Comparison

Vario One vs XCSoar

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Vario One

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
Read full description

VARIO One – Your smart variometer for iPhone and Apple Watch. As precise as a pro vario. As simple as an app. No extra hardware. VARIO One combines a pressure sensor, an accelerometer and GPS into a full-featured variometer — right on your iPhone and Apple Watch. Both apps work independently and signal lift with acoustic beeps. Optionally connect an external Bluetooth vario for even more precision. Try all features free for 14 days. VARIOMETER - Instantly audible lift by combining pressure and acceleration sensors. - Internal barometer (baro + IMU fusion) — a calmer, more precise signal. - Display of altitude, speed and glide ratio. - Barometric altitude with QNH — set directly on the flight screen. - Climb tone threshold freely configurable (down to −0.5 m/s). - Rotating wind direction indicator. FLIGHT RECORDING - Automatic recording as GPS and IGC track. - Digital logbook with map view and statistics. - Automatic upload to DHV-XC and XContest. - Automatic take-off and landing detection. MAP - Airspaces downloadable per country or importable as OpenAir files. - Current wind from thousands of weather stations. - Take-off and landing sites — permanently free to view. AIRSPACE MAP & ALERTS Download airspace maps for any country right in the app from OpenAIP. Or import your own OpenAir files (classic as well as Naviter 1.0/2.0). All airspaces are shown as a vector map; tap for details, altitude profile and legend. As you approach, VARIO One warns you with a voice announcement and a configurable lead time — including a snooze function and automatic escalation. REAL-TIME AIR TRAFFIC WITH SAFESKY See nearby aircraft — paragliders, hang gliders, sailplanes, helicopters — using SafeSky, including other SafeSky users on the map. ADS-B, FLARM, OGN, PilotAware, and other supported traffic sources — all in one real-time view. Coverage depends on the availability of compatible transmitters and network reception. BUDDY FLYING – FLY TOGETHER, EVERYONE IN VIEW With Buddy Flying you see your flying partners live on the map — perfect for a shared cross-country flight or a day at your local mountain. One person creates a group and shares the code, the others join. As soon as "Sharing" is active, you all see each other in real time. For each buddy you see position with distance and bearing, absolute altitude and altitude relative to you, current climb and an 8-second average, plus speed. When a buddy is climbing, you see it in their climb rate — and know where the thermal is. A colour scale shows how their climb compares to yours. EXTERNAL BLUETOOTH VARIOS Connect your device wirelessly to use it as your vario signal source: BlueFly Vario (multiple protocols), Mipfly MipBipX & MipTrack, Stodeus BlueBip & UltraBip, Skytraxx (BLE). Connect any time from the settings — no onboarding needed. THERMAL ASSISTANT Your flight track is coloured live by climb and sink values — so you instantly see where the best thermal is in the turn. The app automatically detects circling and switches to the thermal view. Including wind direction and speed. IMPORT FLIGHTS Import previously flown flights as GPX or IGC files straight into the logbook — via the + button or via "Open with" from the Files app. APPLE WATCH - Standalone vario with precise pressure sensors. - Ideal for hike & fly, as a backup or when there's no room in the cockpit. - Flight recording in GPX and IGC format. New features are added regularly. Try everything free for 14 days. Take-off and landing sites remain free afterwards too. The subscription renews automatically and can be cancelled any time.

About

XCSoar

An open-source flight navigation tool for gliders and sailplanes. It offers a moving map, task planning, airspace data, and thermal detection to aid pilots in route optimization and real-time flight information.

Highlights
  • Moving map display
  • Task planning
  • Airspace information
  • Thermal detection
  • Route optimization
  • Real-time flight data
Features
Read full description

Disclaimer: Do not rely on this app for navigation or flight-critical decisions. XCSoar is an open-source flight navigation software designed for gliders and other sailplanes. It provides features like a moving map, task planning, airspace information, and thermal detection. The software helps pilots with route optimization and offers real-time data on altitude, speed, and location. It can be used on various devices, including tablets and smartphones, making it versatile for both recreational and competitive flying.

Screenshots

Vario One4 screens
XCSoar2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: XCSoar at 5.0 against Vario One's 1.0. XCSoar also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Vario One's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 50%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

XCSoar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Vario One's written reviews are positive against 50% of XCSoar's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vario One ships an update every 6 weeks, XCSoar every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Vario One versus XCSoar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVario OneXCSoar
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.611.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLeobalo GmbHpraechtig gbr

Customer experience

Vario One

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.9%

XCSoar

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Vario One

Subscriptions3
  • 7 days for Apple iPhone/Watch14 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • 3 month Apple iPhone/Watch14 Days trial$11.993 Months
  • 1 year iPhone and Apple Watch14 Days trial$22.991 Year
None

XCSoar

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vario One free?
Vario One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is XCSoar free?
XCSoar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Vario One or XCSoar?
XCSoar is rated higher. Vario One averages 1.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while XCSoar averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Vario One or XCSoar have ads?
Neither Vario One nor XCSoar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vario One or XCSoar?
Vario One ships an update every 6 weeks, and XCSoar every 2 months. Most recently, Vario One was updated on September 25, 2026 and XCSoar on September 5, 2026.

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