# Brady Express Labels vs XL Sidekick

The clearest difference is rating: XL Sidekick at 5.0 against Brady Express Labels's 4.3. XL Sidekick also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Brady Express Labels's advantage is ratings volume (425 vs 4) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

XL Sidekick holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brady Express Labels has 425 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Brady Express Labels ships an update every 2 months, XL Sidekick every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brady Express Labels | XL Sidekick |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (425 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brady-express-labels/id1428966237/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xl-sidekick/id6751604755/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **425** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 313 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brady Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/487635364) | [Vorne Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835995344) |

## What reviewers say

### Brady Express Labels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brady-express-labels/id1428966237)

Design, view, and print labels directly from your smartphone. Offers extensive design options, including multiple guides, barcode types, fonts, languages, and symbols. Streamline labeling with data import, sequence creation, barcode scanning, and text recognition features.

**Highlights:** Label design and printing from phone, 11 label design guides, 34 barcode symbologies, 85 fonts and 34 languages, Over 1,500 symbols, Import data from spreadsheets, Voice-to-text and photo-to-text

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome printer
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔋 Long-lasting battery
- 💡 Versatile label creation
- 🚀 Intuitive app interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes on startup
- 🐛 Bluetooth connection issues
- 🐛 Orientation issues when printing
- 🐛 Cartridge issues (false empty)
- 🐛 Difficult text editing

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately on launch
- Saved labels not working after update
- Orientation reverts unexpectedly when printing
- Cartridges marked as empty when not
- Text formatting issues (all uppercase)

**Requested features**

- Allow selective text editing
- Add default file location for cloud storage
- Provide backup/restore feature for saved labels
- Add copies field in wire wrap screen
- Improve text centering for multiple lines


### XL Sidekick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xl-sidekick/id6751604755)

Enhance manufacturing productivity with a companion app for XL devices. Enter data, view real-time production insights, and mirror operator displays on your mobile device. Securely access information from anywhere on your plant floor.

**Highlights:** Data entry via action screens, Real-time production data visualization, Operator display mirroring (scoreboard), Secure local network access, Free to use and support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brady Express Labels free?

Brady Express Labels is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is XL Sidekick free?

XL Sidekick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Brady Express Labels or XL Sidekick?

XL Sidekick is rated higher. Brady Express Labels averages 4.3 out of 5 from 425 ratings, while XL Sidekick averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Brady Express Labels or XL Sidekick have ads?

Neither Brady Express Labels nor XL Sidekick shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Brady Express Labels or XL Sidekick?

Brady Express Labels ships an update every 2 months, and XL Sidekick every 4 months. Most recently, Brady Express Labels was updated on October 29, 2026 and XL Sidekick on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*