Republican or Democrat? Coke or Pepsi? If you’re a skier or snowboarder, there’s a more pressing question between two very similar choices: Epic or Ikon?
In the US, more than 50% of ski areas are owned by or affiliated with one of these two mega ski passes. Some areas have more concentrated Epic/Ikon influence, but there are few parts of the country where the decision to buy an Epic or Ikon pass (or both, or neither) isn’t on the table.
It’s a choice that will define your ski season: who you ski with, where, and for how much. Both the Epic and Ikon offer a host of different perks, discounts, buddy pass deals, and more. But most importantly, they control access to some of the best ski resorts in the world–and your favorite local ski area.
Both passes are very similar and offer more ski access than you can realistically use, so there’s a ton of value to be extracted from either, but it’s worth understanding exactly what differences exist.
GearJunkie has done the hard work for you. You don’t have to open multiple tabs and windows, flip back and forth, and take notes to compare these two passes. All you have to do is weigh your options and make a decision before the pass sales close in December.
In short: The choice between Epic, Ikon, both, or neither usually hinges on where you live and prefer to ski. If you’re planning any ski vacations, either pass can pay for itself with access to domestic and international resorts. Beyond that, Epic Passes cost less, and there are meaningful differences in buddy benefits and other perks, but they won’t outweigh cost and access considerations.
Without further ado, here is your complete breakdown and comparison of the Epic Pass versus the Ikon Pass. Let’s dive in.
Side by Side: Epic vs. Ikon
Price
Epic passes are cheaper than Ikon by as much as $300, though both are priced below more limited passes such as a Telluride Season Pass ($2,617 ), Alta-Only Season Pass ($1,799), or an Aspen Snowmass Premier Pass ($3,699). Whether you think the season pass-centric Epic/Ikon business model is good, bad, or indifferent, there’s no denying it has made skiing cheaper for those who ski a lot and visit multiple ski areas. With today’s high walk-up lift ticket prices, you usually reach the breakeven point on either pass after 4-6 ski days, depending on which pass tier you buy.
Both the Epic and Ikon have two primary pass tiers. The top tier is the “full” Ikon and Epic Pass. The second, cheaper tier — which offers fewer benefits, more restrictions on destinations, and is subject to blackout dates — is the Epic Local and Ikon Base Pass. If you don’t plan to ski during busy holidays, you can save hundreds with the lower tiers of either pass, but note that with Ikon, some resorts are excluded from the Base Pass entirely.
See complete blackout date restriction details.
Epic also offers a range of regional and resort-specific pass options for Kirkwood, Keystone, Summit County, Tahoe, Park City, and more. View the full list of Epic pass options here. These more limited pass options can save you more than $600 off the full Epic Pass price if you plan to stick to a few specific resorts in an area.
The destinations (see below) will be a bigger factor for most, but if budget is paramount, Epic is undeniably cheaper.
Winner: Epic
| EPIC PASS | IKON PASS |
|---|---|
| Adult: $1,169 | Adult: $1,529 |
| Young Adult (13 to 30): $929 | Young adult (13 to 22): $1,129 |
| Child (12 and under): $599 | Children (5 to 12): $499 |
| 4 and under: $199 |
| EPIC LOCAL PASS | IKON BASE PASS |
|---|---|
| Adult: $869 | Adult: $1,099 |
| Young Adult (13 to 30): $689 | Young adult (12 to 22): $799 |
| Child (12 and under): $445 | Children (5 to 12): $399 |
| 4 and under: $149 |
Destination Comparison
This is the big one for most skiers and riders.
The ski areas included in each pass are likely very important to you in particular cases and not very important in aggregate. If your home ski area or annual vacation destination is on Epic Pass (or Ikon) that will matter a lot. The fact that Epic grants you access to 90+ resorts and Ikon 70+ will not.
