Comparison

Tabide vs APRSSwift

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

Head to head
About

Tabide

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Maps, weather and memories of your day, together in one simple app. Tabide makes it easy to explore Japan's mountains, ski resorts and hiking trails in 3D. Find your next destination, plan a route and record your day on the snow or trail. Every feature is free. No ads, subscriptions or in-app purchases. Start exploring maps, weather and places without an account. EXPLORE THE SLOPES • Explore over 400 ski resorts across Japan. See lifts and runs on the map, with ski runs colored by difficulty. • Browse more than 300 resort guides for trail maps, webcams, snow reports, rentals, onsen and places to stay. PLAN YOUR NEXT HIKE • Search over 22,000 peaks and choose from more than 1,000 hiking courses, or build your own route along mapped trails. • Set your pace, add rest breaks and overnight stops, and see estimated arrival times, elevation changes, sunrise and sunset. • Check the weather along your route. Follow your progress as you walk and see when you go off route. • Save your plans and export routes as GPX files. CHECK THE WEATHER • Check the weather up to 14 days ahead at your destination or along your route. • Explore nine weather maps: wind, gusts, temperature, precipitation, clouds, pressure, new snow, snow depth and waves. • Play the timeline to see how the weather is expected to change. Tap the map to check wind speed, temperature and more. GET TO KNOW THE TERRAIN • Switch between outdoor maps, elevation maps, aerial photos, winter satellite images and recent satellite imagery. • See trails, huts, ridges and valleys in 3D. Use Focus to hide labels and make the terrain easier to see. • Download maps for an area or along a planned route to use without a signal. RECORD AND RELIVE YOUR DAY • Choose from 16 activities to record, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, cycling and kayaking. • Track time, distance, speed, ascent and estimated calories burned as you go. Review each ski or snowboard run separately. • Keep recording with the screen off and see time and distance on your Lock Screen. • Add photos from your day and replay your track in 3D, with elevation and speed charts. • Import and export activity recordings as GPX files. FRIENDS AND FAVORITES • Add friends by Tabide ID or QR code. See each other on the map when you're within 5 km and both have location sharing on. • Choose who can see your location and stop sharing at any time. • Organize favorite places in lists with emoji markers, and add your own landmarks with a long press on the map. • Sync activities, plans and favorites across your devices. From Ski Slopes to Summits.

About

APRSSwift

Track and message on the APRS network with your amateur radio callsign. View nearby stations on a live map, exchange text messages, and decode various packet types. Supports multiple connection methods and includes an Apple Watch app.

Highlights
  • Live APRS map with station tracking
  • Two-way APRS messaging
  • Full packet decoding
  • Multiple connection methods
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • SmartBeaconing for adaptive beaconing
Features
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APRSSwift brings the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) to your Apple devices — a native, universal amateur-radio app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Report your position to the APRS network, watch nearby stations move on a live map, read a real-time packet log, and exchange APRS text messages — all with your own callsign. FEATURES • Live map with APRS symbols, station tracks, and your own location • Connect via APRS-IS (Internet), a TCP KISS TNC, a Bluetooth TNC (Mobilinkd), or the built-in AFSK sound modem (1200 baud — no extra hardware) • Full packet decoding: position, Mic-E, compressed, objects, items, status, weather, messages, and telemetry • SmartBeaconing — adaptive beacon rate based on speed and turns • Two-way APRS messaging with acknowledgements • Station list with distance, favorites, and proximity alerts • Maidenhead grid locator, metric or imperial units, and dead reckoning • Post APRS objects, send status reports, and view weather & telemetry charts • Apple Watch app: beacon, grid, and nearby stations on your wrist APRSSwift is designed for licensed amateur radio operators. A valid callsign is required; your APRS-IS passcode is generated automatically from it. 73!

Screenshots

Tabide4 screens
APRSSwift3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tabide at none against APRSSwift's 3. APRSSwift's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. APRSSwift sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Tabide asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tabide ships an update every 3 days, APRSSwift every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Tabide versus APRSSwift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabideAPRSSwift
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB7 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGUOHAO ZHUSevket Bugra CANATA

In-app purchases

None

Tabide

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

APRSSwift

One-time3
  • Small Support$0.99
  • Medium Support$9.99
  • Large Support$99.99

Questions

Is Tabide free?
Tabide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is APRSSwift free?
APRSSwift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tabide or APRSSwift have ads?
Neither Tabide nor APRSSwift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tabide or APRSSwift?
Tabide ships an update every 3 days, and APRSSwift every 5 days. Most recently, Tabide was updated on October 24, 2026 and APRSSwift on October 25, 2026.

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