Comparison

RV vs GPS Altimeter

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

Head to head
About

RV

Features
Read full description

RV-Pilot turns your iPhone into a set of instruments for your camper, van or motorhome: altitude, speed, heading, pressure, a level for parking, a trip log and more. It works on iPhone, in CarPlay and on Apple Watch. COCKPIT (FREE) • Giant GPS altitude with vertical speed, vertical accuracy and the altitude change since your last reset • Ground speed, magnetic heading with a rotating arrow, pressure with its 3-hour trend, standard barometric altitude and GPS coordinates • Share a photo with your altitude and coordinates overlaid • Metric, imperial and nautical units LEVEL ASSISTANT (PRO) Park level in minutes. RV-Pilot shows pitch and roll in degrees and a top view of your vehicle with the centimeters of wedge to place under each wheel, calculated from your own vehicle profile (length, width, height, wheelbase, track width and weight). • Phone in a holder on the dashboard? Calibrate its position once and the level works even when the phone is almost upright — either with a quick "set zero" on level ground or with a guided calibration that works on any ground. TRIP LOG (PRO) • Record your route with GPS track, distance, time, speed, total ascent and descent, maximum altitude and a live elevation profile • Keeps recording with the screen locked • End-of-stage summary, rename and delete trips, and export to GPX for your favourite map or hiking app • Your trips stay on your iPhone BAROMETRIC TREND (PRO) • Sea-level pressure graph over 3, 6 and 24 hours, adjusted with your GPS altitude so driving uphill never fakes a drop • Trend from "rising fast" to "falling rapidly" and a spoken weather alert when the pressure drops quickly • Optional background monitoring to keep recording while you park FLIGHT DISPLAY (PRO) An aircraft-style display: artificial horizon with pitch and roll, speed and altitude tapes and a heading strip. LIVE ACTIVITY AND WIDGETS (PRO) Keep altitude on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, and add the widget to your Home Screen. CARPLAY Four tabs — Navigation, Altitude (with pressure trend), Level (pitch, roll and wedge heights) and Trip Log (start/stop and live stats) — plus a dashboard with coloured instrument cells. Spoken alerts play through the car speakers. APPLE WATCH Altitude, barometric altitude, pressure, trend, vertical speed, coordinates, heading, the level with wedge heights and the trip log with start/stop on your wrist. VOICE ALERTS (PRO) Spoken warnings for altitude, speed and a rapid pressure drop, with your own thresholds, messages and any installed voice. FIVE LANGUAGES English, Italian, German, French and Spanish, with a built-in help guide. FREE AND PRO The Cockpit is free, and so are one CarPlay session and one Apple Watch session so you can try them. RV-Pilot Pro is a one-time purchase (no subscription) that unlocks the Flight Display, Level Assistant, Trip Log, Barometric Trend, Live Activity and widgets, unlimited CarPlay and Apple Watch, voice alerts and customization. PRIVACY No accounts, no analytics, no ads, no tracking. Sensor data is processed on your device. Trips and pressure history are stored only on your iPhone and can be deleted at any time. Location is used for GPS altitude, speed and heading, to record trips when you ask, and — only if you turn it on — to keep barometer monitoring running while you park. REQUIREMENTS An iPhone with GPS, barometer and motion sensors. CarPlay features need a compatible car; the Apple Watch app needs a paired Apple Watch.

About

GPS Altimeter

Features
Read full description

GPS Altimeter — a GPS elevation meter and barometer built for hiking, trail running, cycling, skiing and travel. See live altitude, pressure, coordinates, compass, speed and total ascent the moment you open the app. Clear numbers, simple controls, ready for the trail. 【Key features】 • Live elevation: GPS + barometer fusion, elevation chart, session max and ascent stats • Nearby landmarks: match cities and peaks worldwide so you can compare altitude on the go • Calibration: set a known elevation or QNH sea-level pressure before you climb for steadier readings • Track recording: save elevation profile, distance, duration and map path — with optional background tracking • Watermark camera: stamp altitude, place name, GPS and date on summit photos for easy check-ins • History: keep points and tracks on device; export CSV to review every outing • Units: switch meters / feet to match your preference 【Who it’s for】 Hikers, backpackers, trail runners, ski tourers, cyclists and travelers who want reliable altitude and memorable summit photos. 【Accuracy notes】 GPS elevation varies with satellites, terrain and weather — open sky is usually better. The barometer is excellent for relative ascent; weather changes can shift absolute values, so calibrate when you can. Indoors, tunnels and dense forest may drift. App data is for reference only — use proper maps and gear outdoors, and never stare at your phone on hazardous terrain. 【Privacy】 Core samples and tracks stay on your device by default. Location, camera, photos and tracking permissions are under your control in system Settings. Download GPS Altimeter and make every climb clearer — and easier to remember.

Screenshots

RV3 screens
GPS Altimeter3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GPS Altimeter at none against RV's 1. GPS Altimeter also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). RV's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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. RV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GPS Altimeter asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RV ships an update every 8 days, GPS Altimeter weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
RV versus GPS Altimeter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRVGPS Altimeter
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarco Frigerio珊珊 黄

In-app purchases

1 purchases

RV

One-time1
  • RV-Pilot Pro$2.99
None

GPS Altimeter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RV free?
RV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GPS Altimeter free?
GPS Altimeter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RV or GPS Altimeter have ads?
GPS Altimeter shows ads; RV does not.
Which is updated more often, RV or GPS Altimeter?
RV ships an update every 8 days, and GPS Altimeter weekly. Most recently, RV was updated on October 31, 2026 and GPS Altimeter on November 1, 2026.

Other comparisons