PIEPS vs American Whitewater
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
American Whitewater
This app connects human-powered recreational river users with ecological data to conserve and restore whitewater resources. It serves as a primary advocate for preserving whitewater rivers across the United States, promoting safe enjoyment.
- Whitewater resource conservation
- River restoration initiatives
- Safe whitewater recreation opportunities
- Advocacy for river preservation
- Connects users with ecological data
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Founded in 1954, American Whitewater is a national non-profit organization (Non-profit # 23-7083760) with a mission “to conserve and restore America's whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.” American Whitewater is a membership organization representing a broad diversity of individual whitewater enthusiasts, river conservationists, and more than 100 local paddling club affiliates across America. The organization is the primary advocate for the preservation and protection of whitewater rivers throughout the United States, and connects the interests of human-powered recreational river users with ecological and science-based data to achieve the goals within its mission.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PIEPS at 4.9 against American Whitewater's 3.4. PIEPS also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 22%) and ratings volume (1K vs 24). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PIEPS holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PIEPS has 1K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of PIEPS's written reviews are positive against 22% of American Whitewater's.
PIEPS ships an update monthly, American Whitewater every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.
| Parameter | PIEPS | American Whitewater |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (1K ratings) — better | 3.4 (24 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.0% of reviews — better | 22.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 60 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Pieps GmbH | AMERICAN WHITEWATER |
Customer experience
PIEPS
American Whitewater
User reviews
PIEPS
From 1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient app updates
- 🚀 Quick Bluetooth connection
- 👍 Functional, well-designed app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bluetooth connection issues
- 🐛 App login/registration problems
- 🐛 App not working on certain devices
- 🔋 Battery compartment design issues
American Whitewater
From 24 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🗺️ Map view displaying all runs simultaneously
- 📊 Accurate river gauge information and levels
- 🎨 Modern, visually appealing redesign
- 📱 Responsive app that updates reliably
- 🌈 Color-coded difficulty ratings
Room to improve
- ❌ Removal of favorites/bookmarks feature
- 🔍 Eliminated filtering by difficulty, flow, and distance
- 😕 Loss of saved runs and user preferences
- ⏱️ Requires clicking individual rivers to view levels
- 🗂️ Incomplete state river lists with scrolling issues
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
American Whitewater
Reported bugs
13 issues- Rivers not populating on map or in lists
- Incorrect water level readings
- App crashes on launch (iPhone 11 and other devices)
- Login functionality broken or non-functional
- Favorites data lost during updates
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- Flow data inconsistency between app and website
- Gauge information displays in mixed units (CFS vs feet)
- App stalls during flow updates
- Incomplete river lists when browsing by state
- Share button crashes the app
- App won't load or displays 'update in progress' indefinitely
- Password manager integration issues
- Weekly automatic logouts
Requested features
13 requests- Restore favorites/bookmarked rivers functionality
- Restore filtering by difficulty class, distance, and runnable status
- Add ability to save custom river sections
- Implement flow-based alerts and notifications
- Add toggle between CFS and feet measurements
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- Restore quick-view list format with flow indicators
- Include rapid descriptions and hazard information
- Add user location zoom button on map
- Implement custom notes attachment to runs
- Add configurable flow alerts for premium members
- Restore login functionality and account persistence
- Improve search persistence across navigation
- Display rapids and descriptions in app (not just website)
In-app purchases
PIEPS
No in-app purchases
American Whitewater
No in-app purchases
