Written by: Hennie Brink on Oct 14, 2024
The most useful paragliding app depends on what you need during a flying day: a logbook and replay afterwards, vario audio in the air, navigation for a cross-country flight, or site and weather information before you leave home. Start with that job and the phone you use.
About this comparison: We make Gaggle. This guide uses developer documentation, checked September 29, 2026. We have not flight-tested these apps for a performance ranking.
XC means cross-country flying. A vario, or variometer, reports climb and sink, often through audio tones.
These apps overlap, but a site directory and a competition computer are useful at different stages of a flying day. Decide which task matters most before comparing the rest of their features.
Consider Gaggle when you want to keep your flight history and sharing in one app across Android and iPhone or iPad.
The flight logbook supports recorded flights, manual entries and imported GPX or IGC files. You can export individual recordings as GPX, KML or IGC. Flight replay provides 2D and 3D views with playback controls and a timeline.
Imported files can be useful when moving a flight history, although missing telemetry limits the detail available afterwards.
In flight, Gaggle includes a built-in variometer with configurable audio and thermal-assist settings. Flying Sites brings together site details, guides and weather views. Live tracking lets other people follow a flight when the pilot’s sharing settings and connectivity allow it.
Before you choose: The plans page lists recording and live tracking in the free Wingman plan. Replay, exports and route planning are listed under Frequent Flyer, while detailed site forecasts and other premium planning tools are listed under Adventurer. Check the current plan and local checkout before subscribing.
Live air traffic depends on coverage and connectivity. Airspace advisories also depend on region and source availability; Gaggle describes them as supplementary information, not an official briefing service. Choose it for the combination of workflows you need, with those data and access limits in mind.
theFlightVario offers several Android apps. Its variant guide distinguishes Basic, Classic and XC versions, so check the individual listing rather than assuming every app includes the same tools.
The XC Vario listing describes customizable vario audio, background operation, waypoint routing, thermal overlays, airspace views, Bluetooth vario connections and IGC/KML flight logs. It also lists PureTrack and SafeSky integrations. Its focus is vario feedback and navigation.
Before you choose: The documented phone-based vario uses a barometer alongside other motion sensors. The developer’s phone and sensor guide cautions that a built-in barometer alone does not guarantee a working setup. Check your device and any external sensor against the current documentation. Consult the chosen app’s store listing for its purchase terms; the three variants should not be treated as one package.
FlySkyHy suits pilots looking for a configurable Apple flight display and logbook. Its feature guide describes flight instruments, a moving map, wind information, flight replay, IGC/KML logs and contest uploads.
Its App Store listing also describes Bluetooth vario connections and live tracking through supported services.
Before you choose: FlySkyHy is a paid download with optional purchases. Airspace, waypoints and the XC package are separate extensions; the store also lists map-download and other additions. Compare the total package needed for your flying, rather than the download price alone.
The FAQ confirms there is no Android version. It also explains two useful hardware and connectivity distinctions: flight instruments and logging can work without internet, but maps must already be available on the device and live tracking needs a connection.
An iPad without cellular capability needs a compatible external GPS source. Check the FAQ’s sensor-permission guidance if using the phone’s built-in barometer.
For a narrower comparison of the two products, see Gaggle vs FlySkyHy.
Look at XCTrack when competition tasks, waypoints and cross-country scoring are central to your flying. The official overview lists competition tasks, task sharing, an FAI assistant, in-flight track optimization, XContest upload, customizable displays, maps and external-device support.
Its FAQ confirms that live tracking is supported in production and beta versions, and that there is no iPhone or iPad version. The current Google Play listing also includes XContest live tracking.
Before you choose: Google Play lists in-app purchases, and the developer says donations support development. Check the installed app for any paid options relevant to you.
The manual documents map and airspace setup and says acoustic vario operation requires an internal or external pressure sensor. The developer also notes ongoing development and possible bugs, so review the current version and configuration instructions for your device.
For a closer look at these different workflows, see Gaggle vs XCTrack.
Paragliding Map focuses on researching places to fly. Its mobile-app guide brings together launch and landing information, observations, forecasts, webcams, photos, filters and directions. This gives it a different emphasis from apps centred on recording and in-flight instrumentation.
The Android listing and iPhone/iPad listing both describe airspace and NOTAM layers alongside site and weather information.
NOTAMs alert pilots to changes or hazards affecting aviation. A useful first check is whether the places you visit have the information you need, with identifiable sources and current observations.
Before you choose: Both listings describe free functionality with paid additions. The App Store also lists PRO subscriptions, so a free download does not imply that every forecast or map tool is included. Check the current offer on your platform.
Follow up site listings with current local briefings and access information; a forecast icon cannot establish that a site is suitable for you. The publisher’s iOS page makes that limitation explicit.
Use these checks to turn the comparison into a shortlist:
For more background on sensors and dedicated hardware, read our paragliding instruments guide. For weather concepts, see the paragliding weather guide. App information supports your preparation; use the relevant official weather and airspace sources and your training when making flight decisions.
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