# Vario One vs xcNav

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Vario One at 85% against xcNav's 20%. Vario One also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). xcNav's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 1.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vario One sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. xcNav asks for nothing beyond the download.

xcNav holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Vario One's written reviews are positive against 20% of xcNav's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Vario One ships an update every 5 weeks, xcNav every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vario One | xcNav |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vario-one/id1605797423/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcnav/id1616930706/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | **85.1% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 106 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Leobalo GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605797425) | [Caleb Johnson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616930708) |

## What reviewers say

### Vario One

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vario-one/id1605797423)

This app provides a precise variometer for iPhone and Apple Watch, utilizing built-in sensors for real-time lift detection. It offers air traffic awareness, thermal assistance, and flight recording capabilities. Takeoff and landing sites are always visible, with a free 14-day trial for all features.

**Highlights:** Real-time variometer with acoustic lift signals, Air traffic awareness with Safesky integration, Thermal Assistant with climb/sink rate visualization, Flight recording with GPS and IGC tracks, Import flights via GPX/IGC, Standalone Apple Watch functionality, Visible takeoff and landing sites

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 days for Apple iPhone/Watch | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| 3 month Apple iPhone/Watch | $11.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 year iPhone and Apple Watch | $22.99 | per year |


### xcNav

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xcnav/id1616930706)

This app provides essential navigation tools for paramotor pilots, including waypoints, ETAs, and live location sharing. It also offers group chat, airspace charts, weather information, and proximity warnings with external hardware.

**Highlights:** Navigation tools (waypoints, ETAs), Live location sharing, Group chat, Airspace sectional charts, Weather tools, ADSB-in proximity warnings

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vario One free?

Vario One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is xcNav free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Vario One or xcNav?

xcNav is rated higher. Vario One averages 1.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while xcNav averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Vario One or xcNav have ads?

Neither Vario One nor xcNav shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vario One or xcNav?

Vario One ships an update every 5 weeks, and xcNav every 6 weeks. Most recently, Vario One was updated on October 27, 2026 and xcNav on October 10, 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.*