Comparison

Next Ascent vs Rockclimbr App

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

Head to head
About

Next Ascent

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
Read full description

Next Ascent Guidebooks, rock climbing guidebook app is the most comprehensive rock climbing and bouldering app available. Real-time maps, GPS, and navigation guide you to crags all over the world. Hi-def topos, pictures, and the most detailed route descriptions available are what sets this app apart from the rest. Download complete guidebooks for the most popular climbing destinations. This rock climbing app will get you the most information you can find on local crags, bouldering areas, and climbing destinations. Expect to see arial drone topos, route and area history, first ascent information, and detailed descriptions of every route. End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Rockclimbr App

Discover and document climbing routes with visual guides created by a community of climbers. Find new climbs, contribute your own route maps, and track your progress, whether you're at an outdoor crag or an indoor gym. Access detailed, up-to-date information offline.

Highlights
  • Visual climbing route maps
  • Community-contributed beta
  • Offline area downloads
  • GPS-based climb discovery
  • Send tracking and ticklists
  • Indoor wall documentation
Features
Read full description

The premier community-built visual climbing guides: Visual climbing guidebook with color-coded route maps, built by climbers. From local crags to home walls, quickly find the newest route beta—or create it for spots that deserve better coverage. Every crag deserves quality coverage: From the Gunks to your backyard boulders, every climbing area can have proper guidebook-quality documentation. Our community of climbers creates visual topos for destinations and hidden gems alike. Found a crag with poor coverage? Create the guide yourself in minutes. The more climbers contribute, the better everyone's beta gets. Guidebook-quality beta on your phone: Pull up visual route maps at the boulder. Download areas for offline access in remote locations. Use GPS to discover climbs near you. Track your sends and build your ticklist. All the detail of a printed guidebook, always up-to-date, always in your pocket. Turn your local crag into a proper guide: You don't need to be a professional author to create quality guidebook coverage. If you climb there, you can document it. Upload a photo of the boulder. Draw the route with our color-coded tool. Add the grade and name. Done. Your crag now has visual topos as clear as any published guidebook. Indoor walls, same visual approach: Spray walls, home walls, gym circuits—document indoor problems with the same photo topos and visual mapping tools. Share routes with your crew, track progression, never forget that perfect problem you set. The only climbing guide that works everywhere you climb. Visual guides for the modern climber: - Photo-first approach; Clear visual route maps instead of confusing text descriptions. See the beta, don't decode it. - Every crag matters; Community-powered coverage means small crags get the same quality documentation as famous destinations. - Always current; Real-time updates from active climbers. No waiting years for the next guidebook edition. Start exploring visual guides: Free to browse, free to contribute. Help build the world's clearest climbing beta.

Screenshots

Next Ascent4 screens
Rockclimbr App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Rockclimbr App at 5.0 against Next Ascent's 4.0. Rockclimbr App also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 36) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement 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. Next Ascent sells 36 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Rockclimbr App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rockclimbr App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 6 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Next Ascent ships an update every 2 months, Rockclimbr App every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Next Ascent versus Rockclimbr App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNext AscentRockclimbr App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB46 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperNext Ascent, LLCOctopus Software LLC

Customer experience

Next Ascent

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Rockclimbr App

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

36 purchases

Next Ascent

Subscriptions2
  • Next Ascent Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Next Ascent Pro Annual$59.991 Year
One-time34
  • Free Traxx GuideFree
  • Free Eliot Creek GuideFree
  • Larch Mt Bouldering$3.99
Show 31 more
  • Climbing & Bouldering Montdale$5.99
  • Allentown Bouldering Guide$5.99
  • Whiskey Springs Bouldering$5.99
  • Chickies Rock Routes Guide$5.99
  • Mid Valley Guidebook$5.99
  • French's Dome Guide$6.99
  • Mountainside Park Bouldering$6.99
  • Forest City Bouldering Guide$6.99
  • Allamuchy Climbing Guidebook$6.99
  • Lost City & Boulder Mt, OR$7.99
  • Ozone Guidebook$9.99
  • Gunks: Near Trapps$9.99
  • Northern NJ Bouldering$9.99
  • Allamuchy Guidebook$9.99
  • The Garden Bouldering Guide$9.99
  • Allentown Bouldering Guidebook$9.99
  • Broughton Bluff Climbing Guide$9.99
  • Route 26 Crags Guidebook$9.99
  • Lost Lake Bouldering Guidebook$9.99
  • Pocono Bouldering Guide$12.99
  • Peter's Kill Climbing Guide$12.99
  • Mocanaqua Climbing Guidebook$12.99
  • Boxcar Rocks$12.99
  • Mocanaqua Bouldering Guidebook$12.99
  • Carver Bouldering Guidebook$12.99
  • Smith Rock Climbing Guide$14.99
  • Safe Harbor Climbing Guidebook$14.99
  • Sourland & Somerset$14.99
  • Swan Falls Bouldering Guide$14.99
  • Sugarloaf Climbing Guidebook$17.99
  • Eldorado Canyon Climbing Guide$17.99
None

Rockclimbr App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Next Ascent free?
Next Ascent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rockclimbr App free?
Rockclimbr App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Next Ascent or Rockclimbr App?
Rockclimbr App is rated higher. Next Ascent averages 4.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Rockclimbr App averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Next Ascent or Rockclimbr App have ads?
Next Ascent shows ads; Rockclimbr App does not.
Which is updated more often, Next Ascent or Rockclimbr App?
Next Ascent ships an update every 2 months, and Rockclimbr App every 8 days. Most recently, Next Ascent was updated on October 24, 2026 and Rockclimbr App on October 24, 2026.

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