Key takeaway: No single tracker does everything — use discovery tools like Google Flights to explore, then a targeted tracker like Flight Fare Pro to catch the exact price drop on the flight you want.
The short version
Most flight price trackers solve the same problem: "Is there a cheap flight somewhere?" That's useful if you're flexible. But if you already know which flight you want — say, Delta 419 on March 22nd — most of these tools can't help you. We tested seven trackers to find out which ones actually deliver.
1. Google Flights — Best free starting point
Google Flights is where most people begin, and for good reason. The Explore map is unmatched for discovering cheap destinations. Price graphs show you how fares move across dates, and the "track prices" toggle sends email alerts when fares change on your chosen route.
Best for: Exploring destinations and comparing routes for free.
The catch: You're tracking a route, not a specific flight — you can't set a target price, so expect noise.
2. Hopper — Best price predictions
Hopper's strength is its prediction engine. It'll tell you whether to buy now or wait, with a confidence score based on historical pricing data. Their predictions are right about 95% of the time according to their own data, and in our testing, they were genuinely useful for domestic US flights.
Best for: Getting a buy-or-wait recommendation backed by historical data.
The catch: App-only, pushes you to book through their app with service fees, and the "price freeze" is insurance with a markup.
3. Skyscanner — Best for international flights
Skyscanner searches more airlines than anyone. Budget carriers like Ryanair, EasyJet, and AirAsia that don't show up on Google Flights? Skyscanner has them. The "Everywhere" search and "Cheapest month" view are fantastic for flexible international travel.
Best for: Finding budget international carriers and flexible destination searches.
The catch: Route-level alerts only, no specific flight tracking, and redirect-to-book prices sometimes vanish.
4. Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights) — Best curated deals
Going costs $49/year for Lite or $199/year for Elite. Instead of tracking specific flights, their team of analysts finds mistake fares and unusual deals, then emails them to you. Elite members save an average of $550 per ticket according to Going's data.
Best for: Spontaneous travelers who'll go anywhere cheap and want curated deals.
The catch: You don't pick the flight — they pick it for you. Useless if you need a specific date and destination.
5. AirHint — AI price predictions
AirHint uses machine learning to predict whether a specific flight will get cheaper or more expensive. You paste in a flight, and it gives you a buy/wait recommendation. It covers most major airlines and works on individual flights, which is rare.
Best for: Getting a buy/wait prediction on a specific individual flight.
The catch: Dated UI, opaque predictions, and no active monitoring — you have to keep checking manually.
6. Kayak — Best aggregator
Kayak's price alerts let you set up tracking on a route with a specific date range. The "Price Forecast" tool tells you if current prices are high, low, or typical. The hacker fares feature (combining one-way tickets on different airlines) can save real money — we've seen $80-$120 savings on domestic round-trips.
Best for: Route-level price forecasts and finding hacker fare savings.
The catch: Tracks routes not flights, and email alerts lag 6-12 hours behind real-time prices.
7. Flight Fare Pro — Best for tracking one specific flight
Full disclosure: this is our product. Flight Fare Pro solves a narrow problem that the others don't: you've already found the exact flight you want, and you want to know the moment its price drops below a number you've set.
You enter your airline, route, date, and target price. We check that specific flight's fare every hour and email you when it drops below your target. No dashboards, no deal feeds, no noise. One flight, one price, one alert.
Best for: Tracking one specific flight and getting alerted when it drops below your target price.
The catch: It doesn't help you discover flights — it's built for after you've done your research.
Which one should you use?
Use them together. Start on Google Flights or Skyscanner to explore options. Check Hopper's prediction to decide timing. Then, once you've zeroed in on a flight, set up tracking on Flight Fare Pro to catch the exact price drop. Going is worth the $49 if you take 2+ leisure trips a year and you're flexible on destination.
No single tool does everything. The best strategy combines discovery tools with a targeted tracker.
Flight Fare Pro Team
Helping travelers save money on flights since 2025
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