Best Aviation Apps for Pilots in 2026: Choose the Right EFB Stack

The best aviation app is the one that fits your jurisdiction, aircraft, panel and operating approval without becoming a single point of failure. That makes a universal ranking less useful than it first appears.

For many pilots, the first decision is between three broad EFB ecosystems: ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot and, in Australia and New Zealand, OzRunways. Each can combine several functions that once lived in separate products. None transfers the pilot's responsibility to obtain, interpret and act on the information required for the flight.

For many pilots, the first decision is between three broad EFB ecosystems: ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot and, in Australia and New Zealand, OzRunways. Each can combine several functions that once lived in separate products. None transfers the pilot's responsibility to obtain, interpret and act on the information required for the flight.

Quick comparison

App	Strongest fit	Platform and ecosystem question	Check before subscribing
ForeFlight Mobile	Pilots wanting a broad planning, briefing, chart, document and logbook workflow	Strong iPhone and iPad workflow, with web planning and a wide avionics connection list	Country coverage, chart package, connected hardware and whether the required feature is in the selected plan
Garmin Pilot	Pilots already using compatible Garmin avionics or portable receivers	Available on Apple and Android devices; deeper value appears when the aircraft has compatible Garmin equipment	Platform differences, regional chart coverage, database subscriptions and exact avionics compatibility
OzRunways EFB	Australian and New Zealand pilots wanting local maps, NAIPS workflow and regional briefing tools	iOS-led EFB with Australian and New Zealand data and operating context	Device operating-system support, Australia or New Zealand plan, Jeppesen option and connected traffic limitations

The table is a starting point, not an approval. Commercial operators should also check their manuals, EFB program and regulator requirements. Part 91 pilots in the United States should read the FAA's active AC 91-78A, which addresses using EFB functions in place of required paper information.

ForeFlight: broad workflow and chart coverage

ForeFlight Mobile combines flight planning, charts, weather, airport information, document management, logging and optional synthetic vision in one product. Its published coverage includes FAA, NAV CANADA and EUROCONTROL charts, with Jeppesen products available as an option. ForeFlight also supports flight-plan filing in a defined set of regions, including Australia for IFR filing.

That breadth is useful when a pilot wants one primary workflow from planning through post-flight. It also creates a buying trap: a feature shown on the product page may depend on a particular plan, region, device or connected receiver. Build a list of the functions you actually need, then match each one to the current subscription table.

ForeFlight is a strong candidate when:

• the pilot uses an iPad or iPhone as the primary EFB;
• the required charts and filing services are covered in the operating region;
• the aircraft hardware appears on ForeFlight's current compatibility material; and
• a single planning, briefing, document and logbook workflow is preferable to several separate apps.

It is a weaker fit when Android support is mandatory or when another EFB has materially better integration with the installed panel.

Garmin Pilot: panel integration can decide the result

Garmin Pilot publishes planning, weather, charts, NOTAMs, weight and balance, filing and logbook functions. It is available on Apple and Android devices, although features can vary by platform and plan.

The clearest differentiator is Garmin's Connext ecosystem. With compatible avionics or portable equipment, Garmin Pilot can exchange flight plans and receive position, attitude, traffic or weather data. Certain installations can also move navigation databases or flight and engine data. Those functions depend on specific equipment and subscriptions; the word "Garmin" on the panel is not enough to establish compatibility.

Garmin Pilot is a strong candidate when:

• compatible Garmin avionics are already installed;
• Android support matters;
• the pilot wants the app and panel to share a defined set of data; and
• the regional plan contains the required charts and filing services.

Garmin's June 2026 release added Daily Weather to Apple mobile devices and a forecast turbulence layer to mobile and web. Those are planning aids, not permission to treat a consumer display as a complete weather decision.

OzRunways: local operating context for Australia and New Zealand

OzRunways EFB is built around Australian and New Zealand flying. Its published functions include local VFR mapping, weather and NOTAM briefing, NAIPS flight-plan filing, documents, weight and balance and moving-map navigation. The 2026 version 14 product line also introduced new plan-sheet functions, internet traffic on qualifying plans and a Jeppesen option on the upper plan.

For an Australian pilot, local workflow can matter more than the length of a global feature list. OzRunways connects the planning process to Australian charts, Airservices material and NAIPS. It also publishes minimum operating-system requirements, which should be checked before assuming an older cockpit iPad will run the current release.

OzRunways is a strong candidate when:

• most flying is in Australia or New Zealand;
• the pilot values a locally designed briefing and filing workflow;
• the supported Apple-device setup matches the cockpit; and
• the selected plan covers the required chart and traffic functions.

Its own manual warns that internet traffic and connected ADS-B receivers should not be used as the sole means of traffic avoidance. That is the right boundary for any portable display.

Weather apps: ask what decision the display supports

An app can make weather easier to see without making it current enough, complete enough or suitable enough for every decision.

The FAA's AC 91-92 treats a self-briefing as a process of gathering the information pertinent to the flight, understanding it and identifying risk. The FAA's AC 00-63B addresses the limits and best practices associated with digital weather and aeronautical displays.

Before adding a stand-alone weather app, answer four questions:

1. What is the original data source?
2. How old can the observation, forecast or radar image be when it reaches the screen?
3. Does the app show the issue and valid times clearly?
4. Is it supporting the preflight briefing, an en-route update or only an early planning glance?

A smooth radar animation does not show the weather between frames, and a data-link product can be older than its appearance suggests. The primary EFB should expose source and time information clearly enough that the pilot can judge the product, not merely admire the display.

A seven-flight evaluation before committing

Use the trial period on real planning tasks and ordinary flights rather than comparing screenshots at home.

For each of seven flights, record:

• whether every required chart and document was available offline;
• how quickly the pilot found route weather, NOTAMs and alternates;
• whether the app and panel exchanged the expected data;
• battery use, heat behaviour and screen readability;
• any step that required a second app or manual workaround;
• whether the backup device held the same current information; and
• the plan or hardware cost required to keep the workflow working.

The result should reveal whether a product is reducing cockpit work or merely adding another screen.

Do not confuse the app with the operating system

An EFB setup includes more than software. It includes the device, mount, power source, data currency, connected receivers, backup method and the pilot's practiced workflow. For a commercial operator, it also includes the approved or accepted procedures that apply to the operation.

Keep at least one independent way to reach the information that would be operationally serious to lose. Before departure, verify downloads, database currency, device charge and the route-specific information required for the flight. A second device is useful only if it is current, reachable and usable when the first one fails.

Bottom line

ForeFlight is the broad iOS-first benchmark, Garmin Pilot deserves particular attention in a compatible Garmin cockpit, and OzRunways is the locally focused choice for many Australian and New Zealand pilots. The right answer is the smallest app stack that covers the mission, makes data age and source visible, works with the installed equipment and has a credible failure plan.

Choose the workflow first. Buy the subscription second.

Sources

• FAA AC 91-78A - Use of Electronic Flight Bags
• FAA AC 91-92 - Pilot's Guide to a Preflight Briefing
• FAA AC 00-63B - Use of Flight Deck Displays of Digital Weather and Aeronautical Information
• ForeFlight Mobile product overview
• Garmin Pilot Mobile product overview
• Garmin Pilot June 2026 product update
• OzRunways EFB product overview
• OzRunways March 2026 user manual