BIKETOWNpdx vs Backyardbend
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BIKETOWNpdx
Access Portland's electric bike share system to unlock and pay for rides directly from your phone. Explore the city with a greener, healthier transportation option. The app also provides real-time public transit information.
- Unlock electric bikes
- Pay for rides
- Find nearby bikes
- View transit departures
- Purchase memberships
- Purchase single rides
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The official app for BIKETOWN, Portland’s bike share system. BIKETOWN consists of a fleet of specially designed, sturdy and durable electric bikes that can be locked at any BIKETOWN station or bike rack throughout the city. Bike share is a greener, healthier way to get around — whether you’re commuting, running errands, meeting friends, or exploring in a new city. The BIKETOWN App gives you access to hundreds of bikes in your area — unlock and pay directly from the app and get going. The BIKETOWN App also shows upcoming public transit departures, including train lines, local buses, and streetcars. Within the app, you can either purchase an annual BIKETOWN membership or single rides. Happy riding!
Backyardbend
Discover and share authentic local content from Central Oregon. Explore an interactive map and gallery of photos and videos, find local deals, and stay updated on events, weather, and conditions. Connect with the community and plan your next adventure.
- Interactive map and gallery
- Local digital deals
- Event and concert announcements
- Real-time weather and conditions
- Local podcast and radio streaming
- Community-shared photos and videos
- Customizable content updates
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Are you wild for Bend and Central Oregon? Then this app is for you! Backyardbend is the first and only Central Oregon App focusing on what you’re doing right now, what interests you most, and sharing content and information - peer to peer. Backyardbend is the area's largest, ever changing collection of authentic, original photos and videos from outdoor enthusiasts and fun seekers like you. Explore the interactive map and gallery. Be inspired by our community in action. Inspire others by sharing your experiences in photo and video. Backyardbend is about what’s happening right now in Bend and Central Oregon. Plan your next adventure, connect directly, make friends, and stay current. With Backyardbend you'll also enjoy: • Digital Deals - Instant access, wherever you are, to great deals from local businesses. • Deeper local and regional coverage of the key concerts, events, and happenings you care about. No information overload here … we’re all busy … just what matters. • Stream/Cast - Listen to your favorite local radio stations plus the latest, greatest, local podcasts ... streamed right to your smart phone. • Current weather & conditions at the places we all like to visit and follow; and more than just temp, cloud cover, and precip. With Backyardbend you’ll also find links to sophisticated wind data, and water flows … trail, mountain, and avalanche conditions ...radar, satellite, and webcams ... even the latest fire information. Backyardbend has everything you need to plan your next adventure and stay safe out there. • What’s trending locally. • Live on Location - Can't make it this time? Check in with Backyardbend. We may be bringing the event to you on your smartphone! • Positive news. • Pathways to get involved in our community. • More ways to win cool stuff and more cool stuff to win! The Backyardbend APP even provides content and updates that you customize, sent directly to you, right when it matters most. Content like: • Concert & event announcements. • Changes to weather & conditions you’ll want to know about. • The newest digital deals. • Important breaking news. • Major music news and more! Backyardbend. Created by locals. "Community Inspired”. One of a kind. Download it today! Please geo-tag responsibly. If you want to keep a secret spot a secret but still share the stoke, just geo locate your content to a favorite area business or non-profit. We’ll still be inspired!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BIKETOWNpdx at 4.6 against Backyardbend's 4.2. BIKETOWNpdx also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 10) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Backyardbend's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BIKETOWNpdx holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BIKETOWNpdx has 2K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two.
BIKETOWNpdx ships an update weekly, Backyardbend every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BIKETOWNpdx | Backyardbend |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (2K ratings) — better | 4.2 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 21.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 12.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 249 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lyft, Inc. | Bend Radio Group |
Customer experience
BIKETOWNpdx
Backyardbend
Bugs and requests
BIKETOWNpdx
Reported bugs
3 issues- Bikes not unlocking or locking properly
- App freezing or crashing
- Inaccurate location data and bike availability
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to rent multiple bikes at once
- Better bike station map integration
- Improved app responsiveness and stability
- More affordable pricing options
Backyardbend
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BIKETOWNpdx
No in-app purchases
Backyardbend
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is BIKETOWNpdx free?
Is Backyardbend free?
Which has better reviews, BIKETOWNpdx or Backyardbend?
Do BIKETOWNpdx or Backyardbend have ads?
Which is updated more often, BIKETOWNpdx or Backyardbend?
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