Travel

Best iPhone Outdoor and Hiking Apps in 2026

This comparison focuses on apps and prices in the German App Store. Availability and prices can differ in other regions.

The best outdoor apps for the iPhone work even without a mobile network: OsmAnd and MAPS.ME download offline maps, bergfex and AllTrails provide vetted hiking routes with elevation profiles, and PeakFinder identifies peaks directly in the camera view. This collection is the complete digital setup for hikers, mountaineers and outdoor fans who want to rely on their iPhone in the Alps too. As of March 2026, WorkOutDoors and Relive have been added, and Slopes is included for skiers. In nature the iPhone is often the key tool, even with no signal. The set covers offline topographic maps and GPS tracking, peak databases and weather warnings, plus compass and emergency apps. It suits weekend walkers and ambitious alpinists alike, and is aimed at anyone who wants to navigate terrain safely and well informed, including without an internet connection.

In this collection

01
Lumy
Raja Vijayaraman
$7.99App Store ★ 4.8
A sun and moon tracker for perfect photographic light and outdoor planning. An €8.99 paid app, it suits hikers and photographers who want exact times for sunrise, sunset and golden hour to plan a day or a shot.
02
Flora Incognita
Patrick Maeder
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.8
AI plant identification from TU Ilmenau, free and ad-free, and a popular pick. It is for walkers who want to identify a plant instantly from a photo, backed by research rather than a commercial data model.
03
WorkOutDoors
Ian Muriss
$8.99App Store ★ 4.7
The most powerful workout app for the Apple Watch, newly added here. A €9.99 paid app, it suits outdoor athletes who want detailed offline vector maps and rich metrics on the wrist, configurable to a specific activity.
04
MapOut
Valnova GmbH
$4.99App Store ★ 4.9
A beautiful offline hiking map with a hand-drawn look. A €5.99 paid app, it is for hikers who want downloadable maps with contours and routes in a calm, readable design, usable entirely without a signal.
05
MAPS.ME: Offline Maps, GPS Nav
Convexity Holdings AG
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.7
Offline maps for the whole world, with navigation and points of interest. Freemium. It suits travellers and hikers who want to download a country or region in advance and navigate by map with no connection.
06
Geocaching®
Groundspeak Inc.
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.8
The world's largest treasure hunt, with millions of caches to discover worldwide, and a popular pick. Freemium. It is for outdoor fans who want a reason to explore, navigating to hidden containers logged in the app.
07
Relive: Hike & Ride Memories
Relive B.V.
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.8
Turns GPS activities into striking 3D flyover videos, newly added here. Freemium. It suits hikers who want an automatic shareable 3D video of a route once the activity is recorded.
08
PeakFinder
PeakFinder GmbH
$4.99App Store ★ 4.7
Identifies mountain peaks through augmented reality, worldwide, and a popular pick. A €5.99 paid app, it is for walkers in the mountains who want to name the summits in view by pointing the phone at the panorama.
10
AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run
AllTrails, Inc.
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.9
Discover hiking trails and routes worldwide. Freemium. It is for walkers who want vetted routes with reviews, photos and conditions, plus recording to keep track of a hike as they go.
11
what3words: Navigation & Maps
What3Words Limited
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.8
A simple way to share any location, however remote, to within a few metres, using a three-word address. Free. It is for hikers who want to communicate a precise meeting or emergency point that has no street address.
12
DWD WarnWetter
Deutscher Wetterdienst
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.5
Official severe-weather warnings for Germany from the DWD, down to municipality level. Free. It is for hikers who want authoritative forecasts and alerts before and during a trip, rather than generic weather apps.
13
bergfex: Hiking & Tracking
bergfex GmbH
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.7
More than 500,000 Alpine tours for hiking, cycling and ski tours, and a classic on the list. Freemium. It is for anyone in the Alps who wants vetted routes with elevation data and tracking tailored to the region.
14
OsmAnd Maps Travel & Navigate
OsmAND B.V.
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.6
Powerful offline maps built on OpenStreetMap. Freemium. It suits hikers who want detailed downloadable maps, navigation and plenty of configuration, based on open map data rather than a single provider.
15
Ingress
Niantic Spatial, Inc.
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.5
Niantic's AR original: two factions fight over real places worldwide. Free. It is for outdoor users who want an excuse to walk and explore their surroundings as part of a location-based game with other players.
16
Maps 3D PRO - Hike & Bike
movingworld GmbH
$4.99App Store ★ 4.4
3D outdoor maps with a precise altimeter for hikers and cyclists. A €5.99 paid app, it suits walkers who want terrain rendered in three dimensions and accurate elevation while planning or following a route.
17
Slopes: Ski & Snowboard
Breakpoint Studio LLC
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.9
A GPS tracker for skiing and snowboarding with resort maps, added for skiers and a mainstream pick. Freemium. It is for winter visitors who want to record runs, speed and vertical, and review the day's stats.
18
komoot - hike, bike & run
komoot GmbH
Free to downloadApp Store ★ 4.7
Route planning for hiking, cycling and running, and the mainstream anchor of the list. Freemium. It suits outdoor users who want turn-by-turn planning and a large library of routes, with maps usable offline once saved.