The paper chart is dead. Long live the Electronic Flight Bag. But in the battle for your tablet screen space, which aviation giant truly deserves the victory?
Walk along any flight line on a Saturday morning, look into the cockpits of Cessnas, Cirruses, and Pipers alike, and you’ll see a common sight: a tablet mounted somewhere. The Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) revolution has completely changed how we plan, brief, and fly.
But this revolution has birthed a massive rivalry. It is the "Mac vs. PC" or "Coke vs. Pepsi" of the aviation world.
In the left corner, the reigning champion of market share, the darling of the iOS ecosystem: ForeFlight.
In the right corner, the challenger backed by an undisputed empire of certified avionics: Garmin Pilot.
At FlightPro, we get asked almost daily: "Which one should I choose?" The honest answer is that both are incredible pieces of technology that enhance safety and situational awareness. You cannot make a "bad" choice here. But you can make the wrong choice for your specific needs, cockpit setup, and budget.
This is the clash of the titans. Let’s break down the dogfight.
Round 1: The Ecosystem War (Supported Devices)
This is usually the first deciding factor, and it’s a brutal knockout for one side.
ForeFlight: ForeFlight is unapologetically an Apple shop. It runs on iPads and iPhones. Period. Their philosophy is that developing for a single, standardized hardware ecosystem allows them to create a more stable, optimized, and cohesive experience. If you are an Android user, ForeFlight is currently a non-starter.
Garmin Pilot: Garmin plays the field. They offer robust versions of their app for both iOS and Android. If you swear by your Samsung tablet or Google Pixel phone, Garmin Pilot welcomes you with open arms.
Winner:
-
If you are an Android user: Garmin Pilot (by default).
-
If you are an Apple user: Tie.
Round 2: The User Interface (The "Feel" of the Flight)
How does the app feel at 5,000 feet in moderate turbulence?
ForeFlight: Often described as "Apple-esque." It is incredibly intuitive, relying heavily on gestures, tap-holds, and a map-centric design. It feels modern, sleek, and is generally easier for student pilots to pick up right away. The "Plates" tab and the way it overlays approach charts onto the map is seamless.
Garmin Pilot: If you fly with a Garmin G1000, GTN 650/750, or even their portable GPS units, Garmin Pilot will feel like coming home. It uses similar menu structures, symbology, and logic. It is incredibly powerful but relies more on menus and distinct pages. It has a slightly steeper learning curve, but once you master the "Garmin logic," it’s incredibly efficient.
Winner:
-
For intuitive design and ease of use: ForeFlight.
-
For pilots already accustomed to Garmin avionics: Garmin Pilot.
Round 3: Features and Capabilities (The Arsenal)
Both apps cover the essentials flawlessly: VFR/IFR charts, flight planning, weather briefing, filing, and synthetic vision. But they excel in different niches.
ForeFlight’s Strengths:
-
Graphical Briefing: ForeFlight transformed the boring text standard briefing into a beautiful, easy-to-digest graphical format. It’s superb for quickly understanding weather threats.
-
Performance Profiles: The top-tier "Performance Plus" subscription offers incredibly accurate aircraft performance modeling for jets and turboprops, factoring in fuel burn with frightening accuracy.
-
Logbook: Their built-in digital logbook is arguably the best in the business, making currency tracking effortless.
Garmin Pilot’s Strengths:
-
Weather Visualization: Garmin’s weather layers, particularly their icing forecasts and radar imagery, are exceptionally clear. The way they present Pilot Reports (PIREPs) is also excellent.
-
Emergency Navigation: Garmin’s dedicated "Nearest" and emergency functions feel slightly more robust and quicker to access in a high-stress situation, mirroring their certified avionics capabilities.
-
Global Reach: While both support international flying, Garmin’s heritage in global GPS navigation sometimes gives it an edge in chart availability outside North America.
Winner: Tie. It depends entirely on whether you value graphical briefings and logbooks (ForeFlight) over avionics-style weather presentations and emergency tools (Garmin).
Round 4: Cockpit Integration (Playing Nice with Others)
An EFB is good; an EFB connected to your panel is game-changing. This is where the battle gets fierce.
The ForeFlight Philosophy: ForeFlight is the master of third-party integration. It works beautifully with the Sentry and Stratus lines of portable ADS-B receivers. It also connects to a wide variety of panel avionics (including some Garmin units, Avidyne, Dynon, etc.) to push/pull flight plans and receive traffic/weather.
The Garmin Advantage: If your panel is stacked with Garmin glass (GTN navigators, G500/G600 TXi, G3X Touch) and a FlightStream Bluetooth link, Garmin Pilot is almost unbeatable.
Why? The integration is deeper. It’s not just sending flight plans. It’s "Database Concierge"—updating all your panel avionics databases wirelessly from your iPad sitting on the couch the night before a flight. It's the seamless two-way synchronization that feels like the iPad is just an extension of the panel.
Winner:
-
If you use portable ADS-B (Sentry/Stratus) or mixed-brand avionics: ForeFlight.
-
If you own an aircraft equipped with modern Garmin panel avionics: Garmin Pilot.
The Verdict: Which Titan Should Be Your Co-Pilot?
As we said at the start, there is no single winner. Both apps are worth every penny of their subscription costs in terms of safety and convenience.
Choose ForeFlight if:
-
You are committed to the Apple (iOS) ecosystem.
-
You value a highly intuitive, map-centric interface that is easy to learn.
-
You fly performant aircraft and need advanced fuel/performance profiling.
-
You use portable ADS-B receivers like Sentry.
Choose Garmin Pilot if:
-
You use Android devices.
-
Your aircraft is equipped with a modern Garmin panel (especially with FlightStream).
-
You prefer the menu structures and logic of certified Garmin avionics.
-
You want the convenience of wirelessly updating your panel databases.
The Final Fix
The best way to decide? Download the free trials of both. Plan a few hypothetical cross-country flights on your couch. See which interface "clicks" with your brain.
No matter which EFB you choose, the key is mastering it. Don't be the pilot fumbling with an iPad at a critical moment in IFR conditions.
At FlightPro, we are dedicated to helping you master the tools of modern aviation. Whether you need advice on cockpit setups, training on your new EFB, or the gear to keep it powered and mounted, we’re here to help you fly smarter and safer.
