What is ADS-B Exchange?
ADS-B Exchange is a global flight tracking platform built on a crowdsourced network of ground receivers. Aircraft broadcast their position, altitude, speed and identity using ADS-B, and individuals, institutions and partner organisations run receivers that pick up those signals and send them to ADS-B Exchange, which shows them on a live global map. Its stated aim is to display aircraft broadcasts as received, without filtering out specific flights or aircraft types, so civil and military traffic both appear. Multilateration (MLAT) is used to locate aircraft that do not broadcast GPS positions.
It was founded in 2016 as a hobby project by an aviation enthusiast and IT professional. The site says it is powered by over 25,000 receivers, is used by more than 11 million people, and updates positions every 500 milliseconds. Besides the public map there are mobile and augmented reality views, a free Community API for non-commercial projects, and paid enterprise data products with live and historical data for commercial users.
Main Features
- Live global map of aircraft, shown without filtering specific flights
- MLAT positions for aircraft that do not broadcast GPS location
- Position updates every 500 milliseconds
- Interesting map activity pages such as most watched aircraft
- Mobile map and Tailvision augmented reality view
- Feeder Hub for running your own receiver and joining the network
- Community API for non-commercial use, plus enterprise data products
- Free member accounts, with ad-free options
How to Get Started with ADS-B Exchange
- Open adsbexchange.com and click View the map.
- Search for an aircraft or zoom into an area to see live traffic.
- Select an aircraft to see its details and recent track.
- Create a free account to sync settings, or set up a receiver through the Feeder Hub to contribute data.
ADS-B Exchange Pricing
The tracking map is free. Accounts come in three options: Member is free and syncs your settings across devices; Premium costs $2.99 per month and adds an ad-free map and early access to new features; Feeder is free for people who send receiver data and adds an ad-free map, notifications, receiver statistics and advanced tools. The Community API is for non-commercial use through RapidAPI, and enterprise data products are sold separately.
Who Should Use It?
- Aviation enthusiasts who want an unfiltered view of air traffic
- Journalists and researchers studying flight activity for reporting
- Radio hobbyists who run ADS-B receivers and want to share data
- Developers building non-commercial aviation projects with the Community API
- Businesses and analysts that need live or historical aircraft data
ADS-B Exchange Alternatives
- Flightradar24: a popular live flight tracking website and app with paid subscription tiers.
- MarineTraffic: a live vessel tracking platform for ships, based on AIS data.
- Bellingcat Toolkit: a free catalogue of research tools with a Transport section on flight and ship trackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ADS-B Exchange free?
Yes, the live map is free. A free Member account syncs your settings, a Premium account at $2.99 per month removes ads, and people who feed receiver data get a free Feeder account with extra features.
How is ADS-B Exchange different from other flight trackers?
It aims to show aircraft broadcasts as they are received, without filtering out specific flights or aircraft types, and it relies on a community network of over 25,000 receivers.
How should ADS-B Exchange data be used responsibly?
Use it for aviation interest, research and reporting, and follow the site's acceptable use policy. Flight data can be incomplete or delayed, so confirm important findings with other sources, and use the Community API only for non-commercial projects.