# Backcountry Ski vs ARVA

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ARVA at none against Backcountry Ski's 2. ARVA also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). Backcountry Ski's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backcountry Ski sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. ARVA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ARVA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backcountry Ski has 261 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Backcountry Ski's written reviews are positive against 57% of ARVA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Backcountry Ski ships an update weekly, ARVA every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backcountry Ski | ARVA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (261 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backcountry-ski-beta-app/id957813284/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arva/id1552365121/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **261** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **63.2% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 86 MB | 405 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ski the Backcountry Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/411286133) | [NIC IMPEX SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552365123) |

## What reviewers say

### Backcountry Ski

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backcountry-ski-beta-app/id957813284)

This app provides avalanche forecasts, weather data, and trip planning tools for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. It features offline maps, real-time conditions, and AI-assisted weather queries for safe mountain excursions.

**Highlights:** Avalanche forecasts and field observations, Real-time mountain weather data, AI-assisted weather queries, Offline topographic maps, Trip planning tools, GPS tracking and route sharing, Home screen widgets

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Backcountry Beta Pro | $7.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro Subscription | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app combining everything
- 👍 Makes route planning easy
- 👍 Essential winter recreation app
- 👍 SNOTEL data is gold
- 👍 All tools in one app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Elevation data is wrong
- 🐛 Can't change password
- 🐛 Doesn't seem to work anymore
- 🐛 Awful design and UI
- 🐛 Slope angle overlay imprecise

**Reported bugs**

- Bug where avy report wouldn't load
- App never sends password reset email
- No current forecasts
- Maps won't download
- App freezes when starting a route

**Requested features**

- See local snowtel sites on map view
- Fix elevation data accuracy
- Improve slope angle overlay precision and legend
- Make map download intuitive
- Allow trial subscription cancellation within app/App Store


### ARVA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arva/id1552365121)

Access avalanche risk bulletins for various European and American regions. Configure your ARVA NEO BT PRO device, perform diagnostics, and engage in training modules for avalanche safety and search procedures. Includes a trip preparation checklist.

**Highlights:** Avalanche risk bulletins, NEO BT PRO device configuration, Transceiver diagnostics, Snow Safety Program training, Group Check procedure guide, Search training simulations, Trip preparation checklist

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backcountry Ski free?

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

### Is ARVA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Backcountry Ski or ARVA?

ARVA is rated higher. Backcountry Ski averages 4.6 out of 5 from 261 ratings, while ARVA averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Backcountry Ski or ARVA have ads?

ARVA shows ads; Backcountry Ski does not.

### Which is updated more often, Backcountry Ski or ARVA?

Backcountry Ski ships an update weekly, and ARVA every 2 months. Most recently, Backcountry Ski was updated on November 1, 2026 and ARVA on November 3, 2026.

---

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