Avalanche Lab vs PIEPS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Avalanche Lab
Record snow and avalanche data in the field using your iPhone. Measure slope angles, record crown profiles, and map slides with GPS. Share your findings instantly with colleagues and the wider community.
- Snow pit diagram creation
- GPS slide mapping
- Slope angle measurement
- Crown profile recording
- Offline field use
- Data export (PDF, KML, CAAML)
- Import CAAML profiles
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Imagine... You see an avalanche, you ski over to the crown and pull out your iPhone. You snap a photo, measure the slope angle and aspect, then record a crown profile, all on your phone. As you ski down the path, you use your phone as GPS to map the slide. When you get to the toe of the slide you send a diagram of the crown and a map of the slide to your colleagues back at the office, then you post it to the Avalanche Lab network to alert everyone else. With Avalanche Lab you can do all that and more. Avalanche Lab was developed out of a desire to easily enter snow and avalanche data in the field, and then electronically share that data. Avalanche Lab uses all those fancy features on your iPhone to make it as easy as possible. It has all the features an avalanche professional would want, and is simple enough to be used by backcountry skiers and even snowboarders. Avalanche Lab includes clinometer, GPS, and compass support so you can accurately measure and mark your field sites. Avalanche Lab is designed to be used in the field, there is no need for a wifi or cell signal. Most inputs are multiple choice to eliminate the need for typing, and the buttons are big for use with cold fingers. Avalanche Lab produces professional quality snow pit diagrams in the standard format, and in a compact format for display on mobile devices, and saves diagrams as an image or PDF file. Other export formats include KML maps of avalanches, CAAML xml, and SnowPilot format. Avalanche Lab can also import CAAML v5 snow profiles so you can load data from other software for viewing in the field. https://avalanchelab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Terms-of-Use.pdf
PIEPS
Configure, check, and update your PIEPS or Black Diamond avalanche transceiver. Train your rescue skills with your phone as a remote control and register your device for additional services.
- Device configuration
- Functionality check
- Firmware updates
- Rescue skills training
- Remote control functionality
- Device registration
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- Configure your PIEPS or Black Diamond device according to your preferences. - Check the functionality of your PIEPS or Black Diamond device - Update your PIEPS or Black Diamond device to the latest firmware. - Train your emergency rescue skills. Use your phone as a remote control. - Register your PIEPS or Black Diamond device to get additional services
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PIEPS at 4.9 against Avalanche Lab's 4.3. PIEPS also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (1K vs 15). Avalanche Lab's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). 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
Both are free to download. Avalanche Lab sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. PIEPS asks for nothing beyond the download.
PIEPS holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PIEPS has 1K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 91% of Avalanche Lab's written reviews are positive against 63% of PIEPS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Avalanche Lab ships an update every 2 months, PIEPS monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Avalanche Lab | PIEPS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (15 ratings) | 4.9 (1K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better | 63.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RENAISSANCE RECREATION LLC | Pieps GmbH |
Customer experience
Avalanche Lab
PIEPS
Bugs and requests
Avalanche Lab
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
PIEPS
Reported bugs
2 issues- App home screen going blank
- Incompatibility with certain beacon models
Requested features
2 requests- Support for more languages (e.g. Russian, Japanese)
- Improved security for app login/registration
In-app purchases
Avalanche Lab
- Observation PRO Subscription$9.991 Year
- Avalanche Lab PRO$9.991 Year
PIEPS
No in-app purchases








