Comparison

Variometer+ vs Box the Wind

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

Head to head
About

Variometer+

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
Read full description

Variometer+ is the most responsive variometer for your iPhone or/and Apple Watch. Works for all activities (paragliding, hang gliding, aviation, ...). • Super reactive / responsive thanks to a very advanced algorithm • Beeps like a real variometer (or haptic feedback on your wrist) • Shows ground speed & altitude (sea level & relative to take-off) • Sink alarm • Entirely configurable (settings sync with Apple Watch through iCloud) • Choose among several gauges • Change units (m/s, ft/min, ...) • Customize beeps tresholds • Customize gauge max & min values based on your activity • Customize the sound of your vario (frequency, cadence, ...) for maximum comfort • Independent Apple Watch app (sound, haptic feedback, ...) → everything on your wrist • ... and more Use at your own risk. The creator cannot be held responsible for any issue that might arise. Common sense should prevail. Fly safe! This app respects your privacy and does not collect any data. Feedback is welcome and appreciated, you can contact me from within the app :-). Please be nice with me ;-). About the algorithm: This variometer is not an ordinary app. To provide this level of responsiveness, a very advanced mathematical technique is being used. This is called ‘Sensor fusion’. It uses data from multiple sensors of your devices, and combines them to increase accuracy and responsiveness. This has been developed in collaboration with researchers from the university of UCLouvain in Belgium. Because of the efficiency, hence complexity, of the algorithm, a great amount of computational power is required. This is why, based on the tests, the advanced level of responsiveness is only available on recent devices. The app still works - but is less responsive - on older devices though. Enjoy! --------- The terms of use & privacy policy can be found here: https://variometer.app/terms-and-privacy.html

About

Box the Wind

This app provides hot air balloon pilots and chase crews with essential tools for competition flying. It offers offline maps, live tracking, task management, and real-time flight data, all designed to enhance performance and safety in the air.

Highlights
  • Offline maps for competition areas
  • Live pilot to crew tracking
  • Competition task import and editing
  • Real-time drift and approach data
  • Flight recording and sharing (GPX)
  • Wind guidance and updates
Features
Read full description

Box the Wind is for flying a balloon competition with a simplified IT layer. Fly, don't fight the computer or app. It's for the pilot in the basket and the crew chasing them. This is a competition-specific ballooning app, not a general one. Its features are focused on what the competition pilot needs, and no more. It is designed to fly next to the BLS and BLA setup and replace a cumbersome IT setup. Load the day's tasks, pick a target, and get live bearing, distance, and closest approach on your current drift. See the contest area, the prohibited zones. Crew sees both the ballon position and theirs. The maps work both online and offline. WHAT'S IN IT • Tasks, shared. Import a WatchMeFly task sheet via URL (web page or PDF), edit it, tap a target to make it active. Marker color, number, and timing sit right in the list. The crew can import the pilot's tasks whenever they change, or run their own version. • The wind cone. Your measured drift by altitude plus a forecast sounding, with an AGL bar showing which level heads toward the target. • Live tracking support for the crew. Position flows pilot to crew over a private channel in real time. A clear stale marker shows if the link drops. The crew's own position shows too. • Declare goals easily. Auto-find the 4/4 from the display center, or key one in during flight, checked against the contest area before you commit. • Zones and warnings. Import Red, Yellow, Blue, and Red-Road zones and the contest boundary. Audible and on-screen warnings fire as you approach or infringe, with per-zone ceilings and floors. • Offline maps. Download street and aerial imagery for your region before launch; it renders fully offline in the air. • Practice mode. Log electronic marker drops and get the 2D or 3D distance to the target. A training tool, not official scoring. • Recording. Every flight logs to GPX — replay, rename, share, or import. ... and more ... Built to BFA/FAI AX conventions: the UTM 4/4 grid, the standard task types. Show units in metric, imperial, or a mixed mode that keeps altitude in feet and distance in meters. Actually, for real, free. No account. No ads. No tracking. Your location is used only to show your position, recording and sharing only when you want. Actively supported and listening to requests.

Screenshots

Variometer+4 screens
Box the Wind1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Box the Wind at none against Variometer+'s 3. Box the Wind also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Variometer+'s advantage is ratings volume (27 vs 3) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. Variometer+ sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Box the Wind asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Box the Wind holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Variometer+ has 27 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Variometer+ versus Box the Wind: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVariometer+Box the Wind
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (27 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews89.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings27 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.4 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB13 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperiSolid appsJefferson Wagener

Customer experience

Variometer+

All ratings27 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive89.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.5%

Box the Wind

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Variometer+

Subscriptions2
  • Vario PRO Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Vario PRO Yearly3 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Vario PRO Lifetime$49.99
None

Box the Wind

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Variometer+ free?
Variometer+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Box the Wind free?
Box the Wind is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Variometer+ or Box the Wind?
Box the Wind is rated higher. Variometer+ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Box the Wind averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Variometer+ or Box the Wind have ads?
Neither Variometer+ nor Box the Wind shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Variometer+ or Box the Wind?
Variometer+ ships an update every 3 weeks, and Box the Wind every 3 weeks. Most recently, Variometer+ was updated on September 28, 2026 and Box the Wind on October 5, 2026.

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