Comparison

Superlocal vs Backbone

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Superlocal

Discover new places with AI-powered recommendations and gamified exploration. Automatically log your visits to create a personalized travel diary and connect with friends. Track your progress and earn achievements as you explore your world.

Highlights
  • AI-powered place discovery
  • Fog of World gamification
  • GPS diary and check-in tracker
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Community rankings and achievements
  • Friend tracking and connection
Features
Read full description

DISCOVER • TRACK • FOG OF WORLD • LEVEL-UP YOUR WORLD Superlocal is the AI Travel Map & Tracker that finds the best places for you — then auto-logs every visit so you can relive the journey. Think Google Maps + Foursquare + Swarm + Fog of World, super-charged by personalization. Scratch your map and make it smart and more personalized! KEY FEATURES • AI-POWERED DISCOVERY – Instantly find restaurants, cafés, trails, art, and hidden gems that match your taste • FOG OF WORLD MODE – Gamify exploration and reveal new spots as you move • SMART RECOMMENDATIONS – Better than Yelp or TripAdvisor; suggestions improve with each check-in • GPS DIARY & CHECK-IN TRACKER – Auto-save all places visited, cities, and countries • COMMUNITY RANKINGS – Earn mayorships, badges, and climb local leaderboards like classic Swarm / Foursquare • KEEP UP WITH FRIENDS – Bump into friends as you explore your city and travel. PERSONALIZED SEARCH & GUIDES • AI REVIEWS tailored to you—skip endless star ratings • INTELLIGENT LOCAL GUIDES – Like a savvy friend in every city • ADAPTIVE “NEAR ME” PICKS – Fast results for food, coffee, nightlife, or must-see sights REIMAGINE MAPS • Combines Google Maps accuracy with Apple Maps polish and cutting-edge AI • Navigate cities, off-grid routes, and world wonders in one travel diary • Turn routine outings into shareable adventures GAMIFICATION & ACHIEVEMENTS • Earn badges, claim mayorships, and track your world-exploration % • Log memories in a life journal—photos, notes, and stats at a glance JOIN THOUSANDS WHO USE SUPERLOCAL TO: • Find local hidden gems instantly • Scratch your fog of world map off • Plan unique trips & itineraries • Track every place visited with GPS precision • Connect with explorers who share your vibe Whether you’re a city hopper, digital nomad, foodie, or map geek, Superlocal is the AI companion that makes every step count. DOWNLOAD NOW—YOUR NEXT PLACE AWAITS. Superlocal offers weekly, monthly, and annual subscriptions for premium sticker graphics: • Weekly: $2.49/week after a 7-day free trial • Monthly: $5.99/month • Yearly: $39.99/year Subscriptions renew automatically unless turned off in Account Settings 24 hrs before period end. Charges occur within 24 hrs of renewal. Unused trial time is forfeited upon purchase. Privacy Policy: https://superlocal.com/privacy Terms: https://superlocal.com/terms Explore, find, and track your world with Superlocal—download today!

About

Backbone

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a powerful gaming console. Stream and play games from various services, record and share epic gameplay clips, and connect with friends for seamless multiplayer experiences. Features automatic highlight detection and in-app voice chat.

Highlights
  • Turns iPhone/iPad into a gaming device
  • Supports PS Remote Play, Xbox Game Pass, Apple Arcade
  • Record, edit, and share gameplay clips
  • Automatic highlight detection
  • Rich Presence for friend notifications
  • In-app voice chat
Features
Read full description

Backbone turns your iPhone and iPad Mini into the ultimate gaming device. ■ Play any game or service that supports game controllers. The Backbone One controller works with services like PS Remote Play, Xbox Game Pass (xCloud), Apple Arcade, Xbox Remote Play, Google Stadia, and Amazon Luna. It also works with games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Minecraft and Genshin Impact. Press the Backbone Button to bring up the app and launch into your favorite games that support controllers from one place. ■ Record, edit, and share epic gaming clips Backbone One has a built-in Capture button that allows you to easily screen record or screenshot gameplay and share directly to social platforms like Instagram Stories and iMessage, all directly from your mobile device. ■ Never miss a moment Hold the Capture Button to bookmark a moment when recording. Forgot to bookmark? Once a video is captured, Backbone’s app helps you identify your most action-packed moments automatically, allowing you to show off your best moments and highlights with ease. ■ Party with your friends With Backbone’s Rich Presence feature, you can get push notifications when your friends start playing games on Backbone, making it easy to join the action in real-time. Once you see a friend online, you can link up for voice chat inside the app and move from game to game, seamlessly. To learn more, download the app or visit https://backbone.com/ A Backbone+ subscription is required for some features within the app. Any feedback? Use the in-app feedback tool, ping us at support@playbackbone.com or tweet us @backbone Terms of Use: https://backbone.com/terms/

