Avalanche Lab vs ARVA
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
ARVA
Access avalanche risk bulletins for various European and American regions. Configure your ARVA NEO BT PRO device, perform diagnostics, and engage in training modules for avalanche safety and search procedures. Includes a trip preparation checklist.
- Avalanche risk bulletins
- NEO BT PRO device configuration
- Transceiver diagnostics
- Snow Safety Program training
- Group Check procedure guide
- Search training simulations
- Trip preparation checklist
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**** Avalanche Risk Bulletins **** To help you plan your itinerary, you can find the Avalanche Bulletins for your favorite American, French, Swiss, Austrian and Italian regions. These are updated as soon as they are published. Find the widgets so the Avalanche Bulletins show up on the home page of your smartphone. **** NEO BT PRO **** The ARVA app has been designed as a support tool for our NEO BT PRO, as it allows users to configure their device. The tool has various options, such as fine search distance, Standby mode time or an alarm to tell you your device has been on for too long. You can also choose between digital or analog sound when in digital mode. **** Update and diagnostics**** Carry out maintenance of your transceiver directly in the app via Bluetooth. **** Training**** The ARVA app also has a training function, as it includes our Snow Safety Program. You can use the app to open or revise basic theory on avalanche safety. **** Group Check**** The “Group Check” section helps you understand and, more importantly, master the Group Check procedure. You will find a detailed users’ guide in the app. **** Search training**** Use our “SEARCH” section to practice searching for burials. You can do this while connected, thanks to the NEO BT PRO and fleet management, or more simply using any other device. You can perform search training with single burials or multiple burial situations. This program provides very realistic training. **** Preparing for a trip **** The app has a “Trip” tab which includes a checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything when preparing for your trip. The checklist is comprehensive, from a review of your itinerary to the food you will need. Find other features in our ARVA app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ARVA at 5.0 against Avalanche Lab's 4.3. ARVA also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Avalanche Lab's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (91% vs 57%). On price, update cadence 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. ARVA asks for nothing beyond the download.
ARVA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Avalanche Lab has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 91% of Avalanche Lab's written reviews are positive against 57% of ARVA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and June 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Avalanche Lab | ARVA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better | 57.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 405 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RENAISSANCE RECREATION LLC | NIC IMPEX SA |
Customer experience
Avalanche Lab
ARVA
In-app purchases
Avalanche Lab
- Observation PRO Subscription$9.991 Year
- Avalanche Lab PRO$9.991 Year
ARVA
No in-app purchases








