# Balloon Live vs Variometer+

The clearest difference is price: Variometer+ at Free against Balloon Live's $4.99. Variometer+ also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (27 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Variometer+ is free to download; Balloon Live costs $4.99 up front. Balloon Live sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Variometer+ sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Variometer+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Variometer+ has 27 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Balloon Live ships an update monthly, Variometer+ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Balloon Live | Variometer+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balloon-live/id1471336096/reviews) | **[4.8 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variometer-plus/id1636307202/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | — | 89.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 49 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fédération Aéronautique Internationale](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471336095) | [iSolid apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1215383083) |

## What reviewers say

### Balloon Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balloon-live/id1471336096)

This official competition logger app is designed for hot air balloon pilots. It offers flight recording, electronic marker drops, and goal declarations. It synchronizes with online platforms for live tracking and competition data.

**Highlights:** Two app modes: training and competition, Flight recording with start/stop, Up to 18 electronic marker drops, Up to 18 goal declaration slots, IGC-file recording and export, Automatic flight resume, Connects to external Balloon Live Sensor box

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Balloon Live event credit | $9.99 | one-time |


### Variometer+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variometer-plus/id1636307202)

This app provides a highly responsive variometer for paragliding, hang gliding, and aviation. It offers customizable beeps, haptic feedback, and ground speed/altitude displays, with an independent Apple Watch app for full functionality on your wrist.

**Highlights:** Highly responsive variometer algorithm, Audible beeps and haptic feedback, Ground speed and altitude display, Sink alarm, Customizable settings and sounds, Independent Apple Watch app

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vario PRO Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Vario PRO Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Vario PRO Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Balloon Live free?

Balloon Live costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Variometer+ free?

Variometer+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Balloon Live or Variometer+?

Variometer+ is rated higher. Balloon Live averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Variometer+ averages 4.8 from 27 ratings.

### Do Balloon Live or Variometer+ have ads?

Neither Balloon Live nor Variometer+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Balloon Live or Variometer+?

Balloon Live ships an update monthly, and Variometer+ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Balloon Live was updated on September 15, 2026 and Variometer+ on September 23, 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.*