Screenshots

Superlocal4 screens
Backbone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Backbone at 4.8 against Superlocal's 4.2. Backbone also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 24%) and ratings volume (103K vs 3.1K). Superlocal's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Superlocal sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per 7 days and Backbone sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backbone holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backbone has 103K ratings behind it against 3.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Superlocal's written reviews are positive against 51% of Backbone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Superlocal ships an update every 6 days, Backbone every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Superlocal versus Backbone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSuperlocalBackbone
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (3.1K ratings)4.8 (103K ratings) — better
Positive reviews24.3% of reviews51.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.1K103K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#59 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size284 MB424 MB
Age rating4++12
DeveloperSuper Computer, IncBackbone Labs, Inc. (US)

Customer experience

Superlocal

All ratings3,062 ratings
Positive78.4%
Neutral5.4%
Negative16.3%
Written reviews470 reviews
Positive24.3%
Neutral15.5%
Negative60.2%

Backbone

All ratings102,695 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews946 reviews
Positive51.3%
Neutral8.6%
Negative40.2%

User reviews

Superlocal

From 3.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Tracking location and exploring the world
  • 🌟 Fun and engaging concept
  • 👍 Ability to compete with friends
  • 💡 Innovative use of location data
  • 🎨 Creative way to visualize travel history

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent location tracking
  • 🔍 Difficulty zooming out to see full map
  • 💰 Aggressive monetization and paywalls
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🤖 Buggy and glitchy performance

Backbone

From 103K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great gaming experience
  • 👍 Seamless integration with app
  • 🎮 Feels like a dedicated gaming device
  • 💡 Turns phone into a portable console
  • 🎨 Sleek and premium design

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
  • 🔌 Requires removing phone case
  • 🎮 Ergonomics not ideal for all games
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs

Bugs and requests

Superlocal

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Progress and data frequently reset
  • Locations not accurately tracked
  • Crashes and freezes when using certain features
  • Subscription issues and inability to cancel

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to import past travel data
  • Offline mode for location tracking
  • Customizable map views and icons
  • Social features like friend leaderboards
  • Integration with other mapping/fitness apps

Backbone

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Random disconnections during gameplay
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Issues with controller button mapping
  • Incompatibility with certain games

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow use without subscription
  • Add more customization options
  • Improve compatibility with various phone models
  • Integrate with more cloud gaming services

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Superlocal

Subscriptions9
  • Weekly Stickers7 Days trial$2.497 Days
  • Monthly Stickers$5.991 Month
  • Bonus Premium Stickers14 Days trial$5.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Superboost+ (Monthly)$7.991 Month
  • Verizon FREE Year of Stickers1 Year trial$9.991 Month
  • Superboost+ (Monthly)3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Superboost+$29.991 Year
  • Superboost+3 Days trial2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Superboost+3 Days trial$39.991 Year
9 purchases

Backbone

Subscriptions9
  • Backbone+7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Backbone+$3.991 Month
  • Backbone+1 Month trial$29.991 Year
Show 6 more
  • Backbone+1 Year trial2 variants$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+1 Month trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+3 Months trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+14 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Superlocal free?
Superlocal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backbone free?
Backbone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Superlocal or Backbone?
Backbone is rated higher. Superlocal averages 4.2 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while Backbone averages 4.8 from 103K ratings.
Do Superlocal or Backbone have ads?
Neither Superlocal nor Backbone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Superlocal or Backbone?
Superlocal ships an update every 6 days, and Backbone every 3 weeks. Most recently, Superlocal was updated on November 6, 2026 and Backbone on November 10, 2026.

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