# Vertical vs PIEPS

The clearest difference is rating: PIEPS at 4.9 against Vertical's 2.7. PIEPS also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 23%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Vertical's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vertical sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PIEPS asks for nothing beyond the download.

PIEPS holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PIEPS has 1K ratings behind it against 47, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Vertical's written reviews are positive against 63% of PIEPS's.

Vertical ships an update every 8 days, PIEPS monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vertical | PIEPS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vertical-life-climbing/id710386774/reviews) | **[4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pieps/id1148014050/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 47 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | 23.5% of reviews | **63.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 150 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vertical-Life srl](https://appshunter.io/developer/694612751) | [Pieps GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1148014049) |

## What reviewers say

### Vertical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vertical-life-climbing/id710386774)

This app serves as a comprehensive guide for both outdoor and indoor climbing. Log your ascents, discover new routes and crags worldwide, and access gym topos. It also offers personalized training plans and community features to connect with other climbers.

**Highlights:** Outdoor and indoor climbing route discovery, Digital climbing guidebooks, Logbook for climbs and memories, Personalized training plans, Gym and global climbing challenges, Community features and friend connections

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Outdoor (1 Month) | $4.99 | per month |
| Training (1 Month) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (1 Month) | $8.99 | per month |
| Friends (1 Month) | $14.99 | per month |


### PIEPS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pieps/id1148014050)

Configure, check, and update your PIEPS or Black Diamond avalanche transceiver. Train your rescue skills with your phone as a remote control and register your device for additional services.

**Highlights:** Device configuration, Functionality check, Firmware updates, Rescue skills training, Remote control functionality, Device registration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient app updates
- 🚀 Quick Bluetooth connection
- 👍 Functional, well-designed app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bluetooth connection issues
- 🐛 App login/registration problems
- 🐛 App not working on certain devices
- 🔋 Battery compartment design issues

**Reported bugs**

- App home screen going blank
- Incompatibility with certain beacon models

**Requested features**

- Support for more languages (e.g. Russian, Japanese)
- Improved security for app login/registration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vertical free?

Vertical is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PIEPS free?

PIEPS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Vertical or PIEPS?

PIEPS is rated higher. Vertical averages 2.7 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while PIEPS averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.

### Do Vertical or PIEPS have ads?

Vertical shows ads; PIEPS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Vertical or PIEPS?

Vertical ships an update every 8 days, and PIEPS monthly. Most recently, Vertical was updated on October 24, 2026 and PIEPS on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*