Altimeter Dashboard vs RV
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Altimeter Dashboard
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Altimeter Dashboard is a clean, automotive-style altitude and compass dashboard for iPhone. Features: • Large, easy-to-read compass display • GPS and barometric altitude measurement • Real-time heading and directional display • Vehicle display support on compatible in-car systems • English and Japanese localization • Metric and imperial units (metres and feet) • Altitude and heading accuracy information • Altitude trend indication (rising, stable, or falling) Privacy first: • No user accounts • No advertising • No analytics • No tracking • No subscriptions • No in-app purchases All location, compass, motion, and barometric data are processed on your device. Use only when safe and legal to do so.
RV
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RV‑Pilot turns your iPhone and CarPlay into a professional‑grade aviation‑style instrument panel. Get precise altitude, atmospheric pressure, climb rate, ground speed, magnetic heading, pitch, and roll — all with full voice alerts that speak directly through your car speakers. Perfect for • Pilots and aviation enthusiasts (VFR support) • Hikers, mountain bikers, and off‑road drivers • Anyone who needs reliable real‑time elevation and attitude data - GPS Altitude Absolute altitude above sea level using CoreLocation (WGS84 ellipsoid, accurate where GPS signal is available). - Barometric Altitude Estimated altitude from the built‑in barometer using the ISA formula (1013.25 hPa reference). Also shows raw station pressure in hPa or inHg. - Vertical & Ground Speed Vertical speed derived from GPS altitude with smoothing. Ground speed in km/h, mph, or knots. - Magnetic Heading Accurate heading 0–360° using the same Apple Compass engine — independent of device orientation. - Pitch & Roll Device attitude in degrees, displayed both numerically and with a bubble level. Updates at 15 Hz. - Voice Alerts Customizable spoken warnings when altitude or speed exceed your thresholds. Use {value} placeholder to hear the actual measurement. Choose any system voice (neural voices supported). Alerts play over car speakers via CarPlay. - Apple CarPlay Integration • 3‑tab interface – Navigation, Altitude, Level • Dashboard widgets (where supported) – colour‑coded live values • Fully independent UI optimised for car displays - Units Switch between Metric (m, km/h, hPa), Imperial (ft, mph, inHg), and Nautical (ft, kn, hPa). - Privacy‑First All sensor data stays on your device. No analytics, no tracking, no internet connection required. Location is used only for GPS altitude, speed, and heading. Reset Δ Altitude Zero the relative barometric altitude counter with one tap — ideal for tracking height gain from a reference point. RV‑Pilot is the simple, reliable, and privacy‑respecting instrument panel you can trust on the road, on the trail, or in the air.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Altimeter Dashboard at none against RV's 1. Altimeter Dashboard also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.5). 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
Both are free to download. RV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Altimeter Dashboard asks for nothing beyond the download.
Altimeter Dashboard ships an update weekly, RV every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Altimeter Dashboard | RV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 8 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 26.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Arkley | Marco Frigerio |
In-app purchases
Altimeter Dashboard
No in-app purchases
RV
- RV-Pilot Pro$2.99
Questions
Is Altimeter Dashboard free?
Is RV free?
Do Altimeter Dashboard or RV have ads?
Which is updated more often, Altimeter Dashboard or RV?
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