Comparison

PIEPS vs AvyPal

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

Head to head
About

PIEPS

Configure, check, and update your PIEPS or Black Diamond avalanche transceiver. Train your rescue skills with your phone as a remote control and register your device for additional services.

Highlights
  • Device configuration
  • Functionality check
  • Firmware updates
  • Rescue skills training
  • Remote control functionality
  • Device registration
Features
Read full description

- Configure your PIEPS or Black Diamond device according to your preferences. - Check the functionality of your PIEPS or Black Diamond device - Update your PIEPS or Black Diamond device to the latest firmware. - Train your emergency rescue skills. Use your phone as a remote control. - Register your PIEPS or Black Diamond device to get additional services

About

AvyPal

This app assists backcountry travelers in identifying avalanche terrain using their phone's camera. It offers three modes to assess slope angles and avalanche risk with color-coded indicators and audible alerts for dangerous areas.

Highlights
  • Camera-based terrain analysis
  • Fall Line Mode for ascents/descents
  • Slope Mode for crossing terrain
  • GPS Mode with audible alerts
  • Color-coded risk indicators
  • Route choice decision support
Read full description

AvyPal is an avalanche awareness safety app for the iPhone. The AvyPal phone app can assist backcountry travelers in identifying potential avalanche terrain. AvyPal is a simple "see through" app that uses the phone's camera view to let you view the terrain you are approaching. Three different modes are available to fit the backcountry situations you often encounter: Fall Line Mode - Shows the angle and avalanche risk of a slope you intend to descend, or ascend. Slope Mode - Shows the angle and avalanche risk of a slope you intend to cross. GPS Mode - Uses GPS data to audibly alert you if you are descending or ascending a slope angle that is associated with avalanche risk. Audible alerts are given every 5 seconds if in avalanche terrain. A graph is also shown in the mode so you can review if you have recently travelled in dangerous terrain. AvyPal uses color-coded indicators to indicate the avalanche risk of backcountry terrain. Red indicates a high probability avalanche slope (30-45 degrees). Yellow indicates a lower probability avalanche slope (25-30 degrees or 45-50 degrees). Green indicates slopes of less likely avalanche potential (less than 25 degrees or greater than 50 degrees). AvyPal is a backcountry tool for help in making route choice decisions. AvyPal does not replace professional avalanche safety training, experience or good judgement. Get avalanche awareness and safety training before traveling in the backcountry. Have fun in the backcountry. And if you have a question about the safety of the snow slope ahead ... don't hesitate to ask your AvyPal for advice!

Screenshots

PIEPS4 screens
AvyPal3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PIEPS at Free against AvyPal's $1.99. PIEPS also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (1K vs 1). AvyPal's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 63%). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

PIEPS is free to download; AvyPal costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for PIEPS against 5.0 for AvyPal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PIEPS has 1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of PIEPS's written reviews are positive against 100% of AvyPal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PIEPS ships an update monthly, AvyPal every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
PIEPS versus AvyPal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPIEPSAvyPal
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.9 (1K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1K — better1
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 17 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPieps GmbHTimothy Kelley

Customer experience

PIEPS

All ratings1,016 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive63.0%
Neutral7.4%
Negative29.6%

AvyPal

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

PIEPS

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App home screen going blank
  • Incompatibility with certain beacon models

Requested features

2 requests
  • Support for more languages (e.g. Russian, Japanese)
  • Improved security for app login/registration

AvyPal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PIEPS

No in-app purchases

None

AvyPal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PIEPS free?
PIEPS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AvyPal free?
AvyPal costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PIEPS or AvyPal?
AvyPal is rated higher. PIEPS averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while AvyPal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do PIEPS or AvyPal have ads?
Neither PIEPS nor AvyPal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PIEPS or AvyPal?
PIEPS ships an update monthly, and AvyPal every 17 months. Most recently, PIEPS was updated on September 29, 2026 and AvyPal on September 28, 2026.

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