# Mountain Project vs Ikon Pass

Mountain Project and Ikon Pass both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 41% of Mountain Project's written reviews are positive against 13% of Ikon Pass's. Mountain Project also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Ikon Pass's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (28K vs 4.6K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mountain Project against 4.7 for Ikon Pass. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ikon Pass has 28K ratings behind it against 4.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Mountain Project's written reviews are positive against 13% of Ikon Pass's.

Mountain Project ships an update every 3 weeks, Ikon Pass every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mountain Project | Ikon Pass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mountain-project/id452308783/reviews) | **[4.7 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikon-pass/id1482191120/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4.6K | **28K** |
| Positive reviews | **41.1% of reviews** | 13.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 79 MB | 334 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adventure Projects Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452308787) | [Alterra Mountain Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471202324) |

## What reviewers say

### Mountain Project

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mountain-project/id452308783)

Discover and navigate to outdoor climbing areas, and find specific routes with detailed filters. Access route beta, photos, and topos offline, and view climbing area statistics. Connect with other climbers in the forum, track your progress, and create to-do lists.

**Highlights:** Find and navigate to climbing areas, Sort routes by discipline, difficulty, and rating, Search 155,000+ climbing routes offline, Download route beta, photos, and topos for offline use, View climbing area route statistics and critical info, Connect with climbers in the forum, Track attempts, sends, and create to-do lists

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Extensive database of climbing routes
- 📚 Detailed route information and beta
- 🗺️ Offline access to downloaded areas
- 👥 Helpful community contributions
- 📸 Useful photos and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🗺️ Inaccurate or outdated map information
- 🔍 Inefficient search and navigation
- 💰 Excessive advertising and promotion of other apps
- 📝 Inability to add comments or photos from the app

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening routes or areas
- Map not showing all available climbs
- Incorrect date recording for ticks
- Inability to delete downloaded areas
- Login issues and account sync problems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to add/update routes and areas
- Implement better offline map functionality
- Improve search and filtering options
- Add user profile and route tracking features
- Enhance community engagement tools


### Ikon Pass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikon-pass/id1482191120)

This app helps you maximize your mountain experience at over 70 destinations. It offers interactive maps for amenities, in-app payments, and real-time updates on parking and events. Connect with friends, track your stats, and manage your pass details all in one place.

**Highlights:** Interactive amenity maps, In-app food and drink payment, Real-time parking availability, Pass management and tracking, Friend group messaging and location sharing, Mountain activity tracking, Event browsing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Tracking features
- 👍 Buddy tracking and group functionality
- 🌄 Mountain information and maps
- 💰 Discounts and pass benefits

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tracking issues and inaccuracies
- 🔌 Connectivity problems and app crashes
- 🤯 Confusing login and reservation processes
- 🔍 Lack of offline functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen not loading
- Tracking data being lost or reset
- Inability to view or manage reservations
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Integrate pass barcode for discounts
- Automatic tracking without manual start/stop
- Offline maps and resort information
- Customizable metric units
- Leaderboards and speed tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mountain Project free?

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

### Is Ikon Pass free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mountain Project or Ikon Pass?

Ikon Pass is rated higher. Mountain Project averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.6K ratings, while Ikon Pass averages 4.7 from 28K ratings.

### Do Mountain Project or Ikon Pass have ads?

Neither Mountain Project nor Ikon Pass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mountain Project or Ikon Pass?

Mountain Project ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ikon Pass every 9 days. Most recently, Mountain Project was updated on September 24, 2026 and Ikon Pass on September 24, 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.*