# PIEPS vs American Whitewater

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | PIEPS | American Whitewater |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pieps/id1148014050/reviews)** | [3.4 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-whitewater/id1400432533/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | **63.0% of reviews** | 22.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 46 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Pieps GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1148014049) | [AMERICAN WHITEWATER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1400432532) |

## 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


### American Whitewater

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-whitewater/id1400432533)

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.

**Highlights:** Whitewater resource conservation, River restoration initiatives, Safe whitewater recreation opportunities, Advocacy for river preservation, Connects users with ecological data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PIEPS free?

PIEPS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is American Whitewater free?

American Whitewater is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PIEPS or American Whitewater?

PIEPS is rated higher. PIEPS averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while American Whitewater averages 3.4 from 24 ratings.

### Do PIEPS or American Whitewater have ads?

Neither PIEPS nor American Whitewater shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PIEPS or American Whitewater?

PIEPS ships an update monthly, and American Whitewater every 2 months. Most recently, PIEPS was updated on November 2, 2026 and American Whitewater on November 2, 2026.

---

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