Pilot Logbook Software in 2026: An Honest Comparison

Choosing pilot logbook software is less about finding a universal winner and more about avoiding the wrong trade-off. A free web logbook, a Windows database, a full electronic flight bag, and an Apple-native logbook can all be good products. They are not substitutes for the same pilot.

This guide compares six options: Logbook Pro, MyFlightbook, MyPilotLog, ForeFlight Logbook, LogTen Pro, and Skyden. Pricing and feature claims were checked against the vendors’ public pages on August 22, 2026. Prices can vary by country, currency, tax, and app store.

Full disclosure: I founded Skyden. I am not a neutral observer. To make that bias visible, I use the same criteria for every product, link to primary sources, and include the cases where another option is the better fit.

TL;DR

• Best Windows desktop option: Logbook Pro. The Standard desktop licence is $99.95 once, but mobile sync costs another $69.99 per year.
• Best free option: MyFlightbook. It is donation-supported and works on the web, iOS, and Android.
• Best low-cost cross-platform subscription: MyPilotLog at £25, €30, or $34 per year. It requires an internet connection.
• Best for pilots already using the EFB: ForeFlight Logbook. It is included in ForeFlight plans from $130 per year, not sold alone.
• Best for broad airline schedule importing: LogTen Pro. Its Pro plan is $129.99 per year and supports more than 100 schedule formats.
• Best for an offline-first Apple experience and multi-authority exports: Skyden at €79.99 per year or €9.99 per month. Your first 20 flight hours are free with every feature unlocked.

The short comparison

Do not compare the first number on each pricing page without checking what it buys. Logbook Pro’s desktop licence is permanent, but its mobile workflow is recurring. ForeFlight’s price includes an entire EFB. LogTen reserves major airline features for Pro. Skyden has one paid feature set, while MyFlightbook charges nothing.

How to choose before comparing features

Five questions will eliminate most of the wrong options quickly.

Which devices must it support?

Platform is a hard constraint. An Android pilot should not build a workflow around an Apple-only product. A pilot who does most record review on a Windows PC may prefer Logbook Pro’s desktop depth over a mobile-first design. A pilot who moves between a phone and any computer may value a web interface more than a native Mac app.

Also distinguish between a full app and a companion. Logbook Pro has iOS and Android apps, but the vendor says Logbook Pro Desktop is required to pair with them. That is different from MyFlightbook or MyPilotLog, where the mobile and web experiences belong to the same service.

What does the complete workflow cost?

Calculate the product you will actually use, not the cheapest advertised tier.

• Logbook Pro Standard costs $99.95 once. Adding Mobile + Cloud Sync costs $69.99 per year.
• MyFlightbook is free and supported by donations.
• MyPilotLog costs £25, €30, or $34 per year after a one-month trial.
• ForeFlight includes its logbook in Starter, Essential, and Premium at $130, $260, and $390 per year.
• LogTen costs $79.99 per year for Basic or $129.99 for Pro. Schedule importing and the Mac app are Pro features.
• Skyden offers your first 20 flight hours free, then requires an active subscription to log new flights. It costs €79.99 per year or €9.99 per month, and both options unlock the same feature set. Your first 20 flight hours are free with every feature unlocked. Existing flights remain readable and exportable without an active subscription.

A higher price is not automatically poor value. ForeFlight can be economical if you already need its charts, weather, and flight planning. It is expensive if the logbook is the only part you intend to use.

Does it cover your authority and operation?

A PDF labelled FAA or EASA is useful, but software does not make incomplete entries compliant. Under FAA rules, the pilot still needs to record the information required by 14 CFR 61.51. Under EASA rules, FCL.050 and the applicable acceptable means of compliance determine what must be recorded. Our guides to FAA logbook requirements and EASA logbook requirements explain those differences.

Ask the vendor for a sample export that matches your authority, then check its columns and totals. This matters particularly for pilots moving between authorities, logging roles such as PICUS, or preparing records for licence conversion.

