Comparison

StripScout 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

StripScout

This app provides comprehensive backcountry aviation planning tools, including detailed landing strip information, real-time weather, 3D terrain visualization, and aircraft-specific performance calculations. It also features community field reports and a mission planner to enhance flight safety and efficiency for pilots.

Highlights
  • 16,000+ landing strip data
  • Real-time weather and density altitude
  • 3D terrain and approach profiles
  • Go/No-Go recommendations
  • Community field reports
  • Mission planner and route building
  • ADM risk calculator
Features
Read full description

STRIPSCOUT is the ultimate backcountry aviation companion — built by pilots, for pilots. Plan Every Flight with Confidence Access detailed information on 16,000+ public and private landing strips across all 50 United States. Get real-time weather, density altitude calculations, crosswind analysis, and Go/No-Go recommendations tailored to your aircraft and experience level. 3D Terrain & Approach Profiles Visualize runway approaches with interactive 3D terrain models and approach profiles. Understand slope, obstacles, and climb gradients before you ever leave the ground. Go/No-Go Timeline See at a glance when conditions are favorable for your aircraft. Our intelligent timeline factors in wind, gusts, density altitude, and runway performance to help you pick the safest departure window. Community Field Reports Stay informed with real-time condition updates from fellow pilots. Share photos, surface conditions, and obstacle reports to help the community fly safer. Mission Planner & Route Building Plan multi-leg backcountry routes with distance, fuel, and time estimates. Export routes for use in your favorite EFB. ADM Risk Calculator Assess personal risk with our Aeronautical Decision Making score — factoring your experience, aircraft capability, and current conditions into a single actionable number. Aircraft-Specific Performance Enter your aircraft's performance data and get personalized takeoff and landing distance calculations adjusted for density altitude, wind, runway slope, and surface type. Interactive Map Browse strips on a full-screen map with filters for difficulty, surface type, state, and more. Find your next adventure at a glance. Built for the Community Organize fly-in events, earn pilot badges, and connect with the backcountry aviation community. See our terms of service here: https://stripscout.app/terms See our prvacy statement here: https://stripscout.app/privacy

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

StripScout4 screens
Vertex Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: StripScout at 3 against Vertex Maps's 1. StripScout also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. StripScout sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for StripScout against 5.0 for Vertex Maps. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 3 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
StripScout versus Vertex Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStripScoutVertex Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better3
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB110 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperLAWRENCE ARTHUR PARKHILLVertex Maps LLC

Customer experience

StripScout

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Vertex Maps

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

In-app purchases

2 purchases

StripScout

Subscriptions2
  • STRIPSCOUT$4.991 Month
  • STRIPSCOUT$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Vertex Maps

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

Questions

Is StripScout free?
StripScout 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, StripScout or Vertex Maps?
StripScout and Vertex Maps are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do StripScout or Vertex Maps have ads?
Neither StripScout nor Vertex Maps shows ads.

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