# Backcountry Ski vs AspectAvy

The clearest difference is rating: Backcountry Ski at 4.6 against AspectAvy's 3.8. Backcountry Ski also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (63% vs 50%). AspectAvy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Backcountry Ski holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backcountry Ski has 261 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Backcountry Ski's written reviews are positive against 50% of AspectAvy's.

Backcountry Ski ships an update weekly, AspectAvy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backcountry Ski | AspectAvy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (261 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backcountry-ski-beta-app/id957813284/reviews)** | [3.8 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aspectavy/id1660488296/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **261** | 37 |
| Positive reviews | **63.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 85 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ski the Backcountry Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/411286133) | [Aspect Avy Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1660487514) |

## What reviewers say

### Backcountry Ski

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

Access critical avalanche forecasts, field observations, and real-time mountain weather data on a single map. Plan backcountry ski tours with tools like travel time calculators, route sharing, and slope maps highlighting avalanche terrain.

**Highlights:** Avalanche forecasts and observations, Real-time mountain weather data, Hourly NOAA weather forecasts, Trip planning tools, Topographic slope maps, GPS tracking, Offline topo maps

**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


### AspectAvy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aspectavy/id1660488296)

This app provides real-time avalanche safety information and tools for backcountry enthusiasts. It features dynamic slope angle shading, live forecasts, and LiDAR mapping to help users assess risk and make informed decisions in avalanche terrain.

**Highlights:** Dynamic slope angle shading, Live avalanche and weather forecasts, LiDAR mapping, Safety checklists, Built-in slope angle meter, Route tracking and sharing

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backcountry Ski free?

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

### Is AspectAvy free?

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

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

Backcountry Ski is rated higher. Backcountry Ski averages 4.6 out of 5 from 261 ratings, while AspectAvy averages 3.8 from 37 ratings.

### Do Backcountry Ski or AspectAvy have ads?

Neither Backcountry Ski nor AspectAvy shows ads.

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

Backcountry Ski ships an update weekly, and AspectAvy every 2 months. Most recently, Backcountry Ski was updated on October 29, 2026 and AspectAvy on October 24, 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.*