Comparison

BladeTracker vs Axel

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

Head to head
About

BladeTracker

This app helps hockey players track their skate sharpening history, including hollow depth and usage hours. It eliminates guesswork, ensuring consistent edges and optimal performance on the ice. Organize multiple skates or players with a simple, distraction-free design.

Highlights
  • Track skate sharpenings
  • Log hollow depth and method
  • Monitor blade usage
  • Organize multiple skates/players
  • Simple, distraction-free design
  • No accounts required
Features
Read full description

Stop guessing. Skate with confidence. Most hockey players don’t actually know when their skates need sharpening — they just feel wrong. That guesswork leads to inconsistent edges, wasted sharpenings, and poor performance on the ice. BladeTracker fixes that. BladeTracker helps you track every skate sharpening so you always know what hollow you used, when you sharpened, and how long your edges have been on the ice. ---- Why BladeTracker? Sharpening Guesswork Hurts Performance Too many sharpenings wears blades prematurely. Too few leaves you slipping. BladeTracker keeps a clean history so you sharpen at the right time — every time. Know Your Hollow & History Track hollow depth, sharpening dates, and usage hours so you can stay consistent across pro shops, Sparx machines, and seasons. Built for Real Hockey Players Perfect for: • Beer league players • Youth hockey parents • Coaches & equipment managers • Anyone who cares about their edges ---- Key Features • Track skate sharpenings • Log hollow depth and sharpening method • Monitor blade usage over time • Keep multiple skates or players organized • Simple, fast, distraction-free design • No accounts, no clutter, no nonsense BladeTracker is built to be quick to use in the rink, locker room, or pro shop. ---- Who This Is For • Players tired of inconsistent edges • Parents managing kids’ skates • Coaches tracking team equipment • Anyone using Sparx or traditional sharpening If you care about how your skates feel on the ice, BladeTracker belongs on your phone. ---- Stop guessing. Stop over-sharpening. Start skating with confidence.

About

Axel

Features
Read full description

Learn to skate one skill at a time with Axel, the figure skating skills tracker. Explore 155 skills across 24 progressive tiers, find technique tips and tutorial videos, and track self-assessed progress between lessons. LOOK AFTER YOUR BLADES Add your skates and blades under My skates. Every session you log adds time on ice to that pair, so you can see how much skating each pair has had since its last sharpen. TRACK YOUR SKILLS Follow 24 progressive tiers from Basic 1 through quad jumps. Mark your progress as you go. SEE HOW A SKILL MOVES Animated demonstrations show a move step by step, with the skate lines on the ice. Free on Basic 1–2 and Novice 1–3. Axel Pro adds skill animations above Novice. LOG EVERY SESSION Record how long you skated, add notes and videos, and watch your time on ice add up week by week and across the season. ATTACH SKILLS TO YOUR VIDEOS Record or import practice video, attach the skill you're working on and get analysis of each attempt. Add notes and compare attempts over time without digging through your camera roll. TIPS NEXT TO EVERY SKILL Tutorials, pro tips and common mistakes sit right beside the skill you're working on. BUILT FOR SKATERS WHO TRAIN For recreational, adult and competitive figure skaters. AXEL PRO Axel Pro adds skill animations above Novice, custom skills and tiers, more skill tags per video and slow-motion review. Choose a monthly or annual subscription. Your skating progress, skill by skill. https://axelskating.com/en/privacy https://axelskating.com/en/terms

Screenshots

BladeTracker4 screens
Axel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BladeTracker at none against Axel's 2. Axel's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.2). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Axel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. BladeTracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BladeTracker ships an update every 4 days, Axel every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
BladeTracker versus Axel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBladeTrackerAxel
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.215.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan AlterJAMES DAVID MCMULLEN

In-app purchases

None

BladeTracker

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Axel

Subscriptions2
  • Axel Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Axel Pro Annual14 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is BladeTracker free?
BladeTracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Axel free?
Axel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BladeTracker or Axel have ads?
Neither BladeTracker nor Axel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BladeTracker or Axel?
BladeTracker ships an update every 4 days, and Axel every 3 days. Most recently, BladeTracker was updated on November 8, 2026 and Axel on November 10, 2026.

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