Comparison

DiveGenius vs Vertex Maps

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

Head to head
About

DiveGenius

Get real-time dive conditions directly on your lock screen. Check visibility, surf size, water temperature, and local notes before you go diving. Make informed decisions about your dive day with quick, glanceable information.

Highlights
  • Lock screen widgets
  • Live dive reports
  • Visibility updates
  • Surf size information
  • Water temperature
  • Local dive spot notes
Features
Read full description

Tired of pulling up three different apps just to see if today’s good for diving? This puts everything you care about right on your lock screen. - Lock screen widgets with live dive reports - Visibility updates so you know if the water’s clear - Surf size so you’re not surprised by big sets - Current water temps for that first splash - Local notes from the spots you actually dive No more guessing when you’re packing gear. Just glance at your phone and know if it’s a kelp forest day or a stay on land day. It’s simple, quick, and built for divers who actually get in the water. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Vertex Maps

This app provides detailed backcountry maps and weather forecasts for outdoor activities like paragliding and skiing. It offers features for planning routes, tracking activities, and accessing real-time weather data, with advanced tools available through a subscription.

Highlights
  • Mountain weather and terrain maps
  • Flight log and activity tracking
  • Offline map downloads
  • Route building and editing
  • Augmented reality terrain view
  • Detailed hourly forecasts
  • Weather Briefing tool
Read full description

Best paragliding weather and maps on iPhone. Vertex puts mountain weather, terrain, routes, a flight log and activity tracking on one map for paragliding, backcountry skiing, and trail days. EXPLORE WITH VERTEX FREE • Explore online satellite, terrain, elevation and winter basemaps. • Check trails, public lands, motor-vehicle routes, backcountry huts, slope angles, avalanche forecasts, airspace and TFRs, and wildfire information. • See temperature, surface wind, gusts, precipitation and cloud forecasts in 3 hour steps across the full available range, where the selected model has coverage. • Check current weather, snow, air-quality and stream-gauge readings and the latest observed radar and lightning. • Record ground activities and import GPX, FIT, TCX, IGC, KML, KMZ and ZIP files. • Review elevation profiles, activity statistics, heart-rate data, photos and XC scores. Measure distances, draw routes manually, and save places and webpages. • Gather your sites, stations and NWS forecast discussions in one Weather Brief. • Sync personal activities, markers and lines across devices with your free account. PLAN FURTHER WITH VERTEX PRO One monthly or annual subscription covers Pro tools across paragliding, ski and trail modes: • Download maps and supported terrain layers for use without service. • Build and edit routes that automatically follow trails. • Use Photo Basemap to align your photos with terrain and turn them into map overlays. • Point your camera at the mountains with Terrain AR to see ridgelines, slopes and peak names over the live view. • Get detailed 1 hour forecasts where available, soaring and snow forecasts, smoke forecasts, winds aloft, the thermal diagram and airgrams. • Play radar history, nowcasts and forecasts, and browse dated satellite imagery. • Review station history where supported. Your existing downloaded maps, saved photo overlays and personal routes remain viewable when Pro ends. Current observations and forecast coverage depend on the source; not every station has history. Offline downloads contain supported map layers, not all live weather or airspace updates. Pro subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. Prices and any eligible free trial are shown before purchase. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Vertex requires a free account using a one-time code sent to your email. Weather, terrain, avalanche, trail, and airspace information may be incomplete, delayed, or inaccurate. Vertex is a planning tool, not a substitute for official forecasts, NOTAMs, avalanche bulletins, local knowledge, or your own judgment. Terms: https://vertexmaps.com/terms Privacy: https://vertexmaps.com/privacy

Screenshots

DiveGenius2 screens
Vertex Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Vertex Maps at 5.0 against DiveGenius's 3.5. Vertex Maps also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. DiveGenius sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Vertex Maps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Vertex Maps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DiveGenius ships an update weekly, Vertex Maps every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
DiveGenius versus Vertex Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDiveGeniusVertex Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (4 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better3
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size313 MB110 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBrett RoeloffsVertex Maps LLC

Customer experience

DiveGenius

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Vertex Maps

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

DiveGenius

Subscriptions4
  • DiveGenius Pro$4.997 Days
  • DiveGenius Pro$5.991 Month
  • DiveGenius Pro$8.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • DiveGenius Pro Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Wallpaper Pack$4.99
2 purchases

Vertex Maps

Subscriptions2
  • Vertex Pro Monthly1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Vertex Pro Annual1 Month trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is DiveGenius free?
DiveGenius is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vertex Maps free?
Vertex Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DiveGenius or Vertex Maps?
Vertex Maps is rated higher. DiveGenius averages 3.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Vertex Maps averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do DiveGenius or Vertex Maps have ads?
Neither DiveGenius nor Vertex Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DiveGenius or Vertex Maps?
DiveGenius ships an update weekly, and Vertex Maps every 3 days. Most recently, DiveGenius was updated on October 7, 2026 and Vertex Maps on October 24, 2026.

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