Local Access
The most notable difference between the Epic and Ikon rosters is that more of Epic’s resorts offer unlimited access — 37 ski areas compared to 16 unlimited areas under the Ikon banner. Both passes offer a limited number of days at dozens of resorts outside of their core unlimited resorts, but at those locations, a megapass operates more like a multipack of lift tickets than a traditional season pass.
It’s tempting to conclude that Ikon is thus more attractive to vacationers and occasional skiers than diehards, who might prefer Epic’s more unlimited resorts, but your location and preferred home mountains will still likely trump the difference in those totals. Even 150-day skiers don’t need unlimited days at all 37 Epic options, and most vacationers will fly to ski at just 1 or 2 of the dozens of resorts in play via Ikon.
The Epic or Ikon website has a useful slider tool that shows you the resorts from either pass within a certain distance of a given zip code, if you don’t already have a bead on the affiliations for your local hills.
View the complete list of ski areas for both passes here.
Vacation Access
You can also buy megapasses as a cost-saver for ski vacations. If you’ve always dreamed of skiing Jackson Hole or Kicking Horse, both Epic and Ikon can save over walk-up tickets, depending on your planned number of ski days and the time of year. If the pass also serves as your season pass back home, all the better.
Internationally, both passes get you days at larger European ski areas in France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. Both passes have Japanese resort days. Ikon gets you lift tickets at Chile’s Valle Nevado, the only South American ski area on either pass. Ikon also added two ski areas in China for the ’26-’27 season. Keep in mind, the savings are generally less compelling outside the U.S., where lift tickets are generally cheaper.
Despite the differences in access and resort access makeup, there’s no clear winner between Epic and Ikon when it comes to their rosters. Both cover similar regions and include world-class destinations. If you have home resorts and/or vacation targets on one or the other, that will likely be the deciding factor.
Winner: It Depends
| Epic | Ikon |
|---|---|
| Total: 90+* | Total: 70+* |
| USA: 36 | USA: 40 |
| Canada: 8 | Canada: 10 |
| International: 55 | International: 27 |
*Many resorts are restricted to a certain number of days. Counting resorts gets muddy since international partners such as Chamonix (Ikon) and Hakuba Valley (Epic) group 5-10 smaller areas together. These numbers
Blackout Dates
Both the Epic Local and Ikon Base passes have certain blackout dates. Accepting this limitation saves you a few hundred dollars but means you can’t ski the most popular holiday periods, such as Christmas and Presidents’ Day. Crowd-allergic locals might not mind, but if you’re planning a ski vacation over a holiday break, you’ll want the full-access passes. These dates are mostly the same, though Ikon doesn’t block off Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve. Epic does.
| EPIC LOCAL BLACKOUT DATES | IKON BASE BLACKOUT DATES |
|---|---|
| November 27 to November 28, 2026 | December 26 to December 30, 2026 |
| December 26 to December 31, 2026 | January 16 to January 17, 2027 |
| January 16, 2027 | February 13 to February 14, 2027 |
| February 13 to February 14, 2027 |
Winner: Ikon
Perks & Benefits
But wait, there’s more! Both Epic and Ikon passes come with a host of perks and benefits to sweeten the deal. Buddy passes, discounts on gear, heli-skiing, food, lodging, and more, and even summer offerings. If you’re still on the fence, these might help tip you one way or another.
Buddy Passes
Your pass is expensive (no matter which one you buy), but with it, you can help your friends get discounted lift tickets. That’s a pretty sweet benefit, considering day tickets at most Epic and Ikon locations can cost hundreds of dollars. Both passes have their own versions of this perk.
Vail Resorts’ Epic Friends gives you between 5 and 10 day passes (depending on how early you buy your pass) for your friends at 50% off. On top of that, every dollar your friends spend on their discounted Epic Friends tickets can be used as a credit toward buying an Epic Pass for next season.
