SidePilot vs TBS Agent M
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SidePilot
This portable ground station app connects to ArduPilot drones via WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular. It provides real-time drone data, waypoint management, and advanced flight modes like Follow Me and Orbit. It also includes ADSB integration and live video streaming capabilities.
- Real-time drone telemetry display
- Waypoint and geofence creation
- ADSB aircraft integration
- Follow Me and Orbit flight modes
- Live video streaming
- Parameter editing and calibration
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This is the BEST ardupilot companion app. Works with ArduPilot autopilot via WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy or Cellular connection, including 3DR Solo. Supports ExpressLRS MAVLink telemetry. NOTE: You must have either WiFi, Cellular or Serial Bluetooth connection to your drone. User Manual is available at https://sidepilot.net Features: • Supports ArduCopter, ArduPlane and ArduRover via ELRS, WiFi or Bluetooth. • Displays current drone location, with information such as altitude, yaw, pitch and roll. • Internet ADSB to display nearby aircraft and provide warnings. • Create, edit and delete waypoints and geofences. • Audible alerts for important information. • Edit, save and load parameters. • Perform a Pre-Flight checklist with live weather information. • Low battery warnings and alerts. • View onboard video, and live stream it to YouTube. • Record telemetry logs and export for sharing. • Follow Me - Have your drone follow you using your devices GPS location, or visually with Object Tracking. • Orbit mode - Automatically orbit an object for a fantastic cinematic shots! • Grid Waypoints - Create a survey grid to fly. • Tap to fly - Tap a location on the map to send your drone there! • Perform calibrations at the field. • DroneCAN Viewer and parameter editor. • And many, many more... Quick-start guide (Using a WiFi connection): 1. Turn on drone and connect using WiFi. 2. Start SidePilot, navigate to settings and select either WiFi UDP, TCP or 3DR Solo (as applicable). 3. If setting up WiFi manually, click on WiFi Settings and input the correct IP address and port that the MAVLink protocol is running over. 4. Go back to the main screen and press the connect button on the top right. The app will begin displaying information about the drone. If not, double check your WiFi settings. Please post suggestions and bug reports on the SidePilot Facebook page or via email to tom@sidepilot.net WARNING: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Note: iPads without cellular do not have GPS capability unless tethered to a iOS Device with cellular, and even then it is poor and not suitable for navigation.
TBS Agent M
This mobile tool connects wirelessly to TBS Cloud-enabled devices for real-time configuration of settings. It can be used with or without an internet connection, offering flexibility for managing your TBS products.
- Wireless device configuration
- Real-time setting adjustments
- Offline connectivity support
- TBS Cloud integration
- Mobile companion tool
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The TBS Agent M is a mobile companion tool for all your TBS products. It interfaces wirelessly with your TBS Cloud-enabled devices and allows you to configure all settings in real time, with or without internet connectivity. Connect your phone to your TBS Cloud hotspot and start configuring, or ensure both are connected to the internet and registered to the TBS Cloud to get started!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TBS Agent M at Free against SidePilot's $13.99. TBS Agent M also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 57%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). SidePilot's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (103 vs 8). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
TBS Agent M is free to download; SidePilot costs $13.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for SidePilot against 4.0 for TBS Agent M. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SidePilot has 103 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of SidePilot's written reviews are positive against 71% of TBS Agent M's.
SidePilot ships an update every 6 weeks, TBS Agent M every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SidePilot | TBS Agent M |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $13.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (103 ratings) | 4.0 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | 71.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 103 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #118 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 117 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tom Brereton | TBS Avionics Co Ltd |
Customer experience
SidePilot
TBS Agent M
Bugs and requests
SidePilot
Reported bugs
51 issues- App does not connect to drone
- No video feed from GoPro
- Firmware update failures
- Controller not pairing
- Drone stuck in 'waiting for Solo' state
Show 46 moreShow fewer
- App freezes or crashes during operation
- Drone becomes unstable during landing
- GoPro recording not triggered
- Parameter changes not syncing
- Inaccurate battery level warnings
- Compass calibration errors
- Map not loading
- Laggy video feed
- App crashes when pressing record button
- App closes constantly
- Drone crashes due to app malfunction
- Camera disconnects during flight
- Lost connectivity during flight
- Drone stuck in 'Preflight Update' mode
- WiFi connection alert 'No internet connection'
- Gimbal left-right movement not working
- GoPro Hero 4 Black control issues
- Drone gets squirrely and throttles up during landing
- Drone flips over and destroys props
- Drone does not shut off
- Issues with controller setup (A/B buttons)
- App freezes or shuts down when changing button configurations
- Functions showing as 'unsupported'
- Parameters not loading from vehicle
- Calibrations not functioning
- Laggy live feed
- Live feed shows drone in air after landing
- GPS position does not match map in PRC
- App crashes when trying to connect Solo to app
- Live feed freezes during flight
- Switching from video to photo freezes app
- App closes constantly
- Camera disconnected and lost connectivity
- Pop-up 'swipe to arm' cannot be dismissed
- Drone crashes into water
- Lags horribly
- Feed completely freezes
- App is useless
- Almost caused loss of drone
- Lag and photo function issues
- Video lags
- Freezes mid-flight when switching modes
- Awful lag issues with live feed
- Developer stopped responding to questions
- GPS position does not match map
- App crashes every time to connect Solo to app
Requested features
11 requests- French language option
- Ability to update Solo 3DR
- Fix GoPro control issues
- Fix compass calibration errors
- Add support for GoPro video settings in air
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Add imperial measurements
- Improve waypoint setup practicality
- Fix GPS position matching map in PRC
- Add lighting configuration options
- Add smart shots functionality
- Add A/B button functionality
TBS Agent M
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SidePilot
No in-app purchases
TBS Agent M
No in-app purchases
