What Plane Finder does

Plane Finder, operated by Pinkfroot Limited and headquartered in Southampton, United Kingdom, is a live flight tracking platform founded in 2009 that pioneered the first mobile ADS-B flight tracker app. The company operates a global network of proprietary Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receivers, complemented by a volunteer data-sharer community spanning 250+ countries, processing over 86 million aircraft positions per day. Its technology stack combines GPS-enabled ADS-B receivers, MLAT multilateration for non-broadcasting aircraft, WebGL-based 3D visualization, and AR aircraft identification features. Plane Finder sells consumer mobile apps on iOS and Android, a free web-based tracker, a comprehensive aviation database, and proprietary ADS-B hardware through its PF Shop.

The company's revenue model is multi-stream: a freemium consumer tier with paid Premium subscriptions unlocking 50+ features, hardware sales of receivers, data monetization for financial and insurance customers, and a commercial API delivering real-time and historical flight data at 99.99% uptime with 10k+ requests per minute capacity. Commercial services span aviation operations, business intelligence, and emerging drone/UAV tracking segments. Marketing is predominantly product-led via Apple App Store featuring (App of the Day in 150+ countries, Top Travel Apps 2024) and organic social channels, with the data-sharer community functioning as a community-led growth engine.

Plane Finder remains a privately-held, founder-led company with no external funding rounds, 1-10 employees, and a bootstrapped operating model. Its strategic focus has shifted toward commercializing its data infrastructure through the new Plane Finder API and expanding into adjacent verticals such as financial analytics and drone airspace surveillance, while maintaining its core consumer aviation enthusiast base.

Name

Plane Finder

Legal name

Pinkfroot Limited

Website

https://planefinder.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Plane Finder is a Southampton-based live flight tracking platform operating a global ADS-B receiver network and consumer apps, serving aviation enthusiasts with real-time tracking and commercial customers via a flight data API.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Premium App Subscriptions: Freemium model with free basic app and premium tier offering 50+ features including ad-free experience, extended playback (365 days), weather layers, bookmarks, and 3D onboard mode
2. Commercial Flight Data API: Real-time and historical flight data delivered via streaming or time interval API feeds to commercial customers across aviation, business intelligence, and emerging markets verticals
3. ADS-B Hardware Sales: Sale of Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receivers and related equipment through the PF Shop for data sharing network participants
4. Data Monetisation: Providing highly accurate flight data to financial, insurance, and asset management industries with data not publicly available

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Plane Finder provides live flight tracking through a proprietary global network of ADS-B receivers feeding mobile apps, a web-based flight tracker map, and commercial APIs. It sells its own Plane Finder Radar hardware receivers to community data sharers and offers premium app subscriptions and B2B data services for aviation, financial, and emerging market verticals.

Product overview

Plane Finder is a live flight tracking platform offering a portfolio of products spanning consumer apps, web services, commercial APIs, and B2B data services. The core offering includes the free Plane Finder Web Tracker and mobile apps (iOS/Android) for real-time aircraft tracking on 2D/3D maps, supported by a proprietary global network of Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receivers and community data sharers. Premium subscribers access enhanced features including 365-day playback and exclusive data fields. Commercial offerings include the Plane Finder API for developers, Aviation Products for industry users, Business Intelligence for financial sectors, and Emerging Market Intelligence covering drone tracking. The Aviation Database provides browsable airline, airport, and flight data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plane Finder API: Commercial flight data API service for real-time and historical flight tracking data integration.
• Plane Finder Radar

Products and services

• Plane Finder Mobile App Mobile flight tracking application for iOS and Android that enables users to track live aircraft, view flights on 2D and 3D maps, receive flight alerts, and identify aircraft overhead using AR mode.
• Plane Finder Web Tracker Free web-based live flight tracking map allowing users to view real-time aircraft positions worldwide directly in a browser.
• Plane Finder API Commercial API providing real-time and historical flight tracking data for integration into third-party applications and products, with streaming and time interval feed options.
• Plane Finder Radar (ADS-B Receiver) Proprietary GPS-enabled ADS-B hardware receiver designed and manufactured by Plane Finder to accurately decode 1090MHz ADS-B transmissions from aircraft.
• Plane Finder Premium Subscription service providing 50+ premium features including ad-free tracking, 15+ exclusive data fields, extended timeout, custom aircraft filters, weather layers, bookmarks, 365-day playback, and 3D onboard mode.
• Aviation Products (Commercial Service) Real-time surveillance data delivered via streaming or time interval API feeds for the aviation industry, providing ultra-reliable and secure ADS-B data.
• Business Intelligence (Commercial Service) Highly accurate real-time data delivery enabling business intelligence and data warehousing capabilities for financial, insurance, and asset management industries.
• Emerging Market Intelligence (Commercial Service) Tracking solutions for drones, UAV BVLOS surveillance, and space-based ADS-B including the world's first commercial drone tracking service.
• Aviation Database Comprehensive aviation database containing airline information, airport data, and flight records browsable and searchable by users.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86 million+ aircraft positions tracked per day
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ADS-B Data Sharer CommunitycoreOthersGlobal network of volunteer aviation enthusiasts who host Plane Finder Radar receivers and share ADS-B flight tracking data with the platform. In return, sharers receive free Premium access to Plane Finder apps and website, exclusive leaderboard rankings, and community benefits. This crowdsourced data network is fundamental to Plane Finder's global coverage.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/planefinder
• Facebookfacebook.com/PlaneFinder
• Instagraminstagram.com/planefinder
• TikToktiktok.com/@planefinder
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plane-finder

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plane Finder