilities like synthetic vision and geo-referenced approach plates sit above the $130 Starter tier, so price out the tier that actually carries the features you want.

Garmin Pilot is the natural choice if your panel is Garmin. Its US Standard plan is $109.99 with a Premium tier at $209.99, and it is one of the few major EFB apps that supports Android.

The strongest regional and budget picks

SkyDemon dominates European VFR flying with graphical NOTAM briefings and an all-inclusive plan. iFly EFB and FlyQ EFB both offer synthetic vision and solid chart coverage with IFR as a paid step-up. WingX has the lowest paid entry price at $74.99. FltPlan Go and Avare are genuinely free and remain popular backups even for pilots who fly a paid EFB as primary.

Where Ascent fits

Route, airspace and terrain on one map in Ascent EFB.

Ascent EFB is the newest app in this comparison, launched in July 2026 for iPhone and iPad. It makes one bet the incumbents do not: a single plan at $89.99 a year with everything included. Moving map, full aviation weather stack, geo-referenced charts, 3D terrain, offline AIRAC downloads, and automatic flight logging, with charts and the 3D map working fully offline. There are no tiers, and the 30-day free trial covers the entire feature set. The honest trade-off: it is newer than the incumbents and iOS only.

Geo-referenced taxi diagrams, included in the single plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best EFB app in 2026?

There is no single best EFB app for every pilot. ForeFlight has the deepest features, Garmin Pilot fits Garmin panels and Android users, SkyDemon leads in Europe, and Ascent EFB offers the most complete feature set per dollar at $89.99 all-in. Fly the free trials and judge with your own workload.

What is the cheapest EFB app?

Avare and FltPlan Go are free. Among paid apps, WingX starts at $74.99 and Ascent EFB is $89.99 with everything included. See our full EFB cost breakdown.

Do all EFB apps have a free trial?

Every paid app in this comparison publishes a 30-day free trial, so you can evaluate two or three EFB apps on real flights in a single month without spending anything.

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Every price and feature claim above was read from the vendor's published pricing page or official App Store listing on August 5, 2026. Ascent is our product; the comparison sticks to documented facts, and we encourage you to verify all of them. Also see: How to Choose an EFB App.