# Boulder Trainer vs Boulder Challenge

The clearest difference is price: Boulder Trainer at Free against Boulder Challenge's $2.99. Boulder Trainer also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Boulder Challenge's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 26.0). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Boulder Trainer is free to download; Boulder Challenge costs $2.99 up front. Boulder Trainer sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Boulder Challenge asks for nothing beyond the download.

Boulder Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boulder Trainer has 860 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 70% and 71% positive.

Boulder Trainer ships an update every 3 days, Boulder Challenge every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boulder Trainer | Boulder Challenge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (860 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulder-trainer-hangboard/id770657161/reviews)** | [4.3 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulder-challenge/id1471146901/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **860** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews | **70.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 189 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **10.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jan Luther](https://appshunter.io/developer/368269906) | [Christian Fenzl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471146900) |

## What reviewers say

### Boulder Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulder-trainer-hangboard/id770657161)

Create personalized training routines for climbing and bouldering. Features voice instructions, training reminders, and the ability to save and share your workout plans. Supports over 70 preset fingerboards and allows custom exercise creation for efficient progress.

**Highlights:** Custom workout creation, Voice instructions for timing, Save and share training plans, Training reminders, Over 70 preset fingerboards, Manage multiple plans

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Boulder Pro — Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Boulder Pro Loyalty — Week | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Boulder Pro Loyalty — Year | $11.99 | per year |
| Boulder Trainer Pro — Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| Boulder Pro Loyalty Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |
| Boulder Pro — Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable workouts
- 🚀 Verbal countdown feature
- 💡 Ability to share/download workouts
- 👍 Supports many hangboard models
- 👍 Helpful for improving finger strength

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🔧 Confusing/unintuitive interface
- 🔧 Limited preset workout options
- 🔧 Cannot change countdown voice
- 🔧 Timer stops when app is in background

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot change hangboard selection
- Preset workouts don't match selected hangboard
- Registration/account creation issues
- Frequent crashes and connectivity problems

**Requested features**

- Ability to log/track workout history
- Integration with fitness apps (Apple Health, Strava)
- Ability to upload custom hangboard profiles
- More advanced training plans and recommendations
- Option to play music in background during workouts


### Boulder Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulder-challenge/id1471146901)

Easily create and share custom climbing boulder problems by taking a photo of the wall. Define holds, difficulty, and descriptions to document your routes or outdoor projects. Discover and rate boulders created by others, and track your climbing progress.

**Highlights:** Create custom boulder problems from photos, Define hand and foot holds, Specify difficulty and descriptive text, Search and rate existing boulders, Track climbed and favorite boulders, Export data to Excel, Follow other climbers and view news feed

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boulder Trainer free?

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

### Is Boulder Challenge free?

Boulder Challenge costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Boulder Trainer or Boulder Challenge?

Boulder Trainer is rated higher. Boulder Trainer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 860 ratings, while Boulder Challenge averages 4.3 from 23 ratings.

### Do Boulder Trainer or Boulder Challenge have ads?

Neither Boulder Trainer nor Boulder Challenge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boulder Trainer or Boulder Challenge?

Boulder Trainer ships an update every 3 days, and Boulder Challenge every 6 weeks. Most recently, Boulder Trainer was updated on October 13, 2026 and Boulder Challenge on October 9, 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.*