Backcountry Ski vs SummitCircle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backcountry Ski
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.
- Avalanche forecasts and observations
- Real-time mountain weather data
- Hourly NOAA weather forecasts
- Trip planning tools
- Topographic slope maps
- GPS tracking
- Offline topo maps
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Backcountry weather, avalanche data and trip planning resources all concisely displayed on one map. Easily review all the essentials before heading out on a tour: • Avalanche forecasts and field observations from avalanche centers across the country including Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Utah Avalanche Center, Teton Avalanche Center, Mount Washington Avalanche Center and more. • Real-time temperature, wind and snowfall data from 2,000+ mountain weather stations. Weather networks include SNOTEL, MADIS, CoCoRaHS, CWOP and many others. • Preview conditions in remote terrain with live overlays of today's snowfall, depth and coverage along with recent satellite views. • Weather forecast and observation summaries built specifically for backcountry ski zones. • Hourly NOAA weather forecasts for mountain summits and passes. • Filter observations and weather stations by zone (Berthoud, Loveland, etc) or create your own custom zones to monitor your go-to areas. Introducing Backcountry Condition Checks for the 2026/27 season: AI assisted weather queries for specific mountain locations and elevations. Ask "What will the high temperature be at 12,000 feet in Summit County tomorrow?", "Will it get below freezing tonight at Berthoud Pass?", "How windy will it be at the summit of Mount Washington tomorrow?". Get answers sourced directly from the National Weather Service and local weather stations. Comprehensive trip planning tools for backcountry skiers and snowboarders: • Munter calculator estimates ski tour travel times based on distance and vertical climb. • Create instant trip plans from your GPX tracks. Share route information, weather, avalanche forecasts and safety checklists with your partners. • Topographic slope maps highlight high-risk avalanche terrain. • GPS tracking to record and share your tours. • Submit and share observations from your tours (tap the plus button in the upper right corner). Create trip reports with photos and route beta. Built for the backcountry: • Offline topo maps work without cell service. • Home screen widgets for quick weather and avalanche updates. • All your backcountry resources displayed on one user-friendly map. What Backcountry Skiers Are Saying: "It's amazing to have all these tools packed neatly into one app... Finally!!!" "All the weather/snow-nerd data - it's all here." "A wealth of resources for backcountry skiers...this is my go to app." "Having NOAA point forecasts, avalanche outlook, and SNOTEL data all in one app is just the best. This is THE essential winter recreation app IMHO." =============== Offline topo maps, hourly weather forecasts, weather station data, zone filtering and munter calculator require pro subscription or $19.99 one time lifetime purchase.
SummitCircle
Plan backcountry ski tours with 3D maps, weather forecasts, and avalanche conditions. Track your routes, connect with other skiers, and access local forums for trip reports and gear. Available for Colorado, Utah, and Washington, with more states coming soon.
- 3D terrain maps with slope shading
- Spot weather corrected for elevation
- Daily avalanche conditions
- Plan and track ski tours
- Offline access to saved tours
- Local forums and zone chats
- Gear marketplace
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SummitCircle is the backcountry ski touring app built for the skin track — plan smarter lines, track every tour, read the terrain before you go, and connect with the skiers in your zone. Currently live for Colorado, Utah, and Washington with more states on the way. READ THE TERRAIN • 3D terrain maps with slope-angle and aspect shading — spot the steep, wind-loaded, and sun-affected slopes at a glance • Contour, hillshade, and recent-snow layers • Spot weather corrected for elevation: new snow, wind, freezing level, and temperature trends at the exact point you're headed • Daily avalanche conditions PLAN & TRACK YOUR TOURS • Draw and save tour routes over 3D terrain • Track your tour live — distance, vertical, pace, and time • Season stats and a personal terrain print of everywhere you've skied • Offline access to your saved tours when you lose service FIND YOUR PEOPLE • Base Camp: local forums for trip reports, gear, conditions, and beta • Zone Chats for real-time conditions talk in your area • Partner Board to find touring partners who match your objectives and experience • Gear Marketplace to buy and sell backcountry equipment BUILT FOR THE COMMUNITY • Certifications and experience on every profile • Trip reports with photos • A Founding Member program for the riders helping build SummitCircle from the ground up SummitCircle is a planning and community tool — not a substitute for avalanche education, training, proper equipment, and sound judgment. Always check your local avalanche forecast, carry rescue gear, and never travel alone. Backcountry travel carries the risk of serious injury or death. Questions or feedback? hello@getsummitcircle.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SummitCircle at 100% against Backcountry Ski's 63%. SummitCircle also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Backcountry Ski's advantage is ratings volume (261 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Backcountry Ski sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. SummitCircle asks for nothing beyond the download.
SummitCircle 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 point the same way: 63% of Backcountry Ski's written reviews are positive against 100% of SummitCircle's.
Backcountry Ski ships an update weekly, SummitCircle every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backcountry Ski | SummitCircle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (261 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 261 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 88 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Ski the Backcountry Ltd. | Dakota Randall |
Customer experience
Backcountry Ski
SummitCircle
Bugs and requests
Backcountry Ski
Reported bugs
6 issues- 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
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- App crashes when open
Requested features
6 requests- 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
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- Fix dead-end developer contacts
SummitCircle
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Backcountry Ski
- Backcountry Beta Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Year
- Lifetime Pro Subscription$19.99
SummitCircle
No in-app purchases









