# Next Ascent vs BoulderBot

The clearest difference is rating: BoulderBot at 4.4 against Next Ascent's 3.9. BoulderBot also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (75% vs 50%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Next Ascent sells 36 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and BoulderBot sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BoulderBot holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Next Ascent's written reviews are positive against 75% of BoulderBot's.

Next Ascent ships an update every 2 months, BoulderBot every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Next Ascent | BoulderBot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-ascent/id893831661/reviews) | **[4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulderbot/id1601111003/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 64 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **14.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Next Ascent, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/893831664) | [Luca Dellana](https://appshunter.io/developer/1601111005) |

## What reviewers say

### Next Ascent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-ascent/id893831661)

Discover climbing destinations worldwide with detailed maps, GPS navigation, and high-definition topos. Access comprehensive route descriptions, area history, and first ascent information for crags and bouldering spots. Download complete guidebooks for popular climbing areas.

**Highlights:** Real-time maps and GPS navigation, High-definition topos and pictures, Detailed route descriptions, Crag and bouldering area information, Downloadable guidebooks, Route and area history, First ascent information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (36)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Next Ascent Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Next Ascent Pro Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Free Traxx Guide | Free | one-time |
| Free Eliot Creek Guide | Free | one-time |
| Larch Mt Bouldering | $3.99 | one-time |
| Climbing & Bouldering Montdale | $5.99 | one-time |
| Allentown Bouldering Guide | $5.99 | one-time |
| Whiskey Springs Bouldering | $5.99 | one-time |
| Chickies Rock Routes Guide | $5.99 | one-time |
| Mid Valley Guidebook | $5.99 | one-time |
| French's Dome Guide | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mountainside Park Bouldering | $6.99 | one-time |
| Forest City Bouldering Guide | $6.99 | one-time |
| Allamuchy Climbing Guidebook | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lost City & Boulder Mt, OR | $7.99 | one-time |
| Ozone Guidebook | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gunks: Near Trapps | $9.99 | one-time |
| Northern NJ Bouldering | $9.99 | one-time |
| Allamuchy Guidebook | $9.99 | one-time |
| The Garden Bouldering Guide | $9.99 | one-time |
| Allentown Bouldering Guidebook | $9.99 | one-time |
| Broughton Bluff Climbing Guide | $9.99 | one-time |
| Route 26 Crags Guidebook | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lost Lake Bouldering Guidebook | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pocono Bouldering Guide | $12.99 | one-time |
| Peter's Kill Climbing Guide | $12.99 | one-time |
| Mocanaqua Climbing Guidebook | $12.99 | one-time |
| Boxcar Rocks | $12.99 | one-time |
| Mocanaqua Bouldering Guidebook | $12.99 | one-time |
| Carver Bouldering Guidebook | $12.99 | one-time |
| Smith Rock Climbing Guide | $14.99 | one-time |
| Safe Harbor Climbing Guidebook | $14.99 | one-time |
| Sourland & Somerset | $14.99 | one-time |
| Swan Falls Bouldering Guide | $14.99 | one-time |
| Sugarloaf Climbing Guidebook | $17.99 | one-time |
| Eldorado Canyon Climbing Guide | $17.99 | one-time |


### BoulderBot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulderbot/id1601111003)

Generate and track bouldering routes on your home climbing wall. Features procedural generation for infinite climb variations, manual creation, and progress logging. Supports various wall types and works offline.

**Highlights:** Procedural climb generation, Manual climb creation, Progress tracking and logging, Wall setup wizard, Offline functionality, Search and filter problems

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BoulderBot Pro Pass - 3 Months | $7.99 | one-time |
| BoulderBot Pro Pass - 1 Year | $17.99 | one-time |
| BoulderBot Pro | $27.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Next Ascent free?

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

### Is BoulderBot free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Next Ascent or BoulderBot?

BoulderBot is rated higher. Next Ascent averages 3.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while BoulderBot averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.

### Do Next Ascent or BoulderBot have ads?

Next Ascent shows ads; BoulderBot does not.

### Which is updated more often, Next Ascent or BoulderBot?

Next Ascent ships an update every 2 months, and BoulderBot every 5 weeks. Most recently, Next Ascent was updated on September 3, 2026 and BoulderBot on August 30, 2026.

---

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