PIEPS vs AvyPal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Device configuration
- Functionality check
- Firmware updates
- Rescue skills training
- Remote control functionality
- Device registration
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- 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
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
PIEPS is free to download; AvyPal costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
PIEPS ships an update monthly, AvyPal every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PIEPS | AvyPal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (1K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 17 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pieps GmbH | Timothy Kelley |
Customer experience
PIEPS
AvyPal
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
PIEPS
No in-app purchases
AvyPal
No in-app purchases








