Avalanche Lab vs rakkup
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
rakkup
Access a vast library of climbing and backcountry skiing guidebooks on your mobile device, even without an internet connection. Navigate trails to your destination with turn-by-turn directions and detailed maps. Explore climbs and descents with rich visuals and discover new routes.
- Offline guidebook access
- Turn-by-turn trail navigation
- GPS-enabled route finding
- Map and list browsing
- Search and filter capabilities
- Color photos and topo drawings
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rakkup allows you to access an entire bookshelf of climbing and backcountry skiing guidebooks on your iPhone, even beyond the reach of cell phone coverage. Once downloaded, guidebooks work offline with no Internet connection! It is also the first and only mobile climbing app that navigates you through the trail system to your climb, turn by turn. Produced in partnership with Outdoor Research, rakkup reinvents the guidebook for the smartphone era. We've partnered with Beacon Guidebooks, Wolverine Publishing ,and other publishers to bring you rich guidebooks complete with color photos and topo drawings. Free sample climbs and ski descents are included. Browse climbs and descents on a map or in the list format of your choice, filter and search in seconds, then navigate using your phone's GPS with a single tap. In climbing guidebooks, the app continuously calculates the easiest route through the trail system from your current location. Simply follow the arrow and moving map. Note: When actively navigating to a climb, rakkup uses GPS in background. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Avalanche Lab at 4.3 against rakkup's 2.2. Avalanche Lab also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 54%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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 and rakkup sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Avalanche Lab holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 25 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Avalanche Lab's written reviews are positive against 54% of rakkup's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Avalanche Lab | rakkup |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (15 ratings) — better | 2.2 (25 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better | 53.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 25 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 86 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RENAISSANCE RECREATION LLC | Outdoor Geeks, LLC |
Customer experience
Avalanche Lab
rakkup
Bugs and requests
Avalanche Lab
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
rakkup
Reported bugs
13 issues- App crashes on login
- App freezes when opening routes
- Crashes every 30 seconds to few minutes
- Splash screen appears repeatedly despite cached data
- Collapse/expand toggles stop working
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Route selection auto-selects wrong area
- Maps fail to load without internet connectivity
- Bookshelf is buggy and inaccessible
- Password field incompatible with password managers
- Specific routes cause crashes (e.g., Sun Kissed)
- iOS 15 compatibility issues
- Frozen screens requiring app reinstall
- GPS functionality unreliable (20% success rate)
Requested features
12 requests- Simplified and more intuitive UI redesign
- Gear and rack information for routes
- Pitch length specifications
- User ratings and comments system
- Personalization settings (filter preferences)
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- PDF guidebook downloads
- YouTube tutorial videos for app navigation
- Climbing log with progress tracking
- Route notes and personal annotations
- Better offline map handling
- Access codes for physical guidebook purchases
- Improved map clustering for nearby crags
In-app purchases
Avalanche Lab
- Observation PRO Subscription$9.991 Year
- Avalanche Lab PRO$9.991 Year
rakkup
- Elizabeth Furnace$2.99
- Long Branch and Guide Walls$3.99
- Reed's Creek$4.99
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Exit 38 Rock Climbs$9.99
- Staunton State Park Climbing$9.99
- Silverton$9.99
- Bridger Ridge$9.99
- Powerlinez$11.99
- Teton Pass Descents$14.99
- Snoqualmie Pass$14.99
- Index Town Walls$15.99
- Red Rocks Climbs by SuperTopo$19.99
- Mt. Erie$19.99
- Potrero Chico$19.99
- Backcountry Skiing California's Eastern Sierra$19.99
- Vermont Tough Schist$19.99









