VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View Firefly IIIView FlightAwareBack to Home

Head-to-head

Firefly III vs FlightAware comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Firefly III adds Portfolio, Webhooks, and Other coverage that FlightAware skips.

FlightAware includes Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Alerts, and Satellite / Geospatial categories that Firefly III omits.

Firefly III highlights: Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license)., Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting., and Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification..

FlightAware is known for: Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions., Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data., and AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication..

FlightAware offers mobile access, which Firefly III skips.

Firefly III logo

Firefly III

firefly-iii.org

An open-source, self-hosted personal finance manager licensed under AGPLv3. Offers full double-entry bookkeeping, REST APIs, and optional event webhooks. Exchange-rate conversion is available from v6.2 onward as an opt-in feature. Bank connections are handled separately through the Firefly Data Importer app.

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license).
  • Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting.
  • Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification.
  • Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration.
  • Separate Data Importer tool supports CSV and CAMT.053, with optional bank integrations via Salt Edge, GoCardless, and SimpleFIN.

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FlightAware logo

FlightAware

flightaware.com

A global flight-tracking platform offering free web and mobile access to live flight data. Premium subscriptions add unlimited alerts and extended historical lookback. Enterprise offerings include AeroAPI (REST), Firehose (streaming), and Rapid Reports (one-off email deliveries).

Platforms

Web
Mobile
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription
One-time

Quick highlights

  • Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions.
  • Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data.
  • AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication.
  • FlightAware Firehose delivers a continuous enterprise-grade feed of real-time, historical, and predictive flight data over secure TCP/SSL connections.
  • Global coverage powered by fused data sources: national air navigation providers, ACARS messages, over 30,000 terrestrial ADS-B receivers, Aireon space-based ADS-B with ~1-minute updates, and FlightAware’s HyperFeed® ML engine processing tens of thousands of position messages per second.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

1 overlap

Both tools cover this research theme.

Where they differ

Firefly III

Distinct strengths include:

Portfolio
Webhooks
Other
  • Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license).
  • Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting.
  • Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification.
  • Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration.

FlightAware

Distinct strengths include:

Data APIs
Data Visualizations
Alerts
Satellite / Geospatial
  • Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions.
  • Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data.
  • AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication.
  • FlightAware Firehose delivers a continuous enterprise-grade feed of real-time, historical, and predictive flight data over secure TCP/SSL connections.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeFirefly IIIFlightAware
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: APIs & SDKs

Unique: Portfolio, Webhooks, Other

Shared: APIs & SDKs

Unique: Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Alerts, Satellite / Geospatial

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Other

Other

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, API

Web, Mobile, API

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free, Subscription, One-time

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license).
  • Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting.
  • Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification.
  • Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration.
  • Separate Data Importer tool supports CSV and CAMT.053, with optional bank integrations via Salt Edge, GoCardless, and SimpleFIN.
  • CSV export available for accounts, budgets, categories, tags, recurring transactions, subscriptions, piggy banks, rules, and more.

Unique

  • Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions.
  • Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data.
  • AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication.
  • FlightAware Firehose delivers a continuous enterprise-grade feed of real-time, historical, and predictive flight data over secure TCP/SSL connections.
  • Global coverage powered by fused data sources: national air navigation providers, ACARS messages, over 30,000 terrestrial ADS-B receivers, Aireon space-based ADS-B with ~1-minute updates, and FlightAware’s HyperFeed® ML engine processing tens of thousands of position messages per second.
  • Rapid Reports offer one-time purchases of airport or aircraft history, delivered via email within about an hour.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Firefly III and FlightAware both support?

Both platforms cover APIs & SDKs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Firefly III and FlightAware require subscriptions?

Both Firefly III and FlightAware keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

FlightAware ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Firefly III focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Firefly III differentiates itself with Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license)., Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting., and Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification., whereas FlightAware stands out for Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions., Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data., and AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.