Comparison

Zwift Companion vs Packstack

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

Head to head
About

Zwift Companion

Enhance your virtual cycling experience with a companion app that acts as a remote control for your rides. Plan workouts, discover events, connect with other cyclists, and track your progress. Adjust trainer resistance, send messages, and view rider stats in real-time.

Highlights
  • Remote control for virtual rides
  • Event discovery and planning
  • In-ride communication and control
  • Trainer resistance adjustment
  • Ride data analysis
  • Friend and club discovery
Features
Read full description

Have you already downloaded Zwift? If so, you’re in the right place—Zwift Companion makes Zwifting better. It’s like a remote control for Zwift that you can use pre-ride, during your ride, and post-ride. Zwift Companion is a great place to plan your next activity. With all the events in one place and thousands to choose from, you're sure to discover like-minded athletes who want to get fit together. You can also find and join clubs on Zwift Companion. You'll see rides chosen specifically for you based on your preferences, fitness level, and upcoming events. You can even set reminders, so you're never late for a ride. You'll also find a bunch of cool information on Zwift Companion's home screen, like the number of people currently Zwifting, as well as any friends or contacts you're following. Have Zwift equipment? You can also update the firmware with the Companion app. DURING YOUR RIDE With Zwift Companion, you can send RideOns, text with other Zwifters, bang U-Turns, choose between route options, and more. You can also adjust the resistance of your trainer on the fly during structured workouts, to increase or decrease intensity. Want to turn erg mode on or off, take screenshots, or see riders nearby and their stats? All of this happens on Zwift Companion. POST-RIDE Take a deep dive into your ride data and the folks you rode with. You can also check in on your progress for any Tours you’re participating in and the goals you set for yourself. Please see Terms of Use at http://zwift.com/terms/

About

Packstack

This app helps backpackers and hikers meticulously track gear, organize packing lists, and calculate essential trip details like base weight and calorie needs. It offers a comprehensive gear inventory, reusable kits, and detailed trip planning features. Syncs across devices and allows sharing of setups.

Highlights
  • Gear inventory management
  • Trip-specific packing lists
  • Reusable gear kits
  • Base weight and calorie calculation
  • Hiker profile creation
  • Trip planning tools
  • Gear catalog search
Features
Read full description

PACKSTACK: GEAR LISTS & PACK WEIGHT TRACKING FOR BACKPACKERS Packstack is the gear list and pack weight app built for backpackers, hikers, and ultralight gram-counters. Build your gear closet once, spin up a packing list for any trip in minutes, and know your base weight before you hit the trail. Looking for a LighterPack alternative with a real mobile app? This is it. GEAR CLOSET All your gear in one searchable place. Log brand, product, weight, price, and category for every item — or skip the typing and pull verified specs from the gear catalog. Wishlist the gear you want but don't own yet. GEAR RESEARCH Browse thousands of outdoor products by category, sorted lightest to heaviest. Compare any product against the category median, dig into full specs, and add it to your gear closet in one tap. PACKING LISTS Build a list for each trip by pulling from your gear closet. Everything stays organized by category — shelter, sleep system, cookware, clothing — with total, base, and worn weight at a glance. Build multiple packs per trip to compare loadouts. CHECKLIST MODE When it's time to pack, flip any list into a checklist and tick items off as they go into the pack. Nothing gets left behind. WEIGHT TRACKING Automatic totals for pack weight, base weight (everything minus consumables), and worn weight. Switch between imperial (oz/lb) and metric (g/kg) anytime — every number updates instantly. SMART TRIP DETAILS Type a trail name and Packstack researches the rest: distance, elevation gain, terrain, and expected temperatures for your dates. It only fills in what you haven't set yourself — your local knowledge always wins. CALORIE CALCULATOR (PACKSTACK PRO) Estimate daily calories from your trip's distance, elevation, terrain, pace, and temperature — combined with your hiker profile. Take the guesswork out of food planning and know exactly how much to carry. HIKER PROFILES Set up profiles with height, weight, age, sex, and body type. Assign a profile to any pack for personalized calorie estimates — perfect for couples, families, or group trips. REUSABLE KITS Group the gear you always pack together — cook kit, first aid, camera setup — and drop the whole bundle into any list in one tap. Your first kit is free; Packstack Pro unlocks unlimited kits. SHARE YOUR SETUP Every packing list gets a public link anyone can view on the web, no account required — perfect for shakedown feedback. Or export a trip summary card with your weight breakdown, sized for Instagram Stories. IMPORT & EXPORT Switching tools? Import from LighterPack or any CSV in seconds. Export your gear back out anytime. Your data is never locked in. CROSS-PLATFORM SYNC Plan on your laptop, pack from your phone. Your gear closet, packing lists, and trips stay in sync across web and iOS. FREE TO START An unlimited gear closet, three packing lists, your first kit, imports, and sharing — free, with no credit card and no ads, ever. Packstack Pro unlocks unlimited packing lists, unlimited kits, and the calorie calculator. Sign up with email, Google, or Apple and start in minutes. Whether you're an ultralight gram-counter or a weekend camper, Packstack is the modern LighterPack alternative. Questions or feedback? Reach me at jerad@packstack.io — I'd love to hear from you. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.packstack.io/privacy

Screenshots

Zwift Companion4 screens
Packstack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Packstack at 100% against Zwift Companion's 47%. Packstack also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Zwift Companion's advantage is ratings volume (27K vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Packstack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zwift Companion has 27K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Zwift Companion's written reviews are positive against 100% of Packstack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zwift Companion ships an update every 3 weeks, Packstack fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Zwift Companion versus Packstack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZwift CompanionPackstack
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (27K ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size306 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZwift, IncJerad Maplethorpe

Customer experience

Zwift Companion

All ratings27,335 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews582 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral12.7%
Negative40.0%

Packstack

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Zwift Companion

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Text disappearing from iPhone screen
  • Companion app not connecting to Zwift app
  • Watch app never works or is buggy
  • Companion app disconnecting mid-ride
  • Profile changes not saving

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to view and change rider avatar/gear
  • Integrate with Apple Health for workout sync
  • Add profile customization options
  • Improve Apple Watch integration and stability
  • Add landscape mode support for mobile devices

Packstack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Zwift Companion

No in-app purchases

None

Packstack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zwift Companion free?
Zwift Companion is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Packstack free?
Packstack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Zwift Companion or Packstack?
Packstack is rated higher. Zwift Companion averages 4.7 out of 5 from 27K ratings, while Packstack averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Zwift Companion or Packstack have ads?
Neither Zwift Companion nor Packstack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zwift Companion or Packstack?
Zwift Companion ships an update every 3 weeks, and Packstack fortnightly. Most recently, Zwift Companion was updated on October 18, 2026 and Packstack on October 18, 2026.

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