# PIEPS vs AvyPal

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.

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 October 4, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PIEPS | AvyPal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pieps/id1148014050/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avypal/id1254906302/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 63.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 46 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pieps GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1148014049) | [Timothy Kelley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1107488020) |

## What reviewers say

### PIEPS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pieps/id1148014050)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient app updates
- 🚀 Quick Bluetooth connection
- 👍 Functional, well-designed app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bluetooth connection issues
- 🐛 App login/registration problems
- 🐛 App not working on certain devices
- 🔋 Battery compartment design issues

**Reported bugs**

- App home screen going blank
- Incompatibility with certain beacon models

**Requested features**

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


### AvyPal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avypal/id1254906302)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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 October 4, 2026 and AvyPal on September 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*