Can you work without a connection?

Offline support should mean more than opening the last screen you viewed. Test whether you can create and edit flights, access aircraft and airport data, and resolve sync conflicts after reconnecting.

MyPilotLog is the clearest exception in this group because its terms state that a reliable internet connection is required. Skyden keeps the working logbook available offline and uses encrypted automatic backup to sync it across the pilot’s iPhone, iPad, and Mac when the app is installed. Logbook Pro’s Windows database works locally. ForeFlight and LogTen support mobile offline workflows. For any product, test the behaviour yourself before a trip where connectivity will be poor.

Can you leave with usable data?

Your logbook may need to survive several decades. Confirm that you can export:

• a regulator or airline-ready PDF;
• raw records in CSV or another documented format;
• signatures, remarks, and custom fields without silently dropping them;
• a backup that can be restored independently of the vendor’s sync service.

Run a test export before subscribing. Open the files, compare totals, and keep a copy outside the app. Repeat that backup regularly.

What happens when payment stops?

This question is separate from export support. Retained data may still be inaccessible.

Read the current legal terms before cancelling because these policies can change. Create the independent export first, while every normal account feature still works.

Logbook Pro: best for a Windows-centred workflow

Logbook Pro is a mature Windows desktop product built around detailed reporting and analysis. The current desktop prices are $99.95 for Standard, $149.95 for Professional, and $199.95 for Enterprise. Those are lifetime licences rather than annual subscriptions.

The important caveat is mobile access. Logbook Pro Mobile + Cloud Sync works on iOS and Android, but costs $69.99 per year and requires Logbook Pro Desktop. The mobile app transfers data through the vendor’s cloud service; it is not a standalone replacement for the Windows product. Mac users need Windows virtualisation for the desktop application.

NC Software also states that Cloud Sync is not a backup. Once mobile entries transfer into the desktop logbook, the cloud does not retain them. The local desktop file is the record to protect, so maintain separate file backups or evaluate the vendor’s separately priced Cloud Backup service.

The product can track certificates, ratings, medicals, reviews, endorsements, approaches, simulator sessions, and currencies. Professional and Enterprise add analysis aimed at Part 121 and Part 135 flying. An optional airline importer supports more than 275 trip systems and formats, but that is another product to account for.

Choose it if: you prefer managing and analysing your records on Windows, want a permanent desktop licence, and are comfortable treating mobile as an add-on.

Look elsewhere if: your phone or tablet is your primary computer, you want a native Mac application, or you do not want separate desktop and mobile costs.

MyFlightbook: best free option

MyFlightbook is genuinely free and donation-supported. It is available through a web app plus iOS and Android apps. The project has accumulated more than 26 million flight records, according to its live public statistics, but the vendor does not publish a reliable active-user count. Claims about a specific number of pilots should therefore be treated cautiously.

Its appeal is straightforward: pilots get unlimited logging, imports, exports, analysis, currency tools, and a long-running service without a paid tier. MyFlightbook also publishes developer resources, which is useful for technically inclined pilots who care about access to their records.

MyFlightbook retains data while the account exists. If the pilot deletes the account, it emails a logbook copy first. Other account information is then deleted, with exceptions for instructor identity attached to signed student records and database backups created during the preceding few months.

The trade-off is mostly in presentation and product structure. The interface is practical rather than polished, and the service is maintained independently rather than by a large aviation software company. Neither fact makes it unsafe, but both belong in a long-term decision. Export your own backups regardless of how established a service appears.

Choose it if: cost matters most, you need web, iOS, and Android access, or you want a capable logbook without feature gates.

Look elsewhere if: you want a highly polished native interface, a contracted enterprise support model, or a workflow built around broad airline roster automation.

MyPilotLog: best low-cost multi-platform subscription

MyPilotLog combines web, iOS, and Android access in one subscription. Its terms and conditions publish the price clearly: £25, €30, or $34 per year after a one-month free trial. The original draft of this guide described pricing as available only after registration, but that is no longer accurate.

