Around the Sticks vs WPFG
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Around the Sticks
This yacht racing app provides essential navigation data like mark bearing, distance, and steering angles. It's designed for autonomous race conditions, minimizing user input so you can focus on sailing. Never get lost on the course again with its intuitive interface and offline capabilities.
- Autonomous race condition optimization
- Offline internet connection required
- One-touch race mode
- Proximity mode for mark turns
- Race start timer with sync signals
- Custom mark and course creation
- Pre-loaded and expandable course database
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Around the Sticks is a richly featured yacht racing course app, providing clear and concise information on mark bearing, distance, shape of turn, side to pass and steering angle relative to mark. Optimized to perform autonomously in race conditions, the app requires very little user inputs, leaving you free to concentrate on the racing. Never get lost out on course again! Key features include: -Designed specifically for use in race conditions, and operated through a waterproof casing. Phone will not go idle whilst racing, rather the screen will dim and can be awakened by tapping anywhere on the screen (user settable) to save battery. -No internet connection is required whilst racing. -Buttons on main screen are automatically locked to prevent accidental activation. -One touch race: Once race is started (either with race timer or manually), no further inputs are needed from the user (if all mark positions are known to the app) mark rounding is automatic and the target moves automatically to the next mark. Laid marks, (without set/known coordinates) can be incorporated into courses to maintain the sequential structure. In these cases, once rounded an easily activated manual advance option advances to the next mark. -The main screen includes a link to course description, progress through the course, clear and easy to read bearing to and distance to, name and picture of the next mark, the side it must be left to, plus the name of the following mark of the course. Speed Across Ground and VMG to the mark are also included on the main screen. -Once near (distance user settable) to the next mark, proximity mode is activated. The shape of the turn and the bearing to the following mark are pre-emptively displayed, allowing the crew to prepare for the turn -Race start timer with sync signals for 5, 4 and 1 minutes to start, a user-settable timer button and clear audio cues. This can be used to trigger the start of a course within the app, or as a stand-alone feature -Clear help captions help explain features when you're getting started. Tap on a feature to display a caption explaining its function. Once you're familiar with the app, captions can be disabled in user settings -Create and store your own marks and courses, either by entering co-ordinates or "pinging" current location. User courses can be compiled with a combination of existing and custom marks, in a few moments. Ideal for race days where you're handed a new course at the last minute. It's also easy to enter into the app the entire course list for your club at the start of the season, so any course you may require is instantly accessible -Around the Sticks comes pre-loaded with marks and courses from Melbourne, Australia, this database will be extended regularly to include more territories/clubs, and stay tuned for course sharing options between users.. -Warning: As with all navigation apps, continued use of GPS may drain the battery life faster than normal. It is recommended that the app's easy to use timed screen dimming feature is activated to minimize this.
WPFG
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Compete. Connect. Be part of something bigger. The WPFG app brings the World Police and Fire Games community together in one place. Connect with fellow competitors, discover people from your sport and country, keep up with the Games and share the experience with thousands of police, fire and emergency service personnel from around the world. Stay connected to your Games Access the information that matters to you and keep up with what’s happening throughout the event. Find your community Connect with competitors from your sports, your country and across the wider World Police and Fire Games community. Meet people from around the world Discover who else is attending, build new connections and make it easier to turn conversations at the Games into lasting relationships. Share the experience Capture and share moments from throughout the Games and see the event through the eyes of the people taking part. More than a competition The World Police and Fire Games bring together police, fire, corrections and emergency service personnel from around the world. The WPFG app helps bring that community closer together - before, during and beyond the Games. Download the WPFG app and become part of the community.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: WPFG at Free against Around the Sticks's $10.99. WPFG also leads on update cadence (daily vs monthly). Around the Sticks's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On 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
WPFG is free to download; Around the Sticks costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Around the Sticks ships an update monthly, WPFG daily. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Around the Sticks | WPFG |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $10.99 | Free — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 94 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tim Metherall | SixSides Pty Ltd |
In-app purchases
Around the Sticks
No in-app purchases
WPFG
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Around the Sticks free?
Is WPFG free?
Do Around the Sticks or WPFG have ads?
Which is updated more often, Around the Sticks or WPFG?
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