ADS-B traffic is broadcast with pressure altitude information associated with it. ForeFlight compares relative traffic altitude by comparing GPS altitude to the pressure altitude of the ADS-B traffic target. ForeFlight does not utilize pressure altitude information supplied by the Garmin GDL-39 to determine the relative traffic target altitude when ADS-B Out is not installed in your aircraft.
Garmin products, on the other hand, will utilize the GDL-39 pressure altitude in conjunction with the pressure altitude of a traffic target, as provided in the ADS-B traffic broadcast, to compare relative altitude of traffic. This accounts for the difference in traffic altitude shown in ForeFlight when compared to a Garmin product. In simple terms, ForeFlight and Garmin use different altitude data types (GPS vs. Pressure) for traffic comparison when ADS-B Out is not installed and detected.
Of note, with ADS-B Out installed in the aircraft, this is not an issue as your aircraft's actual pressure altitude is extracted from the ADS-B broadcast and used to determine relative altitude by comparing ownship pressure altitude to ADS-B traffic pressure altitude.
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