Features include flight logging, licence and currency tracking, flight-time limitation and duty tools, signatures, documents, route maps, and PDF reports. Its import page lists 39 sources, including 29 operator sources and six portal formats.

There are three cautions. First, the service requires a reliable internet connection. Second, the public site refers to authority-friendly PDF reports without clearly documenting every supported authority. Third, when a subscription lapses, normal features become unavailable and the data is retained for one year before deletion. Export before expiry. If a specific EASA, FAA, UK CAA, TCCA, CASA, or NZ CAA layout is essential, request a sample rather than relying on a broad comparison claim.

Choose it if: you want inexpensive access across Android, iOS, and the web, especially with duty and FTL tools.

Look elsewhere if: reliable offline entry is non-negotiable or you need a publicly documented export for a specific authority before signing up.

ForeFlight Logbook: best for existing ForeFlight users

ForeFlight Logbook is part of an electronic flight bag. It is not sold as a separate logbook subscription. Current US annual prices are listed at $130 for Starter, $260 for Essential, and $390 for Premium. Digital logbook access is included from Starter upward.

This bundle is the product’s advantage and its weakness. Flights planned in ForeFlight can populate logbook entries, while endorsements, experience reports, and currency information stay close to the rest of the flying workflow. ForeFlight publishes more than 60 digital endorsement templates based on FAA AC 61-65H. That makes the logbook especially convenient for US training and general aviation pilots already paying for the EFB.

It is a less convincing purchase when you only need a logbook. ForeFlight does not support Android. It supports US and European logbook regions, including FCL.050 reports, but pilots under another authority should inspect the available reports before making it their primary record.

ForeFlight’s privacy policy says personal data is retained while the ForeFlight account is active, but does not publish a specific period triggered by subscription cancellation. Its EULA makes users responsible for duplicate copies. Export before cancelling instead of assuming large-company ownership guarantees continued access.

Choose it if: you already use ForeFlight for charts, weather, planning, or filing and want flight data to flow into the same ecosystem.

Look elsewhere if: you need Android, want a standalone logbook price, or do not need a full EFB. See our focused ForeFlight logbook alternative comparison for more detail.

LogTen Pro: best for airline import depth on Apple devices

LogTen Pro is built for the Apple ecosystem. Basic costs $79.99 per year. Pro costs $129.99 per year and adds the Mac app, more than 100 airline schedule-import formats, more than 100 reports, signatures, and other professional tools. Pilots can use it free until their logbook reaches 50 hours.

The breadth of schedule importing is the main reason to consider Pro. For an airline pilot logging a busy roster, removing repeated manual entry may justify the price. The product also covers currencies, duty tracking, reports, endorsements, and interview preparation. The vendor says it has more than 10,000 five-star reviews across app stores, although that should not be confused with a single-store total.

The limits are equally clear. There is no Android or web version. The most useful airline features sit in the more expensive Pro tier. LogTen advertises logbook formats from around the world, but its public pricing page does not enumerate each authority. Pilots should request the specific sample they need.

LogTen also publishes no fixed post-subscription retention period. Its privacy policy uses criteria such as relationship length, possible re-enrolment, legal duties, and limitation periods. Its terms make pilots responsible for backups and allow content, including flight logs, to be changed or removed.

Choose it if: you are an airline pilot committed to Apple devices and broad schedule-import support will save meaningful time.

Look elsewhere if: you use Android or Windows, need a web app, or do not need enough airline automation to justify Pro. Our LogTen Pro alternative guide compares the closest options.

Skyden: best for offline-first Apple use and authority exports

Skyden is an Apple-native logbook for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. After your first 20 free flight hours, an active subscription is required to log new flights: €79.99 per year or €9.99 per month. Both options unlock the same tools, and your first 20 flight hours are free with every feature available. There is no Basic versus Pro split. If the subscription ends, existing flights remain readable and exportable. Unless the pilot requests deletion, inactive flight logs are retained for up to 10 years so the professional history can be recovered.

