Comparison

Wahoo vs Packstack

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

Head to head
About

Wahoo

This app transforms your iPhone or iPad into a powerful fitness tracker for various activities like running, cycling, and strength training. It helps you visualize training zones, analyze past workouts, and connect with Bluetooth sensors for detailed data. You can also manage and update compatible Wahoo devices.

Highlights
  • Record indoor and outdoor workouts
  • Visualize training zones (power, heart rate)
  • Analyze activity history from Wahoo devices
  • Pair and use multiple Bluetooth sensors
  • Connect, update, and set up Wahoo devices
  • Control KICKR smart bikes and trainers
  • Accurate calorie burn calculation
Features
Read full description

◇ Build the better athlete within yourself ◇ Wahoo harnesses the power of your iPhone or iPad to transform the way you ride, run, and train to reach your personalized fitness goals. Visit www.wahoofitness.com to learn more about Wahoo products. ◇ Features ◇ ◇ Record workouts for both indoor and outdoor activities across running, cycling, strength training, and more. ◇ Visualize and manage your training zones for power and heart rate in a single place. ◇ Analyze your activity history from all your Wahoo devices. Get a summary of results from your entire workout, including GPS route, organized by date, and workout type. ◇ Easily find and pair Bluetooth Smart sensors to track heart rate, stride rate data, cycling power, speed, cadence, and more. Even use multiple sensors at the same time. ◇ Discover, connect, and update Wahoo devices via the app. Find comprehensive setup guides to help you onboard and use Wahoo hardware. ◇ Pair with KICKR smart bikes and trainers for the ultimate indoor cycling experience. Control the smart trainer in Passive, Target Power, Simulation, and Resistance modes. ◇ Get the most accurate calorie burn count when paired to a power meter or heart rate monitor. Add age, weight, and height to get your personalized caloric burn. ◇ Share workouts to your favorite training websites, including: Adidas Running Apple Health Dropbox Komoot MapMyFitness MapMyTracks MyFitnessPal RideWithGPS Strava TrainingPeaks Share to email & export your .fit files Please Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can decrease battery life. MINIMUM DEVICE REQUIREMENTS iPhone/iPad: iOS 16 Terms of Service: https://www.wahoofitness.com/terms-of-service

About

Packstack

This app helps backpackers and hikers meticulously track gear, organize packing lists, and calculate essential trip details like base weight and calorie needs. It offers a comprehensive gear inventory, reusable kits, and detailed trip planning features. Syncs across devices and allows sharing of setups.

Highlights
  • Gear inventory management
  • Trip-specific packing lists
  • Reusable gear kits
  • Base weight and calorie calculation
  • Hiker profile creation
  • Trip planning tools
  • Gear catalog search
Features
Read full description

PACKSTACK: GEAR LISTS & PACK WEIGHT TRACKING FOR BACKPACKERS Packstack is the gear list and pack weight app built for backpackers, hikers, and ultralight gram-counters. Build your gear closet once, spin up a packing list for any trip in minutes, and know your base weight before you hit the trail. Looking for a LighterPack alternative with a real mobile app? This is it. GEAR CLOSET All your gear in one searchable place. Log brand, product, weight, price, and category for every item — or skip the typing and pull verified specs from the gear catalog. Wishlist the gear you want but don't own yet. GEAR RESEARCH Browse thousands of outdoor products by category, sorted lightest to heaviest. Compare any product against the category median, dig into full specs, and add it to your gear closet in one tap. PACKING LISTS Build a list for each trip by pulling from your gear closet. Everything stays organized by category — shelter, sleep system, cookware, clothing — with total, base, and worn weight at a glance. Build multiple packs per trip to compare loadouts. CHECKLIST MODE When it's time to pack, flip any list into a checklist and tick items off as they go into the pack. Nothing gets left behind. WEIGHT TRACKING Automatic totals for pack weight, base weight (everything minus consumables), and worn weight. Switch between imperial (oz/lb) and metric (g/kg) anytime — every number updates instantly. SMART TRIP DETAILS Type a trail name and Packstack researches the rest: distance, elevation gain, terrain, and expected temperatures for your dates. It only fills in what you haven't set yourself — your local knowledge always wins. CALORIE CALCULATOR (PACKSTACK PRO) Estimate daily calories from your trip's distance, elevation, terrain, pace, and temperature — combined with your hiker profile. Take the guesswork out of food planning and know exactly how much to carry. HIKER PROFILES Set up profiles with height, weight, age, sex, and body type. Assign a profile to any pack for personalized calorie estimates — perfect for couples, families, or group trips. REUSABLE KITS Group the gear you always pack together — cook kit, first aid, camera setup — and drop the whole bundle into any list in one tap. Your first kit is free; Packstack Pro unlocks unlimited kits. SHARE YOUR SETUP Every packing list gets a public link anyone can view on the web, no account required — perfect for shakedown feedback. Or export a trip summary card with your weight breakdown, sized for Instagram Stories. IMPORT & EXPORT Switching tools? Import from LighterPack or any CSV in seconds. Export your gear back out anytime. Your data is never locked in. CROSS-PLATFORM SYNC Plan on your laptop, pack from your phone. Your gear closet, packing lists, and trips stay in sync across web and iOS. FREE TO START An unlimited gear closet, three packing lists, your first kit, imports, and sharing — free, with no credit card and no ads, ever. Packstack Pro unlocks unlimited packing lists, unlimited kits, and the calorie calculator. Sign up with email, Google, or Apple and start in minutes. Whether you're an ultralight gram-counter or a weekend camper, Packstack is the modern LighterPack alternative. Questions or feedback? Reach me at jerad@packstack.io — I'd love to hear from you. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.packstack.io/privacy

Screenshots

Wahoo4 screens
Packstack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Packstack at 100% against Wahoo's 43%. Packstack also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Wahoo's advantage is ratings volume (43K vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Wahoo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Packstack asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Packstack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wahoo has 43K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Wahoo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Packstack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Wahoo versus Packstack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWahooPackstack
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (43K ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings43K — better5
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size387 MB44 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperWahoo FitnessJerad Maplethorpe

Customer experience

Wahoo

All ratings43,457 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews1,502 reviews
Positive42.5%
Neutral10.2%
Negative47.3%

Packstack

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Wahoo

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when connecting to trainer
  • Fails to record GPS, heart rate, and other sensor data
  • Syncing issues with Strava and other platforms
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between workout types

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow customization of data screens
  • Add ability to create and load pre-set workouts
  • Improve Strava and Apple Health integration
  • Bring back offline workout editing
  • Add an Apple Watch app for better integration

Packstack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Wahoo

Subscriptions2
  • Wahoo Core14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Wahoo14 Days trial$17.991 Month
None

Packstack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wahoo free?
Wahoo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Packstack free?
Packstack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Wahoo or Packstack?
Packstack is rated higher. Wahoo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while Packstack averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Wahoo or Packstack have ads?
Neither Wahoo nor Packstack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wahoo or Packstack?
Wahoo ships an update fortnightly, and Packstack fortnightly. Most recently, Wahoo was updated on October 12, 2026 and Packstack on October 2, 2026.

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