# Avalanche Lab vs PIEPS

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Avalanche Lab | PIEPS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avalanche-lab/id477838698/reviews) | **[4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pieps/id1148014050/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.9% of reviews** | 63.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 23 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RENAISSANCE RECREATION LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/961533274) | [Pieps GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1148014049) |

## What reviewers say

### Avalanche Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avalanche-lab/id477838698)

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.

**Highlights:** Snow pit diagram creation, GPS slide mapping, Slope angle measurement, Crown profile recording, Offline field use, Data export (PDF, KML, CAAML), Import CAAML profiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Observation PRO Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Avalanche Lab PRO | $9.99 | per year |


### PIEPS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pieps/id1148014050)

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.

**Highlights:** Device configuration, Functionality check, Firmware updates, Rescue skills training, Remote control functionality, Device registration

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient app updates
- 🚀 Quick Bluetooth connection
- 👍 Functional, well-designed app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bluetooth connection issues
- 🐛 App login/registration problems
- 🐛 App not working on certain devices
- 🔋 Battery compartment design issues

**Reported bugs**

- App home screen going blank
- Incompatibility with certain beacon models

**Requested features**

- Support for more languages (e.g. Russian, Japanese)
- Improved security for app login/registration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Avalanche Lab free?

Avalanche Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PIEPS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Avalanche Lab or PIEPS?

PIEPS is rated higher. Avalanche Lab averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while PIEPS averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.

### Do Avalanche Lab or PIEPS have ads?

Neither Avalanche Lab nor PIEPS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Avalanche Lab or PIEPS?

Avalanche Lab ships an update every 2 months, and PIEPS monthly. Most recently, Avalanche Lab was updated on October 12, 2026 and PIEPS on October 4, 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.*