AscentPal vs Start
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AscentPal
Read full descriptionHide full description
AscentPal simplifies the tracking of indoor bouldering events. As a first step, organizers add their events to the system. Climbers browse these events and register to them. During an event the climbers will track the completed routes with the app. Either by scanning the route's QR code or tapping on a route on the scoreboard, the climber can mark it as completed or flashed. The total score and current ranking is displayed on the scoreboard.
Start
Read full descriptionHide full description
StartLine is the official app for trail running events organized by CTA Ciucaș in Romania (Ciucaș X3). Everything you need for race day, in one place. • Signup & payment — a few taps, card / Apple Pay / bank transfer / cash, automatic invoicing, automatic discount on multiple races • Live tracking — your phone broadcasts your GPS to a public map during the race so family and friends can follow you on the trail. Runs in the background, only if you opted in at registration • Race photos — find your photos with a selfie (face recognition) or by bib number. Results, splits, and rankings • Fast check-in — personal QR code for race day, digital waiver signed once, your race kit (t-shirt, size) visible in the app • Notifications — race-day alerts: schedule, weather, instructions Built by organizers, for runners. We're a Romanian non-profit based in Ploiești. No targeted ads, no data sales. GPS location only for the public race map, only during the race.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Start at every 4 days against AscentPal's every 3 months. Start also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
AscentPal ships an update every 3 months, Start every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AscentPal | Start |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | appforte | DRAGOS STATE |
In-app purchases
AscentPal
No in-app purchases
Start
No in-app purchases









