# What's the best app to identify mountains?

> PeakFinder, PeakVisor, Peaks USA, AI photo apps and ours, compared on how they identify peaks, what works without signal, range and price.

Source: https://mountainidentifier.org/guides/best-apps-to-identify-mountains
Last updated: 2026-10-09

**For naming peaks in front of you, pick an AR app that checks line of sight. PeakFinder is a one-time $4.99 purchase that works offline with a 300 km range. PeakVisor adds 3D maps and trails with a subscription. Peaks USA covers the lower 48 state by state. AI photo apps help with pictures of famous peaks. We make Mountain Identifier: Peaks, compared fairly below.**

## The short answer, app by app

Prices and claims below are as each developer states them on its App Store listing in October 2026. They change, so check before you buy.

| App | How it identifies | Peaks (developer's figure) | Signal needed? | Price model |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [PeakFinder](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peakfinder/id357421934) | AR panorama drawing over the camera, 300 km range | Over 1,000,000 | No, per the listing | $4.99 once |
| [PeakVisor](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hiking-and-skiing-peakvisor/id1187259191) | AR labels, 3D maps, trails, GPS tracking | Not stated in one figure | Not for downloaded areas | Free, PeakVisor PRO subscription |
| [Peaks USA](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peaks-usa/id906508856) | AR labels on the camera | 70,000+ in the lower 48 states | Each state's data is downloaded in the app | First state free, others bought per state or as a bundle |
| AI photo apps (many titled "Mountain Identifier") | Image model guesses from your photo | Not applicable | Yes | Usually a weekly subscription |
| [Mountain Identifier: Peaks](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mountain-identifier-peaks/id6752865266) (ours) | AR labels with line-of-sight check, 80 km; AI photo mode | 687,599 summits | Live view: only where you've used it before. Photo: yes | Free download, identification in Pro subscription |

## PeakFinder: the specialist

PeakFinder has been around since 2010 and does one thing: it draws the skyline as a line sketch and names every summit along it. Its listing claims more than a million peaks, a rendering range of 300 km, full offline use worldwide, and a single $4.99 payment with no recurring costs. If you want the longest reach and a one-time price, it's the obvious pick. The trade-off is that it's purely an identifier: no photo mode, no trail maps, no log of where you've been.

## PeakVisor: the all-rounder

PeakVisor combines AR peak labels with detailed 3D terrain maps, a large hiking trail network, and GPS tracking. Its peak pages show elevation, prominence, the range and links to Wikipedia. It's free to download with a PRO subscription that removes limits. It's the better choice if you want one app for planning a hike and identifying what you see on it.

## Peaks USA: one state at a time

A long-running AR app for the contiguous United States, labeling more than 70,000 federally recognized summits. Your first state is free and you buy others individually or as a bundle, with each state's data downloaded separately. Good value if you only hike in one or two states; no coverage outside the lower 48.

## AI photo identifier apps

A large group of newer apps, many named some variation of "Mountain Identifier", identify peaks by sending your photo to an AI model. They're quick for famous mountains and for photos you took somewhere else, but they aren't calculating anything from your position, so obscure peaks and unusual angles trip them up. Most charge a weekly subscription. Our guide to [identifying a mountain from a photo](https://mountainidentifier.org/guides/identify-a-mountain-from-a-photo) explains the limits and the manual alternative.

## Mountain Identifier: Peaks: where we fit

We'd be the wrong pick if you need the longest range or a one-time price: PeakFinder beats us on both. Here's what ours does differently:

- **Live labels that respect line of sight.** Every summit within 80 km is checked against terrain data with curvature and refraction correction, so hidden peaks stay unlabeled. See [how visibility is worked out](https://mountainidentifier.org/guides/what-mountains-can-i-see-from-here).
- **The whole world in the app.** 687,599 summits ship inside it, covering every continent, so names and heights never wait for a download. The live labels also need terrain data, which the app fetches the first time you use it somewhere and keeps; our [offline guide](https://mountainidentifier.org/guides/identifying-peaks-without-signal) has the details.
- **Photos too.** An AI mode suggests the peak in a picture, using its location tag as a hint.
- **A passport.** Logged peaks build a collection with countries, ranges, badges and your total in "Everests". None of the specialists above do this.

It's iPhone only, and identifying peaks is part of the Pro subscription; the passport, badges and 3D views at curated viewpoints are free.

## How to choose

1. Naming peaks on long backcountry trips, paying once: **PeakFinder**.
2. Planning hikes on 3D maps and identifying along the way: **PeakVisor**.
3. US hiking in one or two states on a budget: **Peaks USA**.
4. Naming famous peaks in old photos: an **AI photo app**, checked against a map.
5. Identifying peaks and keeping a record of every one you've seen: **Mountain Identifier: Peaks**.

Whichever you choose, it helps to understand [how these apps work](https://mountainidentifier.org/guides/mountain-identifier-app), so you know what to do when the labels drift.

### Is PeakFinder better than PeakVisor?

They're aimed at different people. PeakFinder does one job, labeling the panorama, for a single payment and with a long range. PeakVisor is a broader outdoor app with 3D maps, trails and tracking alongside peak identification, on a subscription. Pick by whether you want the extras.

### Is there a free mountain identification app?

Several apps are free to download, but most charge for identification, through a subscription or a one-time purchase. Peaks USA lets you use one US state free. Read each listing's in-app purchase section before you rely on one for a trip.

### Which mountain app works without cell service?

PeakFinder states it works fully offline worldwide. Others need you to download an area first, or need a connection for AI features. Check the details for any app before you head out; our offline guide covers what to prepare.

### Are these apps accurate?

The AR apps are as accurate as your phone's compass and their peak data. When labels are off, it's usually the compass, which most apps let you correct. AI photo apps are a different case: they guess from appearance and can be confidently wrong.

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Peak data (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed ODbL.

Mountain Identifier: Peaks is an iOS app by Patrick Tammaro. Free to download; identifying peaks is part of the Pro subscription. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mountain-identifier-peaks/id6752865266