# KAYA: THE CLIMBER’S APP — user reviews > 221 indexed App Store user reviews of KAYA by Project9A Labs, rated 4.30/5 from 1,295 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaya-the-climbers-app/id1481413749/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaya-the-climbers-app/id1481413749.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 937 · 4★ 122 · 3★ 42 · 2★ 58 · 1★ 136 ## What do users think of KAYA? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Great way to track and see others' climbs - 💡 Comprehensive guidebook data with GPS and beta videos - 👍 Helpful for finding boulders and beta - 👍 Convenient to have guidebooks at fingertips - 👍 Useful for logging and tracking progress - 👍 Provides community interaction - 👍 Notifications for new route sets - 👍 Allows sharing of beta videos **Cons** - 🐛 Buggy, crashes, and freezes - 🐛 Slow loading and performance issues - 🐛 Unreliable offline functionality - 👎 Clunky and unintuitive user interface - 👎 Overly aggressive paywall, limiting basic features - 👎 Concerns about access and ethics - 🔋 High data consumption - 👎 Missing key features like sorting and filtering **Commonly reported bugs** - Videos not loading or getting stuck during upload - Incorrect or missing route/boulder information - Disappearing downloaded content and areas - Inconsistent behavior when logging climbs - Issues with the indoor bouldering list view **Most requested features** - Offline access and caching improvements - Better sorting and filtering options - Differentiation between top rope and lead climbs - Separate tracking for indoor and outdoor climbs - Hangboard timer integration - Ability to add custom climbs not in the system ## Newest reviews (15 of 221) ### 4/5 — Bad offering for Kaya pro. Not enough locations *2026-08-03, version 3.51.4* I got Kaya pro because I climb outdoors at many different places. Locations I have wanted that they didn’t have: - Fontainebleau - Magic woods - red river gorge I feel like for top destinations like this, there should be maps and offline maps. That’s the main reason I got Kaya pro. ### 4/5 — Plastick *2026-07-29, version 3.51.4* Hey, routesetter here! Kaya is nice to have from the climbers side, it would be super awesome to have plastick accessible through the Kaya app, or its own app. I think having both accessible within the same app would help ease the process for routesetters so we don’t have to search/type the site and login each time to strip and set routes. Just a suggestion! Thanks :) ### 4/5 — Orian *2026-06-28, version 3.49.5* Love the app; but some things in this world really should remain free lol. ### 4/5 — It’s ok *2026-05-28, version 3.49.5* It’s an ok app it works but I think it’s dying. Everyone’s latest video was from 2025. I think they stopped using kaya after 2025 and found a better app ### 5/5 — Receptive to Community Feedback *2026-04-27, version 3.49.5* I complained to Eric that the load times were unreasonably long, and just a couple weeks later they pushed a fix that drastically improved them. I was happy to see this changed so quickly and it’s just one example of the community focus Kaya has. ### 2/5 — App buggy and getting worse *2026-04-19, version 3.49.5* I’ve been paying for this app for years at this point and the app keeps getting buggier and buggier. Doesn’t seem like the devs are really paying attention ### 4/5 — Glitch *2026-04-15, version 3.49.5* Great app and very useful idea. There is a glitch where I get stuck in the comment section and have to close the app, the "X" to close does not work. ### 5/5 — Amazing app *2026-04-01* It’s a great app. One suggestion is having an in-app store to buy climbing equipment. You could partner with some gear companies and have them sell at a discount short term to attract more people to the app. One small thing would be double tap to bump. Just a little user experience improvement. ### 5/5 — Very useful *2026-03-28, version 3.47.11* The detailed guides to all the approaches and parking areas is awesome, and the photos of all the different routes are always helpful ### 5/5 — So helpful *2026-03-27, version 3.47.11* I climb at gyms solo pretty often and it’s nice to be able to get beta and tips even when I’m alone. Pretty intuitive interface! ### 3/5 — Not useful for unverified climbs *2026-03-09, version 3.47.9* Great app on the surface, but doesn’t end up being useful for me since unverified climbs don’t have geolocation data. This might not be an issue if the vast majority of the climbs weren’t unverified. The areas that end up being verified often have printed guidebooks anyways making the app not very useful. I’ll just stick with using printed guidebooks for big areas and mountain project for the newer or more obscure climbs. This app definitely has potential to replace both for me but not until there is a better way to view and discover information for unverified climbs. ### 5/5 — Kaya is nice *2026-02-17, version 3.47.9* It’s goooooooooooooooooood:) ### 5/5 — Light weight + easy access *2026-02-13, version 3.47.9* Tired of carrying a book and trying to navigate to the boulders? Kaya is the best app out there right now to find world class rock climbing! ### 5/5 — So Helpful for getting started. *2026-02-06, version 3.47.9* First time out on the real rocks and really helpful for finding climbs and getting beta. ### 2/5 — A bad guide book *2026-02-06, version 3.47.9* If you enjoy terrible route photos, clunky topo lines, and misspellings or entirely lacking descriptions, go for it. Also, runs fairly slow, even after downloading the specific areas I want. Mtn Project app runs so so so so so much better. