# Backcountry Ski vs Carvable

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Carvable at none against Backcountry Ski's 2. Carvable also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Backcountry Ski's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (262 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Carvable holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backcountry Ski has 262 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Backcountry Ski ships an update weekly, Carvable every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backcountry Ski | Carvable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (262 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backcountry-ski-beta-app/id957813284/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carvable/id6759800295/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **262** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 87 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ski the Backcountry Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/411286133) | [Shift Human LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1858305202) |

## 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


### Carvable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carvable/id6759800295)

Discover ski runs tailored to your skill level and preferences. Explore resort terrain, compare runs by difficulty and pitch, and plan your next skiing adventure. Features include offline maps, run journaling, and group planning.

**Highlights:** Run discovery by difficulty, pitch, and aspect, Steepness profile and sunlight estimates, Personalized run plans and suggestions, Offline trail maps, Run journaling with notes, Group planning with multiple comfort levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backcountry Ski free?

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

### Is Carvable free?

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

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

Carvable is rated higher. Backcountry Ski averages 4.6 out of 5 from 262 ratings, while Carvable averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Backcountry Ski or Carvable have ads?

Neither Backcountry Ski nor Carvable shows ads.

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

Backcountry Ski ships an update weekly, and Carvable every 4 months. Most recently, Backcountry Ski was updated on November 11, 2026 and Carvable on October 31, 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.*