# Polarsteps vs Burlington BeachWatch

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Burlington BeachWatch at none against Polarsteps's 3. Burlington BeachWatch also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Polarsteps's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (10K vs 2). On price, rating and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Polarsteps sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Burlington BeachWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Polarsteps against 5.0 for Burlington BeachWatch. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polarsteps has 10K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Polarsteps ships an update every 4 days, Burlington BeachWatch weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polarsteps | Burlington BeachWatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/burlington-beachwatch/id6749245935/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 89.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#53** | — |
| Size | 219 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Polarsteps B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/947925762) | [Nicholas Szumowski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829512612) |

## What reviewers say

### Polarsteps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763)

**Currently charting:** #53 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

This travel app helps you plan, track, and share your journeys. Automatically record your routes, add photos and stories, and create beautiful digital memories or printed books. Keep friends and family updated on your adventures.

**Highlights:** AI itinerary planner, Automatic route tracking, Photo and video capture, Trip sharing with friends and family, Digital memory creation, Printed travel books

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Plus Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Plus Yearly | $44.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Excellent app for travel blogging
- 👍 Easy to use and share with family/friends
- 🗺️ Great GPS tracking and map features
- 📷 Seamless photo/video integration
- 📚 Ability to create high-quality travel books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Difficulty editing/rearranging photos and steps
- 🔋 Can be battery-intensive
- 🗺️ Inaccurate GPS tracking in some cases
- 🤖 Struggles with importing past trips and photos

**Reported bugs**

- Trouble uploading videos
- Incorrect time zone and location tracking
- Steps and photos randomly disappearing
- Crashes and freezes during usage

**Requested features**

- Ability to collaborate on trips with others
- Option to customize page layouts for travel books
- Improved video support and integration
- More flexible map and route editing tools
- Synchronization across multiple devices


### Burlington BeachWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/burlington-beachwatch/id6749245935)

Access real-time water quality information and safety updates for Burlington, VT beaches. Receive instant notifications about status changes and view historical data charts to make informed decisions about your beach activities.

**Highlights:** Real-time beach status updates, Instant notifications, Historical water quality charts, Filter beaches by status, User-friendly interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polarsteps free?

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

### Is Burlington BeachWatch free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Polarsteps or Burlington BeachWatch?

Burlington BeachWatch is rated higher. Polarsteps averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Burlington BeachWatch averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Polarsteps or Burlington BeachWatch have ads?

Burlington BeachWatch shows ads; Polarsteps does not.

### Which is updated more often, Polarsteps or Burlington BeachWatch?

Polarsteps ships an update every 4 days, and Burlington BeachWatch weekly. Most recently, Polarsteps was updated on November 6, 2026 and Burlington BeachWatch on November 5, 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.*