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — awful ui, crashes constantly *2026-05-26, version 3.49.5* clearly designed to mimic other social-exercise apps, the bloated layout is only the second worst thing about this pile of trash, which cannot handle even a moderate amount of looking around the map without crashing entirely. the session features are sub par and also prone to lag and crashing, and anything of any use is gated behind steep monetization. I’d give this zero stars if that were an option ### 1/5 — Boooo *2026-05-22, version 3.49.5* Why can’t I scrub through videos why do I have to watch the whole thing ### 1/5 — Constantly closes *2026-04-18, version 3.49.5* Super glitchy every single day I use it. Platform isn’t the best design. ### 1/5 — So much regret *2026-03-06, version 3.47.9* It makes a fun activity unfun ### 1/5 — Not optimized for iPhone 17 *2026-02-21, version 3.47.9* Some screens won't size well with iPhone 17 Pro. ### 1/5 — Bugs *2026-01-30, version 3.47.6* New update is buggy. Can’t view the last beta vid on any climb ### 1/5 — A bad guide book *2025-11-16, version 3.44.4* If you enjoy terrible beta photos, clunky topo lines, and misspellings in descriptions, go for it. Otherwise, this app is a joke and overpriced. ### 1/5 — Not worth the money *2025-10-19* The app is sometimes clunky to use. I don’t need beta videos or any social component, just tell me where the climbs are. The downloaded content was great for a day and for some reason stopped working on the second day, so without cell service the app was basically useless. ### 1/5 — No respect or integrity in the community *2025-10-04, version 3.43.19* Authors beware. They do not respect authors or the community. Pressuring authors to give their years of hard work to them or someone else will take it. Publishing closed and protected areas despite years of effort working with land managers to protect access. They do not care about climbing they only care about their business & profits. That’s it. Read the fine print before you sign up or even better… buy printed guide books! ### 1/5 — Can’t even log in *2025-09-05, version 3.43.14* I’d love to use this app to track my climbs and get help with beta, but I can’t even log in. I can’t use either my google or apple accounts to create a new user bc an account apparently already exists, but I also can’t consistently sign in or reset the password. For those few successful sign in attempts, I am taken to what looks like a landing page where absolutely nothing will load. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — GREAT APP *2026-07-27, version 3.49.5* Helps build the climbing community even more and makes it easier to see new sets and grades at your gym. I put notifications on and the app will notify me with those new sets and grades. ### 5/5 — Outdoor Climbing *2026-07-15, version 3.49.5* I’ve used Kaya for indoor climbing. It’s very easy to use. I got the Pro for offline use of the guide for my upcoming outdoor trip. The download was very quick, about a minute. The ability to create and share lists and easily view beta videos have been very useful as my friends and I plan our trip. ### 5/5 — Maps! *2026-07-04, version 3.49.5* KAYA’s map features and detailed topos are so so helpful. Has been a game changer in local Portland areas like Smith & Carver. ### 5/5 — New way to beta *2026-06-03, version 3.49.5* I tried Kaya back during Covid when a lot of comps were using it. But recently the gym I work at has started using it and it’s super fun to tick off your climbs and see other people’s beta. And I love posting my climbs so this gives me a place to post all my well earned sends. Super fun and I hope to see a real community grow within it for climbers. Go check it out! ### 5/5 — Great app *2026-05-27, version 3.49.5* Kaya is a must get for any climber. The beta videos and maps are super helpful especially when going to a new area. The system for gyms and seeing new grades when a set drops is also useful. I love being able to scroll beta like reels it shows me how much good climbing is near me. The support team is super helpful with any questions and setting up Pro. ### 5/5 — Functional and user friendly *2026-05-27, version 3.49.5* Overall I've had a great experience with KAYA. My local gym uses it to post routes which creates a real-time platform to share beta and upload send videos or feedback to setters. I've also used KAYA Pro for outdoor bouldering navigation in Squamish and it was better than most other options. It's been great to participate in community app challenges that keep me engaged during sessions and give me climbing goals that aren't outdoor projects. ### 5/5 — I LOVE THIS APP!!! *2026-05-16, version 3.49.5* This helps me improve my technique when climbing, it shows what I have done, and I can look at what other people do! ### 5/5 — really great for finding boulders in new areas *2026-05-11, version 3.49.5* guidebooks are great but they don’t have offline gps and this does. ### 5/5 — Dear kaya *2026-05-11, version 3.49.5* Goated app ### 5/5 — Highly recommend *2026-05-02, version 3.49.5* Very convenient and user friendly. It’s great to have all your guide books and ticks in one place. The map makes finding the climbs so much easier than using a regular guidebook. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*