Epic Friend tickets work at any of Vail’s 37 North American ski resorts, though limited partner resorts are excluded. The Epic Friends discounts replace the confusing Buddy Tickets and Ski With A Friend Tickets, streamlining the benefit and offering a much deeper discount.
The full Ikon Pass comes with 12 buddy passes, offering 25% off lift ticket prices at participating Ikon destinations (many European partners are excluded). The Ikon Base Pass includes eight buddy passes at 25% off.
This benefit isn’t likely to outweigh the core pass benefits above, but your friends will appreciate it. Since 50% is twice as good as 25%, the Epic Pass is a clear winner here.
Winner: Epic
Discounts & Rewards
With the purchase of an Epic or Epic Local Pass, you get Vail’s “Epic Mountain Rewards.” This discount package gets you 20% off food, lodging, equipment rentals, ski and snowboard group lessons, Epic Mountain Express shuttles, and Whistler Heli-Skiing packages. Twenty percent off a $27 burger is still an expensive burger, but it’s better than nothing.
In summer, you’ll also get 20% off golf, bike rentals, and scenic lift rides at participating Epic resorts. Check out the Epic Pass website for more details on where those discounts apply.
Ikon offers similar discounts. With the full Ikon Pass, customers get 15% off food, beverage, and retail (though it notes that doesn’t apply to hard goods or alcoholic beverages). The Ikon Base Pass offers 10% off the same.
The Ikon and Ikon Base Passes also offer discounts on heli-skiing and heli-hiking through CMH Heli Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing. The full Ikon Pass comes with $400 per day in heli-skiing credits (up to $2,000), and the Ikon Base comes with $200 per day in heli-skiing credits (up to $1,000) through both CMH and Mike Wiegele.
The full Ikon also includes two free bike park days for summer shredding, and the Ikon Base Pass includes one.
Finally, the full Ikon Pass also offers 20-40% off at brands like The North Face, SIXT, Blenders, White Space, 4FRNT, DB, Gravity Haus, and Prenuvo. You also get a full-year membership to the nonprofit Protect Our Winters (POW).
We wouldn’t weigh these “coupon” discounts too heavily, but give Ikon the edge for including summer bike park days.
Winner: Ikon
Complete List of Epic and Ikon Ski Areas
Epic Pass Destinations
The unrestricted Epic Pass gets you all-season access to the following ski areas. Dropping down to the Epic Local Pass excludes blackout days and cuts access to Telluride, Canadian Rockies resorts such as Kicking Horse, and some European partners. The Epic Local also limits you to 10 days between Vail, Beaver Creek, and Whistler. Browse the Epic Pass comparison page for all the caveats and fine print.
Unlimited Access
Rockies
Vail, Colo.
Beaver Creek, Colo.
Breckenridge, Colo.
Keystone, Colo.
Crested Butte, Colo.
Park City, Utah
West
Heavenly, Calif./Nev.
Northstar, Calif.
Kirkwood, Calif.
Stevens Pass, Wash.
Canada
Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia
Northeast
Stowe, Verm
Okemo, Vt.
Mount Snow, Vt.
Mount Sunapee, N.H.
Attitash Mountain Resort, N.H.
Wildcat Mountain, N.H.
Crotched Mountain, N.H.
Hunter Mountain, N.Y.
Midatlantic
Liberty Mountain Resort, Pa.
Roundtop Mountain Resort, Pa.
Whitetail Resort, Pa.
Jack Frost, Pa.
Big Boulder, Pa.
Seven Springs, Pa.
Laurel Mountain, Pa.
Hidden Valley, Pa.
Midwest
Afton Alps, Min.
Mt Brighton, Mich.
Wilmot, Wisc.
Alpine Valley, Ohio
Boston Mills, Ohio
Brandywine, Ohio
Mad River Mountain, Ohio
Hidden Valley, Mo.
Snow Creek, Mo.
Paoli Peaks, In.