The complete logbook works offline. Encrypted automatic backup keeps it in sync across the pilot’s Apple devices when the app is installed.

Flight entry does far more than remember the last aircraft. Skyden calculates flight duration and regulatory night time, classifies takeoffs and landings as day or night, assigns them according to pilot-flying or pilot-monitoring status, and fills PIC, SIC, dual, or instructor time from the selected role. It can reverse the previous route, alternate PF and PM between flights, and reuse the previous aircraft, crew, and roles.

Skyden also has certificate and expiry tracking, digital crew signatures, maps, analytics, and a dedicated Memories experience for the photos and videos attached to flights. Exports include PDF, CSV, and JSON. The seven PDF layouts cover EASA, FAA, TCCA, UK CAA, JCAB, UAE GCAA, and CASA. Pilots can import from eight logbook sources and seven airline providers.

Skyden is not cross-platform. There is no Android or web app. Its airline coverage is much narrower than LogTen’s 100-plus schedule formats, and it does not create entries from filed flight plans like ForeFlight. It is also newer and has a smaller user base than the established products in this guide.

Choose it if: you use Apple devices and value a fast offline workflow, automatic sync, extensive flight-entry automation, flight memories, data portability, and several authority-specific PDF formats.

Look elsewhere if: you need Android or browser access, the broadest airline roster importing, or a free product. You can review Skyden’s features before logging your first 20 flight hours free.

Which one should you choose?

There is no honest overall winner because the constraints are incompatible. MyFlightbook wins on price. MyPilotLog wins on low-cost platform coverage. Logbook Pro offers the unusual combination of a lifetime desktop licence and optional mobile access. ForeFlight is strongest as part of its wider EFB. LogTen has deeper airline schedule importing. Skyden focuses on offline reliability, native Apple design, data protection, and multi-authority output.

Shortlist two products, import a representative sample of your flights, and compare the resulting totals and PDFs. Test a signature, a simulator entry, a multi-leg duty day, and an offline edit. The best logbook is the one that preserves those details correctly and still gives you a clean exit path.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free pilot logbook software?

MyFlightbook is the strongest established free option in this comparison. It is donation-supported and available on the web, iOS, and Android. Keep independent exports even when using a long-running free service.

Is Logbook Pro still worth buying in 2026?

Yes, for the right workflow. Windows-first pilots may value its detailed desktop analysis and one-time licence. Remember that the $99.95 Standard licence does not include mobile sync. Mobile access requires the desktop product plus a separate $69.99 annual subscription.

Which pilot logbook software works on Android?

MyFlightbook and MyPilotLog offer Android apps. Logbook Pro also has an Android companion, but it requires Logbook Pro Desktop and Mobile + Cloud Sync. ForeFlight, LogTen Pro, and Skyden do not support Android.

Does pilot logbook software work offline?

Some software does. Logbook Pro desktop, ForeFlight, LogTen Pro, and Skyden support offline workflows. MyPilotLog states that it requires a reliable internet connection. Test entry, editing, and post-connection sync before depending on any app offline.

Is ForeFlight Logbook available separately?

No. It is included in ForeFlight’s EFB plans. The current annual US prices are $130, $260, and $390. If you only need a logbook, compare that bundled cost with a dedicated product.

Does a logbook app make my records compliant automatically?

No. A well-designed export reduces formatting work, but the pilot remains responsible for accurate and complete records. Review imports, know the rules for your licence and operation, and retain independent backups.

Primary sources

• Logbook Pro Desktop, Mobile + Cloud Sync, and sync documentation
• MyFlightbook about page, privacy policy, and terms
• MyPilotLog, terms, privacy policy, and import sources
• ForeFlight pricing, Logbook product page, privacy policy, and FAA or EASA region support
• LogTen pricing, product overview, privacy policy, and terms
• Skyden App Store listing