Comparison

Avalanche Forecasts vs Mountain

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Avalanche Forecasts

Access real-time avalanche danger levels across North America with this app. View color-coded danger levels on a map for your chosen timeframe and explore detailed forecasts from over 20 forecasting centers. Stay informed about conditions wherever your adventures take you.

Highlights
  • Real-time avalanche danger levels
  • Map view with color-coded danger levels
  • Selectable timeframes (Today, Tomorrow, 2 Days Out)
  • Detailed forecasts from over 20 centers
  • Support for NWAC, CAIC, UAC, and more
Features
Read full description

Get real-time updates on avalanche danger levels with Avalanche Forecasts. Our app makes it easy to see current danger levels at-a-glance for every forecast center in North America. Simply select your desired timeframe (Today/Tomorrow/2 Days Out) and view color-coded danger levels on the map. Click on any region to view the detailed avalanche forecast from the source forecasting center. With support for forecasts from over 20 centers, including NWAC (Northwest US), CAIC (Colorado), UAC (Utah), SAC (Central Sierras), ESAC (Eastern Sierras), MSAC (Mount Shasta), BAC (Bridgeport, CA), BTAC (Jackson Hole), GNFAC (Bozeman), WCMAC (Missoula), FAC (Kalispell/Whitefish), SNFAC (Sun Valley), IPAC (Idaho Panhandle), PAC (McCall), MWAC (Mount Washington), KPAC (Flagstaff), TAC (Taos), WAC (NE Oregon), CNFAIC (Chugach), JAC (Juneau), AAC (Anchorage), HAIC (Haines), VAC (Valdez), Cordova, HPAC (Hatcher Pass), Avalanche Canada, Parks Canada, WhistlerBlackcomb, VIAC (Vancouver Island), and Avalanche Quebec (Chic Chocs) forecasting centers, you can stay informed no matter where you are. For feature suggestions, bug reports, or other feedback, please contact us at project-development@sierraavalanchecenter.org.

About

Mountain

Provides detailed weather forecasts for over 11,000 mountain summits globally. Offers hourly and long-range predictions, multi-elevation weather data, and offline map access for planning outdoor adventures.

Highlights
  • Free 6-day forecasts
  • Weather at multiple elevations
  • Hour-by-hour weather detail
  • Offline maps and forecasts
  • Detailed topographic and satellite mapping
  • Import GPX routes
Features
Read full description

For over 20 years, Mountain-Forecast.com has been the go-to weather service for mountain enthusiasts, offering reliable forecasts for more than 11,000 summits worldwide.
 From Mount Rainier to Mount Fuji, climbers, skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers, and hikers count on our accurate mountain forecasts to plan everything from casual day trips to major expeditions. Why choose the Mountain Forecast App? - Weather at multiple elevations - Long-range 16-day forecasts* - Hour-by-hour weather detail - Four forecast updates per day - Detailed topographic and satellite mapping - NEW: offline maps and forecasts* - Import GPX routes *MountainPro features, available to subscribers (who also offer ad-free web browsing of the mountain-forecast.com website) Offline Access: Download forecasts and topographic maps without an internet connection so you’re always prepared. “A must-have app for anyone who spends time in the mountains. The forecasts for different elevations are critical for both planning and when I’m out climbing. The best mountain weather app out there!” Leigh Strong (USA) Please remember that mountain weather is unpredictable; always combine our forecasts with your on-the-spot observations and other sources. Venture safely with Mountain-Forecast.com as your essential mountain weather guide. -- Terms of use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Avalanche Forecasts4 screens
Mountain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Avalanche Forecasts at none against Mountain's 2. Avalanche Forecasts also leads on ads (none vs shown). Mountain's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mountain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Avalanche Forecasts asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mountain holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 403 and 707 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Avalanche Forecasts's written reviews are positive against 74% of Mountain's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Avalanche Forecasts ships an update every 8 months, Mountain every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Avalanche Forecasts versus Mountain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAvalanche ForecastsMountain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (403 ratings)4.9 (707 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.7% of reviews — better73.8% of reviews
Number of ratings403707 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#57 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB128 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSierra Avalanche CenterMeteo365 Ltd.

Customer experience

Avalanche Forecasts

All ratings403 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews74 reviews
Positive75.7%
Neutral9.5%
Negative14.9%

Mountain

All ratings707 ratings
Positive99.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.4%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive73.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative23.0%

User reviews

Avalanche Forecasts

From 403 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy-to-use interface and navigation
  • 🗺️ Consolidated map view of multiple avalanche regions
  • ⚡ Quick access to critical avalanche forecasts
  • 🆓 Free app with valuable safety information
  • 📱 Simple and intuitive design for on-the-go access

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🐛 Color coding not displaying correctly (especially Washington state)
  • 🐛 Offline cache feature not working for certain regions
  • 🐛 Regional data not populating even when connected to internet
  • 🔄 App not updating forecasts from certain centers (NWAC)

Mountain

From 707 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎯 Highly accurate mountain-specific forecasts
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
  • 🗺️ Detailed multi-elevation weather data
  • 💾 Offline maps and weather access
  • ⭐ No distracting ads in app

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription paywall for extended forecasts
  • 🔄 Inconsistent data alignment in forecast table
  • 🌍 No imperial/metric unit toggle (not intuitive)
  • 📉 Free version severely limited compared to paid
  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes frequently

Bugs and requests

Avalanche Forecasts

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes at startup
  • Color coding displays as gray for entire regions
  • Offline cache not functioning for NWAC zones
  • Mt Hood zone not populating data
  • Clicking on regions shows all state forecasts instead of specific region
Show 7 more
  • 404 errors when clicking on certain zones
  • Event map photos not displaying or appearing extremely small
  • Requires phone to be turned sideways to view properly
  • Clicking zone options produces no response
  • Detailed info screens cannot be scrolled
  • App formatting suddenly messes up and jumps around
  • App hangs and becomes unresponsive

Requested features

10 requests
  • iPad Pro screen size optimization
  • Trip planning tools
  • Slope evaluation features
  • Checklists for backcountry planning
  • Inclinometer tool
Show 5 more
  • Restore weather stations and report pins from old version
  • Smaller scale region selection
  • Support for additional avalanche centers (e.g., CBAC for Crested Butte)
  • Event map photo viewing improvements
  • Landscape mode support

Mountain

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • App crashes after 4 seconds of use
  • Forecast table data misalignment (temperature shows with wrong icons)
  • Password reset not accepting new passwords
  • Freezing level data appears in humidity column
  • 12-day forecast non-functional at mid-low elevations
Show 2 more
  • Minimum temperature missing from recent update
  • Graph data not lining up with forecast information

Requested features

6 requests
  • Imperial and metric unit switching
  • GPS track recording capability
  • Past weather data/history viewing
  • Better search functionality for minor peaks and ridges
  • Restore minimum temperature display
Show 1 more
  • 12-day forecast for all elevation settings

In-app purchases

None

Avalanche Forecasts

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Mountain

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Premium Service (Yearly)$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Avalanche Forecasts free?
Avalanche Forecasts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mountain free?
Mountain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Avalanche Forecasts or Mountain?
Mountain is rated higher. Avalanche Forecasts averages 4.7 out of 5 from 403 ratings, while Mountain averages 4.9 from 707 ratings.
Do Avalanche Forecasts or Mountain have ads?
Mountain shows ads; Avalanche Forecasts does not.
Which is updated more often, Avalanche Forecasts or Mountain?
Avalanche Forecasts ships an update every 8 months, and Mountain every 2 months. Most recently, Avalanche Forecasts was updated on October 9, 2026 and Mountain on October 13, 2026.

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