# Thru vs PuffGuard

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Thru at none against PuffGuard's 3. Thru also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). PuffGuard's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PuffGuard sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Thru asks for nothing beyond the download.

Thru ships an update every 9 days, PuffGuard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thru | PuffGuard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (127 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thru-virtual-hiking/id6753733703/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **127** | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 29 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Aaron La Lau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1844744161) | [Quan Xing Ang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574087691) |

## What reviewers say

### Thru

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thru-virtual-hiking/id6753733703)

Conquer legendary hiking trails virtually by tracking your real-world steps. Progress through illustrated landscapes, collect badges, and check in at landmarks on an interactive map. Every mile walked brings your virtual hiker closer to the finish line.

**Highlights:** Virtual thru-hiking expeditions, Real-world step tracking integration, Interactive progress map, Illustrated landscape representations, Trail badge collection, Landmark check-ins

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PuffGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puffguard/id6757462737)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PuffGuard Pro Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| PuffGuard Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| PuffGuard Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thru free?

Thru is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PuffGuard free?

PuffGuard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Thru or PuffGuard have ads?

Neither Thru nor PuffGuard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thru or PuffGuard?

Thru ships an update every 9 days, and PuffGuard every 2 months. Most recently, Thru was updated on October 28, 2026 and PuffGuard on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*