Comparison

Now Altimeter vs Sky Gauge

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Now Altimeter

Features
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Your outdoor altitude computer. Offline, no ads, no tracking. Now Altimeter shows your altitude large and instantly β€” and does more: record tours, read air pressure and weather trend, calibrate your altitude to within a few metres. On your iPhone and on your wrist. This app collects no data about you. No account, no sign-up, no advertising. SUMMIT BOOK & ASCENT ACCOUNT Every climb is booked: your ascent account shows this year and all time, translated into mountains up to Everest. β€’ Stamps in your summit book for altitude, endurance and special tours – retroactively, too β€’ New personal records after every tour β€’ Your mountain year in review, on three cards β€’ The backup takes it all to a new phone – even to Android SHARING β€’ A tour as an image – elevation profile and numbers on one card β€’ Summit photo with your elevation gain on it, in three designs (Logbook, Profile, Stamp) – as a post (4:5) or story (9:16), without the location in the photo data (Pro) β€’ Your mountain year as three story cards (Pro) TRY PRO FREE FOR 7 DAYS For seven days after installing, every Pro feature is unlocked β€” no purchase, no payment details, no account. After that the free features remain. FREE FEATURES β€’ Live GPS altitude in meters or feet β€’ Coordinates in DMS, Decimal Degrees or UTM format β€’ 6 stunning background photos β€” mountain, waterfall, forest & more β€’ Home screen widget (small, medium & large) β€’ Record your first 3 tours β€” with map, elevation profile, waypoints, distance, elevation gain and GPX export β€’ Accuracy readout: you can see how reliable the altitude currently is NOW ALTIMETER PRO Take your outdoor adventures further with Pro: Barometer & Weather Trend Live air pressure in hPa with a 1-hour history chart. Know whether the weather is improving or deteriorating before you feel it. Altitude Calibration Tap the altitude and enter a value you know β€” a summit marker, a trail sign, your own address β€” or the QNH from a weather report. The app then works barometrically and shows altitude to within a few metres instead of the 10 to 30 of plain GPS. Climb and Descent Rate Vertical speed in m/min or ft/min, right next to the air pressure. The number ski touring, mountaineering and paragliding actually think in. Compass Real-time heading display with a rotating arrow. Always know which direction you're facing. Unlimited Tour Recording Beyond the 3 free tours: record as many hikes, ski runs and bike rides as you like, with full GPS tracking: β€’ Interactive route map showing your recorded path β€’ Altitude profile chart β€’ Distance, moving time and average pace for every tour β€’ Time, elevation gain and distance on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island β€’ Search tours and sort by date, elevation gain, distance or duration β€’ Import GPX and view someone else's tour β€’ Pause automatically when nothing moves (optional) β€’ GPX export β€” compatible with Strava, Komoot & Garmin Connect Apple Watch App The full Pro experience on your wrist: β€’ Live altitude, barometer and compass β€’ Start/stop tour recording directly from your Watch β€’ Watch face complications (circular & rectangular) Pro Widgets Barometer reading and compass heading right on your home screen β€” in small, medium and large sizes. DESIGN EDITOR Create your own signature look with custom colors and personal background photos. Save and switch between multiple designs whenever you like. SUBSCRIPTION INFO Now Altimeter Pro is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in Settings β†’ Apple ID β†’ Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.now-altimeter.com/en/datenschutz

About

Sky Gauge

Features
Read full description

Sky Gauge: Elevation Tracker for Apple Watch Experience the simplicity of altitude tracking with Sky Gauge on your Apple Watch. With just a tap, Sky Gauge begins measuring changes in your elevation from the starting point, displayed as zero. Key Features: Instant Elevation Tracking: Start tracking with a single tap and view real-time elevation changes. Switch Units Easily: Tap on the elevation reading to toggle between feet and meters. Intuitive Interface: Designed exclusively for Apple Watch, ensuring ease of use and clarity. Full directions at: http://skygauge.justingengo.com Sky Gauge is perfect for paramotoring, paragliding, hiking, climbing, biking, skiing, snowboarding, or any activity where tracking elevation is essential. Download now and explore the heights effortlessly!

Screenshots

Now Altimeter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Now Altimeter at Free against Sky Gauge's $0.99. Sky Gauge's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Now Altimeter is free to download; Sky Gauge costs $0.99 up front. Now Altimeter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Sky Gauge asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Now Altimeter ships an update every 3 weeks, Sky Gauge every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Now Altimeter versus Sky Gauge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNow AltimeterSky Gauge
PriceFree β€” better$0.99
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks β€” betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.013.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size51 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGerhard KanzlerS. Justin Gengo

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Now Altimeter

Subscriptions2
  • Now Altimeter Pro – Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Now Altimeter Pro – Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Custom Design Editor$2.99
None

Sky Gauge

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Now Altimeter free?
Now Altimeter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sky Gauge free?
Sky Gauge costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Now Altimeter or Sky Gauge have ads?
Neither Now Altimeter nor Sky Gauge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Now Altimeter or Sky Gauge?
Now Altimeter ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sky Gauge every 4 weeks. Most recently, Now Altimeter was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sky Gauge on November 4, 2026.

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