Europe
Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis
Crans-Montana
Australia
Perisher – 2027 Access
Falls Creek – 2027 Access
Hotham – 2027 Access
Limited Access Partner Resorts
7 TOTAL DAYS
Rockies
Telluride, Colo.
Canada
Fernie Alpine Resort
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Kimberley Alpine Resort
Nakiska Ski Area
Mont-Sainte-Anne
Stoneham
5 DAYS EACH
Japan
Hakuba Valley
Rusutsu Resort
VARYING DAYS AND DISCOUNTS
Europe
Skirama Dolomiti
Les 3 Vallées
Verbier 4 Vallées
Ski Arlberg
Saalbach & Zell am See-Kaprun
Zillertal
Silvretta Montafon
Sölden
Ikon Pass Destinations
Ikon Pass holders have unlimited access to 16 core resorts such as Arapahoe Basin and Palisades Tahoe, while Ikon Base Pass holders get unlimited access to 13 of those (with blackout dates), but only 5 days at Schweitzer, Steamboat, and Crystal Mountain.
Ikon Base Pass holders can’t access Aspen Snowmass, Colo., Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo., Sun Valley, Idaho, Deer Valley Resort, Utah, Alta Ski Area, Utah, or Snowbasin, Utah. Those resorts are only available (7 days each) with the full Ikon Pass.
Both Ikon and Ikon Base offer limited days (5 or 7 days total, respectively) at dozens of other partner resorts listed below.
Unlimited Access
USA
- Big Bear Mountain Resort, Calif.
- June Mountain, Calif.
- Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
- Palisades Tahoe, Calif.
- Snow Valley, Calif.
- Arapaho Basin
- Copper Mountain Resort, Colo.
- Eldora Mountain Resort, Colo.
- Steamboat, Colo.*
- Winter Park Resort, Colo.
- Schweitzer, Idaho*
- Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah
- Stratton, Vt.
- Sugarbush Resort, Vt.
- Crystal Mountain, Wash.*
- Snowshoe, W.Va.
Canada
- Blue Mountain, Ontario, Canada
- Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
* 5 days only for Ikon Base
5-7 Days Total
USA
- Alyeska Resort, Alaska
- Sierra-at-Tahoe, Calif.
- Aspen Snowmass, Colo.
- Sun Valley, Idaho*
- Jiminy Peak, Mass.
- Sugarloaf, Maine*
- Sunday River, Maine
- Boyne Mountain, Mich.
- The Highlands, Mich.
- Buck Hill, Minn.
- Wild Mountain, Minn.
- Big Sky Resort, Mont.
- Cranmore, N.H.
- Loon Mountain, N.H.
- Taos Ski Valley, N.M.
- Mt. Bachelor, Ore.
- Blue Mountain Resort, Penn.
- Camelback Resort, Penn.
- Deer Valley Resort, Utah*
- Alta Ski Area, Utah*
- Brighton, Utah
- Snowbasin, Utah*
- Snowbird, Utah
- Killington-Pico, Vt.
- The Summit at Snoqualmie, Wash.
- Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo.*
Canada
- SkiBig3, Alberta, Canada
- Cypress Mountain, British Columbia, Canada
- Panorama, British Columbia, Canada
- Revelstoke Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada
- RED Mountain, British Columbia, Canada
- Sun Peaks Resort, British Columbia, Canada
- Le Massif de Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada
International
- Grandvalira Resorts, Andorra
- Mt. Buller, Australia
- Thredbo, Australia
- Ischgl, Austria
- Kitzbühel, Austria
- Valle Nevado, Chile
- Beidahu Ski Resort, China
- Lake Songhua Resort, China
- Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, France
- Dolomiti Superski, Italy
- Valle d’Aosta, Italy
- St. Moritz, Switzerland
- Zermatt Matterhorn, Switzerland
- Niseko United, Japan
- Arai Mountain Resort, Japan
- Madarao Mountain Resort, Japan
- Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt. Hutt, New Zealand
* Unavailable for Ikon Base
